Expert guide to motorcycle and scooter tax

There's no getting away from the fact that you have to sort out several key things before you can legally ride a motorcycle or scooter on public roads in the UK; one of these is road tax.

Despite what most people call it, technically it's not road tax, it's Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and how much you will pay is determined by a few different factors. These include the age of the vehicle, engine capacity, and how you want to pay the overall fee.

Who needs to tax their motorcycle or scooter?

Everyone...sort of! But before you can pay the tax on your motorcycle or scooter, unless your vehicle is over 40 years old, you will need to arrange a valid MOT test at an approved government test centre.

From May 2018, there was a new rule exempting bikes over 40 years old from needing an MOT and tax; but everything else needs one. Your bike has to have been built before January 1st, 1983, to qualify for no MOT or tax and must not have had any substantial changes made to it since then.

However, even if your vehicle is not liable to pay VED, you still have to apply for it to register the motorcycle or scooter correctly. Check out the full details here around MOT and VED for classic vehicles.

What is the penalty for being stopped with no road tax?

It depends, but if you get caught using a motorcycle without a SORN on the road then it could be a £30 out of court fine plus one and a half times the road tax owed. Or, if the case goes to the magistrates court, the fine could be as much as £1,000 or five times the tax chargeable, whichever is greater.

And it could be worse still. If the vehicle is impounded, there can be fees running into the hundreds of pounds that need to be paid to release the motorcycle or scooter. These seized vehicles can also be crushed if they aren't claimed by the registered keeper before 14 days are up. This link will take you to the Government website where all the details mentioned above, and more, can be obtained, but really we'd just recommend taxing your vehicle as it's much easier and less costly!

How much does an MOT cost?

An MOT costs a maximum of £29.65 for a single motorcycle of any engine size; motorcycles with a sidecar cost a higher rate of £37.80 [1]; and without an MOT pass, you cannot tax or insure your vehicle to be used on the road. You may ride to a booked MOT appointment with no valid MOT, but this is the only exception.

The Police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to automatically check the MOT and insurance status of vehicles that pass within range of the video cameras fitted to many patrol cars and specialist vans, so don't be clever and try to get around the system, it could end up costing you much more.

How is motorcycle and scooter tax calculated and how much does it cost? [2]

Vehicle tax is banded and priced according to engine capacity, and motorcycles (with or without sidecars) and scooters all fall into the TC17 category. There is a separate category for tricycles if you're into big 3-wheelers!

Anything less than 150cc and it's £24 for 12 months tax, or £25.20 if you choose to pay in monthly instalments. There is no option (as there is with larger capacity bikes) to split this into 2 six-monthly payments.

The next band is 151cc to 400cc and the annual cost is £52, rising to £54.60 if you choose 12 monthly payments. Here there is an option to pay for just six months at a rate of £28.60 for a single 6-month payment and £27.30 for six months by direct debit.

From 401cc to 600cc the yearly cost is £80, pushed up to £84 if you choose instalments over 12 months, but at this rate, you can pay for six months at £44 as a single payment or £42 for six months by Direct Debit.

Into big bike territory, over 601cc and the cost of a year's tax rises to £111 or £116.55 if you choose 12 months of Direct Debit payments; £61.05 for a single six-month payment; or £58.28 for six months by Direct Debit.

You can see a full up to date breakdown of all classes of motorcycle and scooter tax (including tricycles) by checking the government website.