It is important not only for keeping your car roadworthy but also for other legal requirements, such as paying your road tax. According to UK law, all vehicles over three years of age should have a valid MOT certificate. Without one, it does become a bit tricky to tax your car.
Can You Tax a Car Without an MOT?
The direct answer to that is no-you cannot tax your car without having a valid MOT certificate, because when going online or directly to the local post office to pay your vehicle tax, it automatically checks on the MOT status of your car. If your MOT has expired, you cannot proceed to pay for your vehicle tax.
That’s the rule to make sure that only roadworthy vehicles pass into the public roads. In case of MOT ‘expiry of your car, first get an MOT test booked and then, in the aftermath of the vehicle having passed the test, you go ahead and pay for the road tax.
Driving Without A Mot: What Are The Legal Consequences?
Driving without an MOT is a criminal offence in the UK. The purpose of AMERAIDOSAL is to assure that your vehicle is safe on the road; therefore, driving it without one puts considerable risk on both yourself and others. Driving without an MOT can bring serious legal consequences:
- Fines: You could be fined up to £1,000 for driving without an MOT. This may be so even when apparently your car looks in a good state of order.
- Invalid Insurance: Driving without an MOT may also invalidate your car insurance. That would imply that, in any case of an accident, the car insurance company might not pay out, and this becomes sufficient grounds to make you liable to bear your costs on your own.
- Other penalties comprise points on your driving licence and, in very grave cases, might include being disqualified from driving once your vehicle has turned out to be dangerous.
Can You Drive A Vehicle Without A Mot?
While taking a vehicle on the road without an MOT is illegal in most instances, there are only a few exclusions to consider whereby driving without one is legal:
Driving to pre-arranged MOT test
If your MOT has expired, but you have an advance booking for an MOT, then you may drive directly to the place where you’ve gone for that appointment. You may do this by driving directly from your address to the test centre, provided you can prove it in case you get stopped by police on the way.
Driving to a Garage for Repairs
On the grounds that the vehicle failed the MOT test, it needed some repair work. He is allowed to drive the car to and from the garage to have that particular work done, provided he takes his car back for retesting after execution of the repair, so as to be issued a valid MOTC.
New Vehicles
As earlier noted, any vehicle less than three years old does not require any MOT certificate. It gives you the privilege of being able to tax them and drive them on the road legally without an MOT.
How to maintain compliance
The following are the tips on how NOT to get caught up in legal issues for driving without an MOT and trying to tax your vehicle without one:
- Book Early: You may book a MOT a month in advance of the expiry date of the current certificate. This will give you some time in case repairs are needed. The Tyre Shop Harlow is the best option for this.
- Regular Building: You will regularly check your car to make sure it is roadworthy throughout the year. Most failures are for simple issues that can be easily avoided with a basic check-up.
- MOT Reminders: Register with the government’s MOT reminder service to make sure that you will never miss a test date.
Book Your MOT check now and drive confidently and safely.
FAQs
1. Can I drive my car to an MOT test if it has expired?
Yes, you can drive your vehicle to a prearranged MOT test, even if the certificate has expired. You must be driving directly to the test centre, and the appointment should be pre-booked.
2. What happens if I am found driving without an MOT?
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you are found driving without a valid MOT. In some cases, you may also receive points on the licence or invalidated insurance; this could mean even higher costs.
3. Can I pay road tax if my MOT has expired?
No, you cannot tax your vehicle without a valid MOT certificate unless it is declared off the road-SORN. The MOT status is automatically checked at the time of your road tax application.
4. What are the common causes for failure in MOTs?
The most frequent failures for the MOT include worn tyres, faulty lights, brakes issues, and problems with your emissions. Each can be eliminated with specific regular vehicle maintenance, thereby increasing any chances of passing the test.