All Motor Tax Offices in Northern Ireland close on 17 July

Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) Chief Executive, Paul Duffy, has outlined the changes and timetable to how people in Northern Ireland tax their vehicles.

From Monday 21 July, people who wish to tax or register their vehicles must do this online at http://www.gov.uk/taxdisc or at a post office. They will no longer be able to tax or register vehicles at DVA offices in Northern Ireland, which close on Thursday 17 July 2014.

From Monday 21 July, vehicle licensing will be delivered by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea.

Specifically, if people want to tax a car on Friday 18 July, the handover period of data to Swansea, they will need to go to the Post Office.

Paul Duffy said:“It is important that anyone seeking to tax their vehicle knows exactly how the new system will work. The change over to a new system should be as smooth as possible for local motorists. I have thus advised the DVLA officials in Swansea that they need to communicate with people taxing their cars here, as clearly and timely as possible.

“The staff in the DVA have provided a first class service to motorists here and have set a very high standard for the DVLA in Swansea to follow when it takes over full responsibility for all vehicle licensing services from 21 July.

Further information is available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/how-you-tax-your-car-is-changing. A leaflet explaining the new system will be issued with all car tax reminders from 5 July.

The DVA’s other functions:

driver licensing,

driver and vehicle testing,

bus and taxi licensing

roadside compliance checks

are not affected by the transfer of vehicle licensing to Swansea.

The identity checking service for first time applicants for provisional driving licences currently provided at motor tax offices, will be available from Monday 21 July at Driver Licensing HQ, County Hall, Coleraine and at the following test centres:

Armagh,

Ballymena,

Belfast,

Downpatrick,

Enniskillen,

Derry,

Omagh.