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Tax Status · SORN · MOT Expiry

Is This Car Taxed or SORN?

Enter a registration to see the DVLA answer — Taxed, Untaxed or SORN — with the tax due date, the MOT expiry date and the full DVSA MOT history in the same lookup. GOV.UK splits tax and MOT across two services; this does both at once.

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Free, official DVLA and DVSA data. No sign-up, no payment.

One thing we can’t show: the date a SORN was declared. DVLA publishes the current status and the tax due date, not the declaration date — no free service has it. If you are the keeper, it is on your DVLA confirmation letter. If you are buying, the MOT test gap in the history below usually shows when the car actually came off the road.

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Tax, MOT, and Vehicle Data in One Check

Our car tax check goes beyond just tax status. Get a complete overview of the vehicle's road-legal standing.

Tax Status

Instantly confirm whether a vehicle is currently taxed, untaxed, or declared SORN. Essential for buyers verifying a car's road-legal status before purchase.

MOT Expiry Date

See the exact date the current MOT certificate expires. An expired MOT means the vehicle cannot legally be driven on public roads (except to a pre-booked test).

Vehicle Details

Confirm make, model, year, colour, engine size, and fuel type. Cross-reference with the seller's listing to ensure everything matches.

Mileage Records

View odometer readings captured at each MOT test. Compare the recorded mileage trajectory to the current odometer to spot potential clocking.

Full MOT History

Not just the current status — see every MOT result from 2005 onwards. Pass/fail outcomes, advisories, and failure details for the vehicle's entire testing life.

Outstanding Issues

Advisories from the most recent MOT test that may need attention soon. Know what repairs are on the horizon before you commit to buying.

Understanding UK Car Tax (VED)

Vehicle Excise Duty is a legal requirement for most UK vehicles. This page answers whether it is paid; the car tax calculator answers how much it costs.

Tax does not transfer on sale

Since October 2014, car tax does not transfer with the vehicle when sold. The new owner must tax it before driving. Always check tax status on a vehicle you are buying — even if the seller says it is taxed.

Tax and MOT are linked

You cannot tax a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate (unless the vehicle is exempt). If the MOT has expired, you must get it tested before you can tax it.

SORN is free but mandatory

If you are keeping an untaxed vehicle off the road, you must declare SORN online or face a fine. SORN lasts until you tax the vehicle or it changes ownership.

Direct debit auto-renews

If you pay by direct debit, your tax renews automatically. But if payment fails or you cancel, you could be driving untaxed without realising. Check your status regularly.

SORN Check: What the DVLA Record Shows

A Statutory Off Road Notification tells DVLA a vehicle is being kept off the public road, so no tax is due on it. Here is exactly what the free lookup can and cannot tell you about one.

What you get, free, right now

  • Current status — Taxed, Untaxed or SORN, straight from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service.
  • Tax due date — when the current tax runs out, if it is taxed.
  • MOT expiry plus the whole DVSA test history, so you can see the gap where the car was off the road.
  • Make, colour, fuel, engine size and CO2 — enough to confirm the plate matches the car in the advert.

What no free service can tell you

  • The SORN declaration date. DVLA publishes the status, not the date it was declared. Keepers get it in the DVLA confirmation letter.
  • Why the vehicle was SORN’d — a stored project car, a failed MOT and a cash-flow problem, and a stripped shell all look identical in the record.
  • Whether SORN transfers to you. It does not. Buy a SORN vehicle and the notification ends with the sale; you must tax it, or declare your own SORN, before it moves.

Buying a car that is showing SORN?

Read the MOT history before the price. A SORN with a clean recent MOT is usually a stored car. A SORN that starts right after a failure with structural or brake defects is a car somebody gave up on — the failure history tells you which. See also what SORN actually means and whether you can drive a SORN car to its MOT.

How to Tax a Car — and the Four Things That Block It

If the check above came back Untaxed, this is the whole procedure. It takes about five minutes and you can do it at any hour — but only if all four blockers below are clear.

  1. 1

    Find a reference number

    DVLA will accept the number from a recent tax reminder or ‘last chance’ letter, from the V5C log book if it is in your name, or from the green ‘new keeper’ slip if you have just bought the car. No slip and no log book means applying for a replacement V5C first, which is the slow path — ask the seller for the green slip before you hand over money.

  2. 2

    Tax it online, by phone or at a Post Office

    The DVLA service on GOV.UK runs 24 hours. The DVLA phone line on 0300 123 4321 also runs 24 hours but cannot set up a Direct Debit. A Post Office that handles vehicle tax will do it in person.

  3. 3

    Choose 12 months, 6 months or monthly Direct Debit

    The headline VED figure is the 12-month price. Paying in a single six-month lump adds a 10% surcharge, and paying by Direct Debit adds 5% — figures worth knowing because neither surcharge is refundable if you later sell or SORN the vehicle.

  4. 4

    Check it took effect

    Come back and re-run the registration above. The DVLA record is the same one the police ANPR network reads, so it is the only confirmation that matters.

Four things that stop the tax going through

  • No valid MOT. DVLA checks the MOT database at the point of renewal, so a non-exempt vehicle with an expired MOT cannot be taxed at all. The MOT has to come first, then the tax.
  • An MOT that passed less than two days ago. GOV.UK warns that it can take up to 2 days for MOT information to reach DVLA, so a car that passed this morning may still read as untaxable this afternoon. It is a lag, not a rejection — try again the next day.
  • No reference number. A V5C in the previous keeper’s name is not usable. The green new-keeper slip is what bridges the gap on the day of sale.
  • Northern Ireland paperwork. Taxing at a Post Office in Northern Ireland additionally requires a paper insurance certificate or cover note and the MOT certificate itself.

What It Costs to Get This Wrong

Vehicle tax is enforced from the DVLA database, not from the roadside — the record is checked automatically whether or not anyone stops the car. These are the published GOV.UK figures.

£80 — no SORN

Keep an untaxed vehicle without declaring SORN and GOV.UK states you will automatically be fined £80. The declaration itself is free, so this is a penalty for paperwork, not for money owed.

Up to £2,500 — driving a SORN vehicle

A SORN vehicle may only be driven to or from a pre-booked MOT or other statutory test. GOV.UK sets the fine for using it on the road for any other reason at up to £2,500.

Refunds — full months only

Declare SORN, sell, scrap or export and DVLA issues the refund cheque automatically for any full months left. Part-months are not refunded, and neither are credit-card fees, the 5% Direct Debit surcharge or the 10% six-month surcharge.

The timing trap when you declare SORN

A SORN starts immediately if the tax has already expired, or if you apply in any month other than the one the tax runs out in. Apply during the month the tax is due to expire and the SORN does not start until the first day of the next month. Get that the wrong way round and you either pay for a month you did not need or leave a window where the vehicle is neither taxed nor declared.

And you cannot inherit one. A SORN cannot be transferred from the previous keeper: buy a vehicle showing SORN and the notification ends with the sale, so you must either tax it before it moves or declare your own. It also cancels itself the moment you tax, sell, permanently export or scrap the vehicle — you never have to “end” a SORN manually.

“Tax Exempt” Still Means Taxing It

An exempt vehicle pays £0 — it does not stop being taxed. It has to be taxed every year at the nil rate, and until you apply, the lookup above will keep returning Untaxed.

Historic vehicles (the 40-year rolling rule)

GOV.UK’s current window: a vehicle built before 1 January 1986 can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2026. Where the build date is unknown, registration before 8 January 1986 does the same job. The window rolls forward a year every year, which is why a car that was chargeable last April may not be this one.

You must apply for the exemption — it is not applied automatically, and a car whose keeper never applied shows as untaxed in exactly the same way as one whose keeper simply did not pay.

Exempt from the MOT is not exempt from roadworthy

The same 40-year threshold removes the MOT requirement — a vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago does not need one, provided there have been no substantial changes to the chassis, body, axles or engine.

It must still be kept in a roadworthy condition. GOV.UK puts the penalty for driving an unroadworthy vehicle at up to £2,500 and 3 penalty points, MOT exemption or not. For a buyer this matters twice over: an exempt vehicle has no MOT history to read, so the free evidence trail this site is built on simply stops.

And If You Are Actually Asking “How Much?”

That is a different question from the one this page answers, and it has its own tool. The short version, so you know which era your car falls into:

Registered from 1 April 2017

A CO2-based first-year rate, then a flat £195 standard rate from year two. If the list price when new was over £40,000, add £425 a year in years two to six. Electric cars are no longer exempt — that ended on 1 April 2025.

Registered March 2001 – March 2017

One flat annual rate set by the CO2 band the car was homologated in, from band A at the cleanest end to band M at the dirtiest. The band never changes, so the figure is the same every year.

Registered before 1 March 2001

Engine size only — one rate up to 1549cc and a higher one above it. CO2 is irrelevant for these cars because CO2-based VED did not exist when they were registered.

For the exact figure for one specific vehicle, including the band it lands in, the car tax calculator works it out from the registration. Rates quoted are the 2025/26 tables published on GOV.UK.

MOT and Tax From One Registration

GOV.UK keeps these on two separate services, because DVLA and DVSA hold them in different systems. One registration here returns both. If you want the reasoning rather than the lookup, read can you check car tax and MOT at the same time.

Tax status (DVLA)

Taxed, Untaxed or SORN, plus the tax due date. Tax has not transferred with a vehicle on sale since October 2014, so a buyer must tax it before driving it away.

MOT expiry (DVLA)

The date the current MOT runs out. You cannot tax a non-exempt vehicle without a valid MOT, so an expired MOT blocks the tax as well.

MOT history (DVSA)

Every test since 2005 with mileage readings, advisories and the exact defects behind each failure — the part the tax lookup on GOV.UK does not give you.

Looking for how much the tax costs rather than whether it is paid? That is a different question, and it has its own tool — the car tax calculator works out the VED band and annual rate by registration.

Car Tax & SORN Check — FAQ

Common questions about checking whether a vehicle is taxed, untaxed or SORN.

How do I check if a car is taxed or SORN?
Enter the registration above. We query the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service and show the current tax status — Taxed, Untaxed or SORN — alongside the tax due date, MOT status and MOT expiry, plus the DVSA MOT history for the same vehicle. It is free and needs no sign-up. GOV.UK runs the same DVLA lookup, but shows tax and MOT on separate services.
Can I see the date a car was declared SORN?
No, and no free service can. The DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service returns the current tax status (including SORN) and the tax due date, but it does not publish the date the SORN was declared. If you are the registered keeper, DVLA sends a confirmation letter when a SORN is accepted and the date appears on your DVLA account. If you are a buyer, the useful signal is the MOT history: a long gap between tests usually shows when the car actually came off the road.
Is a SORN check free?
Yes. Tax and SORN status come from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service, which is free official data — we do not charge for it and neither does GOV.UK. Our paid tiers (Basic £2.99, Premium £3.99, bundle £5.99) add an AI vehicle Q&A chat and a full branded report over the same official data. They are never required to see tax or SORN status.
What is SORN and when do I need it?
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. You must declare SORN if a vehicle you keep is untaxed and kept off the public road — in a garage, on a driveway or on private land. SORN is free to declare, and it lasts until you tax the vehicle again, sell it or scrap it. It does not transfer with the car: if you buy a SORN vehicle, the SORN ends and you must tax it before driving it.
Can I check MOT and tax at the same time?
Yes — that is what this page does. One registration returns DVLA tax status and tax due date, DVLA MOT expiry, and the full DVSA MOT test history including mileage readings, advisories and failure defects. GOV.UK splits these across two separate services, which is why people search for a combined check.
What happens if my car tax expires?
If VED expires and you neither renew it nor declare SORN, the vehicle is illegal to keep on a public road. DVLA can issue an automatic penalty, clamp the vehicle, or have it impounded, and an unpaid case can be prosecuted in the magistrates' court. Either tax it, declare SORN, or keep it off the public road.
Can I drive a car with no tax?
No. Driving an untaxed vehicle on a public road is an offence. The one exception is driving to a pre-booked MOT test — and the vehicle must still be insured for that journey. The same exception applies to a SORN vehicle. Check the tax status before you drive.
What is the fine for not declaring SORN?
GOV.UK states you will automatically be fined £80 for keeping an untaxed vehicle without a SORN. The declaration itself is free, so the penalty is entirely avoidable paperwork. Separately, using a SORN vehicle on a public road for anything other than a pre-booked MOT or other statutory test carries a fine of up to £2,500.
Do I get a car tax refund when I declare SORN?
Yes, and you do not have to claim it. DVLA automatically issues a refund cheque for any full months left on the tax once you declare SORN, sell, scrap or permanently export the vehicle. Part-months are not refunded, and neither are credit card fees, the 5% surcharge on some Direct Debit payments, or the 10% surcharge on a single six-month payment. The refund is calculated from the date DVLA receives the information, not the date you decided — so declaring on the 1st rather than the 28th is worth a month.
Why can't I tax my car straight after it passed its MOT?
Because DVLA has not seen the pass yet. GOV.UK warns that it can take up to 2 days for MOT information to be updated, so a vehicle that passed this morning can still be refused tax this afternoon. Nothing is wrong with either record — wait and try again. You cannot tax a non-exempt vehicle without a valid MOT at all, so this lag is the one case where a refusal is not a real problem.
Is a 40-year-old car exempt from car tax and MOT?
Broadly yes, on a rolling window, but you have to apply. On the current GOV.UK guidance a vehicle built before 1 January 1986 can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (or registered before 8 January 1986 where the build date is unknown), and a vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago does not need an MOT provided there have been no substantial changes to the chassis, body, axles or engine. Exempt does not mean unregistered: you must still tax it every year at the nil rate, and it must still be kept roadworthy — driving an unroadworthy vehicle is up to £2,500 and 3 penalty points whether or not it needs an MOT.
How much is car tax — and does this page show it?
This page shows tax STATUS, not cost. For the amount, use our car tax calculator. In outline: cars first registered on or after 1 April 2017 pay a CO2-based first-year rate, then a flat standard rate of £195 a year, with an extra £425 a year in years 2–6 if the list price was over £40,000. Cars registered between March 2001 and March 2017 pay a CO2 band rate. Electric vehicles are no longer exempt — the exemption ended on 1 April 2025 and EVs now pay the standard rate.

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UK

Tax status, tax due date and vehicle details come from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service; the MOT test history comes from the DVSA. Statutory figures on this page (the £80 SORN penalty, the £2,500 road-use penalty, refund rules, the taxing procedure and the historic-vehicle thresholds) are taken from GOV.UK, and VED rates are the 2025/26 rate tables. Last updated: August 2026.