Driving without tax explained
Thursday 12th December 2019
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) - the official name for vehicle tax, road tax or car tax – is something all vehicle owners are aware of. As the year rolls round, so does the need to renew your annual road tax.
But can you drive a car without tax? If so, how long for – and are there any exceptions? Learn everything you need to know about driving without road tax from our detailed guide.
Can you drive a car without tax?
It is a driving offence to drive a vehicle without road tax on a public road in the UK. If you are caught driving without tax and you are not exempt, you can receive a fine.
However, if you are driving your vehicle to a pre-booked MOT test, this is an exception where you can drive on a public road without your vehicle being taxed. Other exceptions can include:
- If the driver is disabled
- If you’re driving an electric vehicle
- If your vehicle is classed as a historic vehicle
However, it’s important to check this against the Gov.uk site for more detailed information – as even these exceptions would still have to apply for vehicle tax, even if there is no cost.
Do you need to tax a car if it’s not being driven?
If the car is declared as Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN), you do not need to pay car tax. This is stating that the car is not in use, and that it is stored either in a garage, on a drive or on private land – essentially, not on public roads. If the car is parked on a public road but not being driven, this will still need to be taxed.
How long can you drive without road tax
The simple answer is, you can’t drive without road tax. Even if you are exempt from actually paying UK road tax, you still need to have valid road tax as a driver. Being found guilty of driving without road tax can lead to a fine.
As stated above, you can drive your vehicle if you are attending an MOT test. However, you should not exceed that of the journey – if it does, the DVLA may suspect you’re using your vehicle for other purposes, meaning it will no longer be exempt.
What is the penalty for driving without tax?
The fine for driving without car tax is £80 which you will receive via letter to the address where the vehicle is registered. However, if you pay the fine within 28 days of receiving the letter, you should receive a 50% discount. Failure to pay the fine can result in the penalty increasing to £1,000 if the case is taken to court. Your vehicle may also be clamped by the DVLA until the fine is paid.
The DVLA runs monthly computer checks on all vehicles around the UK, so if you’re driving a car without tax, it’s likely it won’t go unnoticed. If the system flags up your vehicle as being untaxed and not declared SORN, you will be fined.
However, if you are caught driving while a SORN on your vehicle still applies, this is a more serious offence than driving without road tax – and the penalty can be up to £2,500.
What happens with car tax when buying a new car?
The DVLA will refund any full months of tax left, meaning when you buy your new car, it will always be untaxed.
If you’re taxing a brand-new vehicle, your dealer should be able to set this up for you at the time of purchase. If you have bought your car from a different source, such as importation, you will need to complete a V55/4 form and tax the vehicle yourself.
Can I get temporary tax for my car?
Unfortunately, the DVLA do not offer any form of temporary road tax. You will have to pay for either the six-month or twelve-month road tax before getting back on the road. In the case where you don’t need the road tax you have paid for, you can claim a refund on these months. If you are arranging your vehicle to be towed by a garage, in this instance, you will not need road tax.
What if I’m stopped by police for driving without road tax?
The police can issue a penalty fine if they have found you are driving without road tax. They can check your road tax status with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) which are cameras that scan your registration plate and check them against the DVLA database to find out if that vehicle is taxed or not.
Is my road tax due?
Wondering how to know if your road tax is due? Simply enter your registration details into the handy Gov.uk vehicle tax checker, and confirm your vehicle. This will then bring up details of when your car tax needs to be renewed, alongside more information such as MOT history.
Need more support? Our detailed motoring advice section provides information on MOTs, services, tyre advice and more. Alternatively, get in touch with a member of our expert team for any motoring help.
