DVLA Withdraws Case After Sadiq Khan Convicted Over Untaxed Car He Says Wasn't His

The DVLA has withdrawn a prosecution against London Mayor Sadiq Khan after he was convicted and fined over an untaxed Nissan Micra that City Hall says he has never owned.

The extraordinary case emerged publicly on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, despite the conviction having taken place last month.

Khan was prosecuted by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for keeping an unlicensed vehicle.

The vehicle involved was a 24-year-old Nissan Micra which had been recorded in official data using Khan’s details.

City Hall insists the car does not belong to either Khan or Transport for London.

Khan’s office says he was the victim of a scam involving somebody falsely registering a vehicle in his name.

The mayor has previously been targeted by people opposed to London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, with some motorists publicly suggesting they would register vehicles using his details in an attempt to make him liable for charges.

There is no confirmed evidence publicly identifying who registered the Nissan involved in the current case.

The DVLA prosecuted Khan after the vehicle was identified as untaxed on 24 January 2026.

A magistrate sitting under the Single Justice Procedure at Herefordshire Magistrates’ Court convicted him in his absence on 18 August.

Khan had not entered a plea.

He was ordered to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs and £35.84 in unpaid vehicle tax, giving a total bill of £340.84.

One of the most unusual details to emerge from the case concerns where the official correspondence was sent.

Court documents show that letters intended for Khan were sent to 9 Endeavour Square in Stratford.

Transport for London is based nearby at 5 Endeavour Square, but the address used by the DVLA instead corresponds with a building containing Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Bar & Rooftop.

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The incorrect address meant correspondence concerning the unpaid tax and subsequent prosecution did not reach the mayor through the expected channels.

The case was brought under the Single Justice Procedure, which allows a single magistrate to deal with certain lower-level offences without a conventional public court hearing.

The system is normally used for relatively straightforward offences where a defendant does not request a full hearing.

However, it has faced criticism following a number of cases in which people were prosecuted or convicted despite unusual circumstances subsequently emerging.

The circumstances surrounding Khan’s case changed significantly on Wednesday evening.

The DVLA confirmed after reviewing the matter that it had withdrawn the case and was investigating the circumstances that led to the prosecution.

The withdrawal means the prosecution will no longer be pursued, although the existing conviction requires the appropriate court process before it is formally removed.

The Guardian reported that a court hearing expected on Thursday could pave the way for the conviction to be erased.

Khan’s spokesperson described the situation as a scam and said this was not the first time people had falsely claimed the mayor was the owner of a vehicle.

The spokesperson also stressed that falsely registering a vehicle using another person’s details is illegal.

The case demonstrates how incorrect vehicle keeper information can potentially escalate from administrative correspondence to a criminal prosecution when official records are not corrected.

The DVLA’s investigation will now seek to establish how the Nissan Micra came to be registered using Khan’s details and why correspondence concerning the vehicle was sent to the wrong address.

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