Motor tax renewal in Ireland: when to renew, how to do it online, and the PIN problem

When motor tax is due

A motor tax disc is issued for 3, 6 or 12 months, and it always runs to the end of a month. Renewal follows the expiry of the current period, so the anniversary depends on the cycle you chose, not on the car's registration date.

A reminder is normally issued about a month in advance where there are no changes of ownership or vehicle details — and the PIN for the online service is sent in the month of expiry. If you have moved recently, or bought the car recently, plan on not receiving it.

Three ways to renew

Online covers private cars, motorcycles and most common classes; some categories are renewal-only online, and some commercial vehicles need paperwork lodged with the motor tax office first.

• Online at motortax.ie — the fastest route for most private cars.
• In person at your local motor tax office.
• By post, using the relevant form.

Finding your PIN when the notice never arrived

The missing PIN is the single most common reason people give up on the online service and end up queueing at an office. It is almost always retrievable in a couple of minutes.

• Renewal notice: the PIN is printed on it, sent in the month of expiry.
• Vehicle Registration Certificate: the last six digits of the VRC number, for a second-hand vehicle taxed before.
• RF100 form: the last six characters of the chassis number (VIN), for a new or imported vehicle being taxed for the first time.
• Online PIN retrieval on motortax.ie, if you have none of the above to hand.

Taxing a car for the first time

Your name has to be on the Vehicle Registration Certificate before you can tax the car. A registered dealer handles this for a new car; in a private sale the seller must complete and sign the change of ownership section so a new VRC is issued to you.

Without a VRC you cannot tax the car, which is why chasing the paperwork immediately after a private purchase matters more than it seems at the time.

If the car is off the road

If you are not using the vehicle you can make a declaration that it is temporarily off the road, in advance, through motortax.ie. This is the legitimate way to avoid paying tax for a period the car is not used — it has to be declared ahead of time, not retrospectively.

Keeping tax, NCT and insurance together

Motor tax, NCT and insurance almost never fall in the same month, and each has a different cycle. Keeping them in one place is what turns three separate scrambles into one glance.

In MiRicordi you can save the motor tax expiry as a repeating reminder on a 3, 6 or 12 month cycle, add the NCT and insurance dates alongside it, and get the alert a couple of weeks ahead — even with the app closed, and regardless of whether the post arrives.