A car tax conviction against the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has been formally withdrawn. The DVLA requested the withdrawal at Hereford Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 3 September 2026, after the mayor's team stated the conviction was the result of a "scam."
Sir Sadiq, 55, had been found guilty last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle in a criminal prosecution brought by the DVLA. A spokesperson for the mayor indicated this was not the first time he had been the victim of a scam involving false vehicle ownership claims.
The case was formally reopened and withdrawn by the panel of magistrates at Hereford Justice Centre. Neither the mayor nor a DVLA representative were present for the one-minute hearing.
Last month, a magistrate in Herefordshire convicted Sir Sadiq in his absence, ordering him to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and a £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on the Nissan Micra. Court documents revealed that letters concerning the unpaid road tax were sent to Gordon Ramsay's east London restaurant instead of the mayor.
The DVLA stated that a letter requesting confirmation of the car owner's identity, sent to the incorrect address in January, went unanswered. This led to a criminal prosecution on 18 August after no plea was entered. The mayor's adviser confirmed that the DVLA would investigate the false registration of the car.