MOT / road tax "leeway"

I had the same thing a few months ago, and ended up taxing the car over 2 weeks late. No fine or even warning letter. I suspect 'they' may give you a month - provided you do back tax it.

Of course if you got pulled for anything you'd likely be prosecuted.

Someone I know drove around a taxed car that was out of MOT by nearly 3 months without attracting a penalty.

FWIW, said car passed the MOT with only a couple of minor advisories.

Legally when the tax expires, it should be either renewed or the SORN declaration filled in. However if the car is not retaxed, it would appear there is a leeway between the date the tax expired, and receiving notification of an offence, if a SORN is not sent. I have no idea of how much leeway is given, but I suspect it might be a full month, as a tax renewal during the following month, will be dated from the expiry date of the previous tax disc. The legislation is aimed at catching tax dodgers rather than those using cars without MOT's. My suspicion is based on the fact that I was recently late in taxing a second car that was in my garage, and not being used. I left it late, then found the MOT had expired, so it became even later. 22 days later to be precise. I heard nothing from the DVLA. If the car is not used until it passes an MOT, I can't see there being any likelyhood of an 'automatic' offence. You can of course drive an untaxed car to a MOT testing station for a previously booked test. OTOH if the car was used, and got stopped and checked by the police, there's little doubt a prosecution would follow. For failing to display a valid tax disc, and driving a car without a current MOT certificate. Mike.

Thanks for the replies, i`ll pass on the "good news" tomorrow...

...the thinking being, missing one of the three is more forgiveable than missing two of the three - plausible deniability - "sorry officer, I didn't realise it had run out !"

They were SOOL anyway, as it looks like they haven't had one of the new style MOT certs yet, ergo no ID number on the renewal, so couldn't renew the tax online :-} (I thought they'd been in longer than 12 months ?!?)

The vehicle's got to be taxed or SORNed even if it's not used on the road.

John

Couldn't anyway, the MOT needs to be valid for the start date of the tax.

They have, not every garage got the equipment at the same time though. They've all got it now.

John

I'm sure if you ring round you will be able to get an MOT done immediatelly.

Yup.. I forgot to make the point about the car also being kept off road until it was MOT'd and taxed. I tend to forget that many car owners have to park their cars on the road, which in the OP's situation is still risking the out of date tax being noticed by the police. Mike.

Surely without an MOT you're not insured? That's what I would be more worried about.

I bought a new car last year before I had sold the old one, the tax ran out on the old one and the section to sorn it was missing form the tax renewal form. It was 4 weeks later before I actually sold it (with no tax), I received no warning letter or fine from the DVLA so I'm guessing there is some leeway!

My Dad did that once, bought his tax the week before the MOT was due to expire. So drove around the best part of 12 months with no MOT.

Not likely - they`ve been reporting their neighbour for the same thing for about 12 months and they haven`t bothered...

AFAIK an insurance company can not "avoid" the third party element of any claim, but can be awkward over any claim under repairs to the vehicle as "fully come"

Mine doesn`t need doing (yet), but the owner of the vehicle in question has it booked in for Monday.

AFAIK it will be kept off the road barring travel to and from the MOT station.

Only if your insurance policy specifically mentions the fact, I've never seen one that does. However if you're claiming for own repairs then the value of your car is about scrap value with no MOT.

John

"They" do. I called the DVLA yesterday as it happens because I sent a SORN form in for one of my cars at the end of last month and had heard nothing back. The woman said that "it would be very unlikely you'll get a fine as it's less than one calendar month since the tax ran out".....

HTH

Mike

THe rules of the game were changed so that insurers always paid out to the third party in the event of your insurance being voided for whatever reason. They then sue you for the cost of the payout.

One "undesirable" round here had been driving her car with no tax, no mot and no insurance (she freely told a friend of ours) for 7 months as she couldn't afford them (although she managed to afford to buy the sodding car - a BMW - in the first place). She's resolved it now - but every day she did 20 miles to and fro work and is either going out or coming back in the car whenever I go out of the house.... No fine, no nothing - how come my luck doesn't run like that!

Cheers Dan.