Odometer Tampering Under eVED: The New Offences and DVLA's Inspection Power

Quick answer: once odometer readings feed tax, tampering with them is tax evasion. HM Treasury's draft eVED clauses create new odometer-related offences, and DVLA retains the power to require a registered keeper to present the vehicle for examination where there is reasonable suspicion of odometer fraud or non-compliance, including cars under three years old. The government expects to use that power rarely, because the MOT reconciliation catches most discrepancies anyway.

What changes legally

• Today, clocking is prosecuted through consumer and fraud law when a car is sold. From 2028 a false reading also understates a tax liability, bringing the machinery of tax enforcement with it.
• The consultation response records the government considering further mitigation with manufacturers, the leasing industry and MOT garages: expect tighter integration between dashboard data and official records over time.

Protecting yourself as an honest keeper

• Dated odometer photos at every renewal, service and MOT.
• Keep invoices showing mileage.
• Before buying, run the MOT history checker: a backwards mileage is the signature you are looking for (see our clocking guide).

Buying a used EV after 2028

Ask for the seller's last renewal declaration and the final reading taken at handover. A seller who cannot produce them is asking you to inherit their reconciliation.

FAQs

Does a replaced instrument cluster count as tampering?
A genuine repair with a documented mileage carry-over is not fraud; keep the garage paperwork, because the discontinuity will show.

eVED guides

• eVED explained: pay-per-mile from 2028 and your odometer as a tax record
• eVED calculator: what your mileage will cost
• What you must declare at each renewal
• How the MOT reconciles your mileage
• Odometer tampering: offences and DVLA inspections
• eVED for fleets and leasing

Sources

gov.ukeVED consultation response (HM Treasury, 13 July 2026)gov.ukElectric Vehicle Excise Duty: policy paper