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Is this DVLA text or email real?

Fake DVLA messages offer vehicle tax refunds, warn of failed payments or ask you to confirm licence details. Here is what DVLA says it never does, and how to check.

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  1. How do I know if a DVLA message is real?
  2. What do DVLA scam messages say?
  3. How are vehicle tax refunds really paid?
  4. What about copycat websites?
  5. How do I report a DVLA scam?
  6. What if I already clicked or entered details?
  7. Common questions
  8. Related guides

Quick answer: DVLA says it will never ask for your bank account details or ask you to confirm payment details by text or email, and that vehicle tax refunds are issued automatically, never via an email with a link. A DVLA message offering a refund, warning that your tax payment failed, or asking you to "verify" your licence through a link is a scam. Don't click. Forward texts to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

How do I know if a DVLA message is real?

DVLA's own advice comes down to three rules:

  1. DVLA will never ask for your bank account details or ask you to confirm payment details by email or text.
  2. Vehicle tax refunds are issued automatically, never via an email with a link.
  3. The only place to access official information on DVLA and its services is GOV.UK.

DVLA has also said it doesn't send emails or texts asking you to confirm your personal details or payment information, such as for a vehicle tax refund.

So if a message about your car or licence contains a link and asks for card, bank or personal details, it is a scam, however official it looks.

What do DVLA scam messages say?

The fakes DVLA has warned about include:

  • "You're owed a vehicle tax refund", with a link to claim it.
  • "Your vehicle tax payment failed", asking you to update your card.
  • "Verify your driving licence details", with a link to a form.
  • Anything asking you to confirm bank details.

These pages copy DVLA and GOV.UK branding to collect your card details and personal information.

How are vehicle tax refunds really paid?

GOV.UK says that when you tell DVLA a vehicle has been sold, scrapped, written off, exported or taken off the road (SORN), you automatically get a refund cheque for any full months left on your vehicle tax. It is sent to the address on the vehicle log book (V5C). You don't need to click a link or enter card details to get it.

That is the simplest test: a text or email that wants your bank or card details to "process your refund" is not how DVLA refunds work.

What about copycat websites?

DVLA also warns about websites that pose as DVLA or look official and charge extra fees for services you can get free or for less on GOV.UK. Before you tax a vehicle, renew a licence or change an address, check the web address is on gov.uk. A site near the top of search results is not proof it is official.

DVLA also advises against posting photos of your driving licence or V5C log book online: they contain details scammers can use to steal your identity or even clone your vehicle.

How do I report a DVLA scam?

  • Text message: forward it to 7726. It's free and lets your mobile provider investigate the sender.
  • Email: forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, the National Cyber Security Centre's reporting service.
  • Copycat website or misleading advert: report it to the search engine where you found it.
  • If you've lost money or been hacked: report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk (opens in a new tab) or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.

Then delete the message.

What if I already clicked or entered details?

  1. Card or bank details: call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, or on 159, which connects you to your own bank. 159 never calls you.
  2. A password: change it now, and anywhere else you use the same one.
  3. Driving licence number or other personal details: watch for follow-up scams that use them to sound convincing, and see our guide to protecting yourself from identity theft.

Our guide to what to do if you clicked a scam link goes through each case step by step.

Unsure about a message? Paste it into our free Scam Check. It runs in your browser and nothing you paste is stored.

Common questions

Does DVLA send texts about vehicle tax refunds?

DVLA has said it never sends text messages about vehicle tax refunds, and that it doesn't send emails or texts asking you to confirm personal details or payment information for a refund. Vehicle tax refunds are sent automatically as a cheque to the address on the log book once you tell DVLA you've sold, scrapped or taken the vehicle off the road. A refund text with a link is a scam: forward it to 7726 and delete it.

Will DVLA ask for my bank details?

No. DVLA says it will never ask you for your bank account details or ask you to confirm payment details by email or text. Any message claiming to be from DVLA that asks for card or bank details is a scam.

Where is the real DVLA website?

DVLA says the only place to access official information on DVLA and its services is GOV.UK. Other sites that look official may charge extra for services that are free or cheaper on GOV.UK, so check the address ends in gov.uk before you enter anything.

How do I report a fake DVLA email?

Forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, the National Cyber Security Centre's suspicious email reporting service, then delete it. Forward fake DVLA texts to 7726, which is free. If you have lost money, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040, or to Police Scotland on 101.

Sources

Last checked: 25 September 2026

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