something to remember about DVLA

Most people do have the two together, I agree it is better apart. The other sneaky bit is that if the mot runs out, then so does the tax (if you are paying tax monthly for certain, don't know about the yearly option)

I pay annually, and I'm pretty sure I received a reminder letter, but I agree that it is going to be a danger for those paying monthly.

Very bad idea to have your tax and MOT date so close. Especially with a banger. ;-) Although it may not make so much difference these days with number plate readers, and no tax disc.

That's another reason I shouldn't have bought a new car... But I have reminders in place. ;-)

With yearly tax, it's still valid even if the MOT is dead. Well, plod will do you for the MOT but don't complain about tax.

Momentary panic there as I'm abroad until Saturday and couldn't remember when my car tax is due. I thought it might be this weekend, but I managed to dig up the last email from the DVLA, which showed it expires at the end of May, not the end of April.

That's one disadvantage of having the MOT and tax due at different times. December MOTs are a PITA if you need to do any work on the car and have to do it outside.

it is trivial to look up on the net nowadays if you can remember your reg. dvla show tax and mot status and askmid show insurance. there is nothing to stop anyone taking an early mot to move it to the summer.

Thanks, I didn't know the information was available online.

I guessed that, many people don't know yet. you can also look back through the mot history of any car.

Yes. It's tripped up a few claiming low mileage on used cars. Pity it didn't go back further.

Well that's changed, used to demand the V5 doc ref number to get the full history, now it just needs reg and make. People didn't seem willing to give out the V5 ref number to allow the check.

11 years back to 2005 not enough for you? Most cars are scrapped at around 15 years old so only the first 1 or 2 MOTs are not available for them. In 5 years time almost all (99%?) scrapped cars will have a full MOT record on-line.

It would be stupidly expensive for them to have gone and got all the old paper records and then had data clerks to type them in. Some people would want them back to 1961. I'm not even sure they kept the old records for any length of time, why keep expired documents? Now any car made before MOT was introduced in 1960 doesn't need a MOT, the MOT record for classic cars will be as and when the owner feels like spending £50. Maybe when it's up for sale?

I've got 2 cars reg in 1994, so first MOTs 1997. But first welds weren't until 2009/10. Nothing else is really important.

I've got a 1989 donor in a garage, it's got 20ft of yellow chalk on it and should have 22ft. In 8-10 years time when I retire and I've used up the 2 I have on the road I'll be looking to restore it. It will have a clean sheet as last MOT fail was in 2000.

It would be, but doesn't give full details that far back.

If they are off the road, then you should declare sorn. The first stage is a fine and get it either taxed or SoRN, if you ignore that it gets nasty. It is now so easy to tax or sorn that there is little excuse in average circs.

I assume I'm right in thinking that the later would only apply if the vehicle(s) were 'kept or used on the public highway'? I mention it because I have a couple of motorcycles that are on my private properly and require re-taxing next month. However, the MOT's have just run out and I was going to get them both done asap into next month and then re-TAX them (because I think they give you a few days before then send out any letters)? That way (as some have mentioned elsewhere) that will let me get the TAX next year without panicking about the MOT (especially when I'm not using the bikes).

The only one that I think can be an issue is not putting a vehicle on a SORN whilst not having it insured, even if it is on private property (as a biker mate found out as he wasn't using the bike at the time). I think he just had to re-insure and or TAX it to avoid a penalty charge of some sort?

Cheers, T i m

Sorry, to clarify, they are both kept 'off the public highway' and won't be used on it when not TAXed or MOT'd, other than when going to / from the MOT etc. Whilst I've not been using them much during the winter, I keep them 'on the road' (as in 'road legal') all year round.

Which I don't intend to do. I intend to get them MOT's on say the 3rd of May and taxed for 12 months, starting from May 1st.

Agreed, however, all I'm trying to do is delay the MOT by a day or so into the new Tax month so that I can re-tax them next year without worrying about the MOT, if say the weather is bad at that time.

I don't think I can SORN them for 3 days and then re-TAX them for the same month (and I can't see why 'they' would prefer the extra processing), or without waiting 10 days or summat (when I then couldn't use them on the road)?

I know 'the system' doesn't consider such things but I'm not doing anyone out of any money and not using them on the road without full paperwork. It's just that I will be re-taxing them on (say) the 3rd of the month (from the 1st of the month) and may well not use either of them on the road during that month (outside the MOT) in any case.

The object of the exercise is to just get the MOT to expire a couple of days after the TAX renewal date. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

I would be quite happy doing that with my own vehicles, and I am pretty certain that dvla will not pursue anything.

Sure you can but you will pay for the month you do it month twice.

Check.

Cheers, T i m

But surely only if the tax was still valid for the month that I put it on the SORN? In this case, the tax will run out at the end of this month (April) and so if I SORN it (rather than re-taxing it) there will be nothing lost ... and if I do re TAX it on say the 5th of May I'll only 'lose' the 5 days?

I can see how you would lose the month if the TAX was still current at the time you SORN'd it though.

Or have I missed something?

Cheers, T i m