How to check if a car is taxed
Checking whether a car is taxed takes seconds and only needs the registration. If you're buying one, it's also worth knowing that the tax doesn't come with the car.
In short
- Check tax with just the registration, free, on GOV.UK or with our free check.
- Road tax doesn't transfer when a car is sold. The buyer must tax it before driving it.
- You can tax it straight away online, using the reference on the green new keeper slip (V5C/2).
- “Untaxed” can mean the car is SORN (declared off the road), so it mustn't be driven or parked on a public road.
How to check
Enter the registration in the Your Car Data free check to see whether the car is taxed, when its tax runs out, and whether its MOT is in date, along with its full MOT history. You can also check tax status on GOV.UK.
If you're buying, compare what the check says with the seller's story. A car that's been untaxed for a long time may have been off the road, and that's worth asking about.
Tax doesn't transfer to a new owner
Since October 2014, a car's tax is cancelled when it changes hands. The seller gets a refund for any full months left, and the buyer has to tax the car before driving it, even just to drive it home. That's why a car can show as taxed when you view it and untaxed the day after you buy it.
What “untaxed” and SORN mean
- Taxed: the car is taxed until the date shown.
- Untaxed: the tax has run out (or the car has just been sold). It mustn't be driven or kept on a public road.
- SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification): the keeper has told the DVLA the car is off the road, for example kept in a garage or on a driveway. It can only be driven to a booked MOT test. Using a SORN car on the road for anything else can mean a fine of up to £2,500.
Our records show when a car's tax ran out, but not always whether it was then declared SORN. If you need to know, check on GOV.UK.
Penalties for driving untaxed
An untaxed car can be fined, clamped or taken away. The DVLA uses number-plate cameras and its own records to find untaxed vehicles, and send an automatic fine. If it goes to court, the fine can be £1,000 or more. A car also needs a valid MOT (if it's old enough) and insurance before it can be taxed. See our guide to checking MOT history.
How much will the tax cost?
Road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) depends on when the car was first registered, its CO₂ emissions or engine size, and for newer cars, its list price when new. Cars first registered from April 2017 pay a flat yearly rate. If they cost more than £40,000 new (£50,000 for electric cars), they also pay an “expensive car” supplement of £440 a year for five years, starting from the second time the car is taxed. Electric cars now pay road tax too, though electric cars registered before April 2025 don't pay the supplement. The full history check shows the 6- and 12-month tax rates for the car you're looking at. You can also find them on GOV.UK.
Check a vehicle now
Free MOT, mileage and tax check for any UK car, van or motorbike. The full history check (stolen, write-off, outstanding finance, a valuation and more) is £7.49.
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