V112 Form PDF Download | Free DVLA MOT Exemption Form

If your classic vehicle is old enough to skip the MOT, you still need one piece of paper to prove it at the counter. The V112 form is the DVLA declaration that allows you to tax a vehicle without an MOT certificate. Grab the ready-to-print PDF, fill it in at home, and take it in.

Download the form now: Get the printable PDF, print it, and bring it to any Post Office that handles vehicle tax. Free to download. No sign up.

V112 Form Overview

Detail	Information
Form name	V112, Declaration of Exemption from MOT
Purpose	Declare a vehicle MOT exempt so you can tax it
Cost	Free
Format	PDF, printable on A4
Where used	Post Office that handles vehicle tax
When submitted	During your vehicle tax application
Issued by	DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)
Online option	Yes, declare at tax renewal using your V11 reminder

What is the V112 Form?

The V112 is the DVLA Declaration of Exemption from MOT. You use it to confirm that your car, motorcycle, or light goods vehicle is legally exempt from MOT testing so you can tax it. Normally, the DVLA wants proof of a valid MOT before it will tax a vehicle. When your vehicle is exempt, this short declaration serves as proof.

The form itself is simple. It has four fields: the vehicle registration number, your full name, the exemption category letter, and your signature. The value is not in the boxes. It is in knowing which category you fall under and whether you truly qualify before you sign.

What is the Form Used For?

Taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle: shown at the Post Office in place of an MOT certificate.
Declaring a historic vehicle: cars and bikes over 40 years old that meet the rules.
Confirming the exemption category: you pick one letter from the list on the form.
Meeting the legal requirement: it records your declaration in writing and includes your signature.
Supporting a tax class change: it goes with your logbook when you move into the historic class.

Who Needs to Complete a V112 Form?

You need this declaration if your vehicle does not require an MOT, but you still have to tax it at a Post Office. In practice, that is a small set of owners:

Classic car and motorcycle keepers: vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago.
Owners taxing at the counter: anyone who cannot or does not want to declare exemption online.
Keepers of other exempt types: such as certain tractors, trams, and electric goods vehicles first registered before 1 March 2015.

If your vehicle still needs an MOT, this form is not for you. Sign it only when you are sure the vehicle qualifies, because your signature confirms the declaration is correct.

Do You Still Need the Paper Form in 2026?

Not always, and this trips up a lot of people. Since the rules changed, you can declare your vehicle MOT-exempt online when you tax it, using the reference number on your V11 reminder. In that case, you do not touch a paper form at all.

You still want the printed declaration when:

You are taxing in person at a Post Office.
You do not have a V11 reminder to hand.
You prefer a signed paper record for the vehicle’s history file.

Both routes are valid and end the same way: your vehicle is recorded as exempt when it is taxed. Source: GOV.UK historic vehicles guidance.

How to Get the DVLA V112 Form: Download, Print, or Order?

You have three easy ways to get hold of the declaration. Most people simply download and print it.

Download the V112 PDF

Download the official DVLA PDF here or straight from this page. It opens on any phone or computer, and it is free. Save a copy so you have it ready next year too.

Print it for the Post Office

Print the form on plain A4 paper. Black and white is fine. Fill it in with a pen, or type into the fields first and then print, so the counter clerk can read it clearly.

Order or Collect a Copy

There is no need to order it by post. Post Offices that deal with vehicle tax keep blank copies to collect and complete there. For the official master copy online, use the DVLA publication page: Declaration of exemption from MOT (GOV.UK).

Download detail	Information
File format	PDF
Paper size	A4, prints in black and white
Cost	Free
Source	Official DVLA publication on GOV.UK
Best for	Printing at home before your Post Office visit

Is Your Vehicle Eligible? The Exemption Rules

Before you sign anything, check that your vehicle genuinely qualifies. The DVLA V112 form covers several exemption categories, but the one that applies to most classic owners is the 40-year rule.

The 40-Year Rule

A vehicle becomes MOT exempt once it is more than 40 years old, as long as it has not been substantially changed in the last 30 years. This is a rolling rule. Each year, another year’s vehicles become eligible.

What “Substantially Changed” Means?

This is the part that worries owners most. Your vehicle is considered substantially changed if the technical character of its main parts has changed in the last 30 years. Those parts are:

Chassis or monocoque bodyshell: including any subframes.
Engine: the main power unit.
Axles and running gear: changes to the type or method of suspension or steering.

Some changes do not count against you. These are fine:

Like-for-like replacement of the same pattern as the original.
Alternative cubic capacities of the same basic engine, or original equipment engines.
Axle or running gear changes made to improve efficiency, safety, or the environment.
Repairs to keep the vehicle going when original parts are no longer made.

If you cannot confirm that your vehicle has not been substantially changed, you must not claim the exemption. Full criteria: DVLA substantial change guidance.

Special cases: Q plates, Kit Cars, and Imports

A few vehicles are treated as substantially changed by default. A Q prefix registration, a kit car built from mixed parts, a kit conversion, or a reconstructed classic all fall here, unless the vehicle is taxed as historic and has not been modified in the previous 30 years. For imported vehicles, the build date on your log book matters more than the UK registration date. As the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs notes, “built more than 40 years ago” usually refers to vehicles first registered abroad, while UK vehicles are judged on their first registration date.

When Does Your Exemption Actually Start?

Here is the single biggest source of confusion, and almost no one explains it clearly. MOT exemption and tax exemption do not start on the same date.

MOT exemption

From the day after your vehicle turns 40.

The MOT history page only reads MOT test records, and an exempt vehicle has none, so it defaults to red. To check your actual status, use the “check if a vehicle is taxed” page instead. There, an exempt vehicle shows green, with “no results returned” under MOT. That green status is the one that matters. Police number plate cameras read your recorded exemption, not the red banner on the history page.

One more thing owners forget: even when the tax drops to zero, you must still tax the vehicle every year. Doing nothing means you keep owing the old rate.

How to Fill in Form V112 Correctly?

The declaration takes two minutes. Complete every field before you go to the counter.

Registration number: write your vehicle registration exactly as it appears on the log book.

Full name: use the registered keeper’s name.

Category letter: write the single letter that matches your vehicle from the list on the form. Most classic cars and bikes are category R.

Signature: sign to confirm that the details are correct and that the vehicle is exempt.

Category R covers a vehicle, other than a public service vehicle, registered or manufactured 40 years ago and not substantially changed in the last 30 years. If that describes your vehicle, R is your letter.

How to Submit It and Where to Send It?

You do not post this declaration to the DVLA on its own. You hand it in when you tax the vehicle. Take these to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax:

Your V5C log book in your name.
Your V11 tax reminder, if you have one.
The completed declaration.

Ask the clerk to change the tax class to Historic Vehicle. If a new member of staff is unsure, tell them to select “change tax class” in their system; it will guide them through. In Northern Ireland, you also need to bring a valid insurance certificate or cover note.

Cost, Fees, and Processing Time in 2026

The declaration is free. The only cost applies if you have lost your logbook V5C. Here is the full picture.

Item	Cost	Notes
The declaration	£0	Free to download, print, and submit.
Historic vehicle tax	£0	You still must tax it every year, even at zero.
Replacement log book (V62)	£25	Only if you do not have your V5C.
Processing	Up to 4 weeks	Time for the DVLA to send your updated log book.

You can keep using your vehicle while the change is processed. If you are owed a refund of tax you have already paid, the DVLA sends it by cheque for any full unused months.

V112 or V112G: Which One Do You Need?

Choosing the right form depends on your vehicle’s weight and type.

Use this form	For these vehicles
V112	Cars, motorcycles, and light goods vehicles that are MOT exempt.
V112G	Goods vehicles over 3,500kg, or vehicles in type approval categories N2, N3, O3, O4, or T.
V112G (Northern Ireland)	Also covers NI goods vehicles of 3,500kg or less, or NI vehicles in category N1.

Related forms you might see at the same time:

Form	Purpose	Needed when
V112	MOT exemption declaration	Taxing an exempt car, bike, or light goods vehicle
V112G	Goods vehicle exemption	Taxing an exempt heavy or goods vehicle
V62	Apply for a log book	Your V5C is lost, stolen, or damaged
V11	Vehicle tax reminder	The DVLA prompts you to renew your tax

Why Your Exempt Classic Shows a Red “MOT Expired” Banner?

This alarms owners every year. You declared your vehicle exempt, yet the online MOT history page still shows a red banner warning that the MOT has expired. Nothing is wrong.

Check the tax page, not the MOT page

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few errors keep coming up at the counter. A quick check saves a wasted trip.

Picking the wrong category letter: Most classic cars and bikes are category R, but confirm yours against the list on the form before you sign.

Assuming both exemptions start together: MOT exemption and tax exemption begin on different dates, as shown above.

Thinking you no longer have to tax the vehicle? You still have to tax it every year, even if the amount is zero.

Forgetting the V5C: The counter cannot process the change without your log book in your name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Post Offices that handle vehicle tax keep blank copies, and you can fill one in there. You can also download and print it in advance so it is ready before you go.

Yes, the declaration itself is free to download and submit. The only related cost is £25 for a replacement log book (V62) if you have lost your V5C. Taxing a historic vehicle costs £0, but you still have to tax it.

If your vehicle is over 40 years old and has not been substantially changed in the last 30 years, you declare it exempt on the form or online at tax renewal. There is no application to approve. You self-declare the correct category when you tax the vehicle.

The main group is vehicles registered or built more than 40 years ago that have not been substantially changed. Other exempt types include certain tractors, trams, and electric goods vehicles first registered before 1 March 2015.

Yes. A genuinely exempt vehicle does not need a valid MOT, so an expired status does not stop you driving it. The vehicle must still be roadworthy and taxed. This is different from an ordinary car with a lapsed MOT.

MOT exemption starts the day after your vehicle turns 40. Tax exemption starts on 1 April of the year after it turns 40, if it was built before 1 January of that year. The two dates are not the same.