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Car Insurance, Tax and MOTs

To be able to drive your vehicle, you need to ensure you have the required tax, insurance, and MOTs to comply with the law.

To legally drive on the road you first need to ensure that you have a full and valid driving license after passing your driving test. You also legally need to have valid car insurance and valid tax.

If you have an older car that is more than three years old, you also need to have a valid MOT certificate to prove that your car is safe to be driven out on the roads.

If you just wanted to keep a car on your driveway or in a garage without actually driving it, you still need valid insurance for that. You would need to declare your car to the DVLA if you wanted to keep a car without driving it and obtain a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN).

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Driving without car insurance

If caught driving without insurance, you could be hit with six points on your license and a £300 fine. This could escalate if you are taken to court and your car could be seized and destroyed.

If you hit another vehicle while uninsured, it could cost you thousands in damage repairs because you don't have any insurance to pay out on your behalf. 

Don't take any risks and get your car insured. It's the best level of protection for not only yourself but everyone else out on the road with you.

Is my car taxed?

To see if your car is taxed, visit the government website and enter your car reg. The system will then be able to tell you if your car has valid tax and when it is due to expire.

You could be fined £80 if your car isn't taxed and if you don't pay it, your car could be clamped and destroyed.

Does my car have a valid MOT?

There are websites online that can check your car's MOT status. As with the tax, all you need to do is submit your car reg and the system will let you know if it's valid and when it expires.

You could be fined £1000 if caught without a valid MOT certificate as, without one, it could indicate your car is unsafe to drive.

Do I need my car serviced annually?

There is no law or legal requirement that states you need to get your car serviced annually, however, it could be useful in order to keep your vehicle in good condition and reduce the need to get repair work done.

If you wish to sell your car in the future, having a full-service history will make it that little bit more attractive to prospective buyers.

car-insurance

Taxing a car without insurance

You need valid insurance before you can tax a car. If you have already declared it with the DVLA with a SORN, then it's okay not to insure it, but otherwise, to drive it on the roads it needs to be insured correctly.

Is car insurance valid without tax?

Your car insurance may be valid without tax, however, some insurance companies may insist that a car is taxed before issuing you a policy.

Don't run the risk of not taxing your car as you could end up with a hefty fine and future implications on your car insurance premiums.

Taxing a car without an MOT

You'll need a valid MOT before taxing a car or risk driving penalties and invalid insurance.

Insuring a car without an MOT

This may be possible but it's a legal requirement to have an MOT, so even if it's insured, you'd still not be able to drive it.

The three exceptions to the rule are:

  • If you're driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment
  • Your car is less than three years old and doesn't require an MOT
  • Your car was built or registered more than 40 years ago

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Can someone else drive my car?

The only time someone else is able to drive your car is if they are insured as a named driver on your policy or if they have a 'driving other cars' feature on their own policy.

If neither of these applies, the uninsured driver could face a fixed-penalty notice of £300 or end up in court and a maximum £5000 fine.

It's critical that you speak with your insurer if you feel you'll ever need to drive someone else's car in the future or if others will need to drive yours.

FAQs

When do I have to start getting MOTs on my vehicle?

You only need to start getting an MOT on your vehicle when it is over three years old. So if you buy a brand new car, you have three years until it needs to be looked at.

Why has my car insurance premium increased?

If you have made no claims and your car insurance premium has increased, it can be rather frustrating. There could be a few factors to have caused this including changing your address or more crime being reported in your area, and the number of overall claims from other drivers increasing over the past year.