Is it illegal to drive a car without road tax?

PAYING road tax is essential for driving legally in the UK.

Failing to comply can result in your car being clamped or even towed away. Here’s everything you need to know about the legalities of driving without car tax.

Is it illegal to drive without car tax?

It’s illegal to drive on the road with an untaxed vehicle, but there are certain situations where it is allowed.

If you’re taking your car to a pre-booked MOT test, you can drive your vehicle on a road without it being taxed.

But you must be going directly to the test centre and must not make any unnecessary stops or additional trips along the way.

The law states a vehicle licence must be renewed on an annual or six-monthly basis.

Even motors which have a nil rate of vehicle tax, meaning they do not attract a fee, must apply for tax with the DVLA.

This helps the agency maintain accurate vehicle records, which is important for road safety purposes and traceability.

Are there any exemptions to road tax?

The DVLA allows tax exemptions for certain situations.

Disabled drivers and those using disabled passenger vehicles don’t pay a road tax fee.

Cars classified as “historic”, made before January 1, 1983, are exempt.

Electric vehicles also don’t have to pay vehicle tax but the electricity must come from an external source or an electric storage battery not connected to any source of power when the vehicle is moving to be exempt.

Certain agricultural vehicles are also exempt.

What happens if I have no road tax?

Police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to detect cars without tax.

If you are caught driving an untaxed vehicle, you could be fined up to £1,000.

The DVLA also clamps vehicles on the street without a valid licence, and will impound them in some cases.

When DVLA clamps an untaxed vehicle the motorist is charged a £100 release fee.

If you can’t show that the vehicle has been taxed when it’s released you will have to pay a surety fee of £160 – but it’s refunded if you can show the vehicle has been taxed within 15 days.

If the release fee is not paid within 24 hours, DVLA impounds the vehicle and the fee rises to £200, and there is also a storage charge of £21 per day.

Again, a surety fee of £160 must be paid if you can’t show that the vehicle has been taxed.

Do I need to tax my car if I’m not driving it?

Any vehicle being kept on a public road must be taxed, even if it’s parked there and not being driven.

If you are keeping a registered vehicle in a garage or on private land and not using it, it must be given a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

You can apply for a SORN online for free, but you must cancel it if you wish to drive the vehicle again.

Driving a vehicle with a current SORN notification could see you fined up to £2,500.

The DVLA launched an advertising campaign in 2019 to warn drivers of the consequences of evading vehicle tax.

Tim Burton, DVLA Head of Enforcement, said at the time: “It’s never been easier to tax your car, so there really is no excuse.

“We would rather not have to clamp or remove vehicles, but this campaign highlights the consequences of not taxing a vehicle.

“Having your vehicle clamped is expensive and inconvenient – and you could end up losing your car.”

Can I keep an untaxed car on my drive?

No – it’s an offence to keep an untaxed car on a driveway or in a garage.

Only cars that are registered with the DVLA with a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) can be kept uninsured and untaxed.

If police see an untaxed car, even if it’s on your driveway, they could give you an instant £100 fine, and your car could be impounded or destroyed.

If it goes to court, you could wind up with a £1,000 fine, points on your licence and even disqualification.