Motorhome tax rates from 1 April 2026
GOV.UK publishes the motorhome rates on its own page, and the DVLA V149 leaflet dated April 2026 carries the same figures. Both were read on 15 September 2026.
| Tax class | Applies to | 12 months | 6 months | 12 monthly DD (total) | 6 months DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private or light goods (TC11) | Revenue weight not over 3,500kg, engine not over 1549cc | £230 | £126.50 | £241.50 | £120.75 |
| Private or light goods (TC11) | Revenue weight not over 3,500kg, engine over 1549cc | £375 | £206.25 | £393.75 | £196.88 |
| Private heavy goods (TC10) | Revenue weight over 3,500kg, any engine | £177 | £97.35 | £185.85 | £92.93 |
| Car standard rate (M1SP exception) | Registered 1 April 2017 to 11 March 2020, M1SP with CO2 on the certificate | £200 | £110 | £210 | £105 |
Guides that still quote £210 and £345, or £200 and £325, are showing earlier years’ figures. Rates change every April; the leaflet in force now says £230, £375 and £177.
How DVLA decides which class a motorhome is in
GOV.UK’s wording is short: “the rate of vehicle tax is based on the vehicle’s revenue weight (also known as maximum or gross vehicle weight)”. The revenue weight is printed on the V5C and held on the DVLA record, which is why the checker above can place a motorhome without you reading the weight plate. Two thresholds do all the work:
- 3,500kg. At or under it the motorhome is a private or light goods vehicle; over it, a private heavy goods vehicle. This is the same 3,500kg line that decides whether a post-1997 car licence can drive it, so a 3,500kg motorhome is the norm for a reason.
- 1549cc. Only matters within the TC11 class. Coachbuilt motorhomes on Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter bases are all well over it, so £375 is the figure to budget for. The £230 band is mostly small campervans on car-derived engines.
The 2017 to 2020 M1SP exception
GOV.UK carves out motorhomes registered between 1 April 2017 and 11 March 2020 that meet two tests: the vehicle is in the M1SP category (a special purpose M1 vehicle, which is how a coachbuilt motorhome is type approved), and its CO2 emissions are included on the type approval certificate, which may be called a certificate of conformity or individual vehicle approval. Those motorhomes “pay a different rate of tax”: the car tables. That means a first-year rate set by the CO2 figure, the £200 standard rate from the second year, and the £440 additional rate for five years where the list price was over £40,000. Registrations from 12 March 2020 returned to the weight-based classes, and anything registered before April 2017 was never affected.
If you are looking at a 2017 to 2020 motorhome, ask to see the V5C before you agree a price. The taxation class field tells you which regime it is in, and the difference between £177 and £640 a year adds up over a long ownership.
Over 3,500kg: cheaper tax, bigger licence
A 3,850kg or 4,250kg motorhome pays £177 a year against £375 for a 3,500kg one. That saving comes with two conditions. The driver needs category C1, which came automatically with a car test passed before 1 January 1997 and otherwise needs a separate test; our licence checker works it out from the reg. And the MOT is still class 4 at a maximum of £54.85, because motor caravans do not move to a heavier class by weight; see do motorhomes need an MOT.
Checking a motorhome’s tax before you buy
The DVLA record also tells you whether the motorhome is taxed, untaxed or on SORN and when the tax runs out, and the checker shows that line under the rate. A motorhome that has sat on SORN for years is worth a closer look at the MOT history for the mileage between tests. Tax does not transfer with the vehicle: the seller’s remaining months are refunded to them, and you tax it from the day you buy, using the new keeper slip.
The rate is one of the cheaper parts of ownership. The expensive surprises are outstanding finance, a write-off marker or a stolen record, none of which show on the DVLA record. The £4.99 motorhome history check covers those from the same registration.