Is my car taxed? How to check car tax and avoid fines

Since paper tax discs were scrapped in 2014, there's nothing in the windscreen to tell you whether a car is taxed. That has led to plenty of confusion, especially when buying and selling. Checking takes seconds once you know where to look, and knowing what each status means avoids the penalties that catch people out.

How to check whether a car is taxed

Tax status is held on the DVLA's database against the registration number. To check it:

1. Use a car tax check. Enter the registration in our free car tax check. You'll see the tax status and due date in seconds, alongside the MOT status.
2. Use the DVLA's vehicle enquiry service. The official service shows the same information.
3. Check your own records. If you pay by Direct Debit, your bank statement and the DVLA confirmation email show the dates.

You don't need the V5C or the owner's details to check. The registration is enough.

What the statuses mean

"Untaxed" doesn't always mean something's wrong. It's exactly what you'd expect to see on a car that's just been sold.

The rules when buying a used car

Tax doesn't transfer with the car. When the seller tells the DVLA about the sale, their tax ends and they get a refund for any full months left. You must tax the car before you drive it away.

To do that, you'll need the 12-digit reference number from the green new keeper slip (V5C/2) that the seller gives you. You can tax online or by phone in minutes, so you can do it at the seller's address before you set off. Our step-by-step guide to taxing a car you've just bought covers payment options and what to check first.

Before buying, it's also worth checking:

• the tax status, to see how the car has been used
• the MOT status, because you can't tax without a valid MOT, and a car with an expired MOT can't be driven home
• that the details match the car, using a reg check

The rules when selling

1. Tell the DVLA you've sold the car, online or using the V5C.
2. Give the buyer the green new keeper slip.
3. Your tax is cancelled automatically, and any full months are refunded.
4. Remind the buyer that they need to tax the car before driving it.

If you don't tell the DVLA, you remain the registered keeper. Fines and penalties for the car could come to you.

Penalties for an untaxed car

The DVLA uses its own database and number plate cameras to find untaxed vehicles. Consequences include:

• an automatic penalty of £80, reduced if paid promptly, plus the tax owed
• court action, with a fine of up to £1,000
• the vehicle being clamped, or removed and impounded, with release fees on top

You don't need to be driving to be penalised. An untaxed car parked on a public road counts.

How to tax your vehicle

If you'd like a nudge before it runs out, put the tax due date in your calendar as well as relying on the DVLA's V11 letter, and make sure DVLA has your current address.

You'll need one of these reference numbers:

The vehicle also needs a valid MOT if it's old enough to require one. Our MOT due date checker shows when yours runs out.

You can pay for 12 months in one go, or spread the cost with Direct Debit in monthly or six-monthly payments, which usually costs slightly more overall.

SORN: keeping a car off the road

If you're not using a car and it's kept off public roads, on a driveway, in a garage or on private land, you can declare a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). You then don't need to tax or insure it.

• A SORN stays in place until the car is taxed, sold or scrapped.
• You can't drive a SORN vehicle on a public road, except to a pre-booked MOT.
• Parking a SORN car on the street isn't allowed, even if it never moves.

Our full guide to SORN explains refunds, insurance and bringing a car back on the road.

How much is car tax?

The amount depends mainly on when the car was first registered:

• Before March 2001: based on engine size.
• March 2001 to March 2017: based on CO₂ emissions.
• From April 2017: a first-year rate based on CO₂, then a standard yearly rate, plus an extra charge for five years if the list price was over £40,000.

Electric cars have paid vehicle tax since April 2025. Rates usually change each April, so check GOV.UK for current figures.

Refunds

When you sell, scrap or SORN a vehicle and tell the DVLA, any full calendar months remaining are refunded automatically. Part-months aren't refunded, so timing a change at the end of a month can save a little if you pay annually.

Tax, MOT and insurance: how they're linked

Tax, MOT and insurance are three separate legal requirements, but they depend on each other:

• You can't tax without an MOT (if the vehicle needs one).
• You must insure any vehicle that isn't declared SORN. Under continuous insurance enforcement, the DVLA and the Motor Insurance Database compare records, and the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle can be penalised even if it isn't driven.
• Driving without insurance carries a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points.

A lapse in one often leads to problems with another. The simplest protection is to keep all three dates in your calendar and check them together whenever one comes up for renewal.

Checking tax on a private sale

When you're buying privately, the tax status gives you a few clues about the car and the seller:

1. Taxed suggests the car has been in regular use. It will become untaxed as soon as the sale is reported.
2. SORN means it's been declared off the road. Ask how long for, and why. A car that has stood for months may need brakes, tyres and a battery.
3. Untaxed with no SORN is a warning sign. The seller may have been using or keeping it illegally, or there may be a problem they haven't mentioned.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming tax comes with a car you've bought. It doesn't.
• Letting a Direct Debit fail. If a payment bounces, the tax can be cancelled.
• Forgetting the MOT. A lapsed MOT stops you renewing tax. See our guide to driving without an MOT.
• Parking a SORN car on the road.
• Using unofficial websites that charge to tax a vehicle. The official service is on GOV.UK and charges only the tax itself.

What to do if you get a penalty

If you receive a penalty letter for an untaxed vehicle, don't ignore it. Check whether the details are right: perhaps you sold the car but the DVLA wasn't told, or a Direct Debit failed without you noticing. If the penalty is correct, pay it promptly, as the amount can be reduced and ignoring it can lead to court. If it's wrong, contact the DVLA with your evidence, such as proof of sale or a SORN confirmation.

Summary

Check tax status in seconds by registration. Taxed means you can use the car, untaxed means you can't, and SORN means it must stay off the road. Tax never transfers with a car, so tax a newly bought car before you drive it. Keep the MOT current, keep your Direct Debit up to date, and you'll avoid the automatic penalties.