Check MOT and tax by reg
Enter the registration and see whether the car is taxed, SORN or untaxed, whether its MOT is valid or has run out, and both due dates with the days left. Free, from DVLA and DVSA records, no email.
Enter a registration
How do I check if a car has MOT and tax?
Enter the registration above. The page shows the tax status DVLA holds (taxed, SORN or untaxed) with the due date, and the MOT status (valid, due soon, expired or no record) with the expiry date and days left. Both come from DVLA records, with the DVSA test record filling in a fresh MOT pass that DVLA has not caught up with yet.
If the tax or MOT has lapsed
The two work differently, and GOV.UK gives no grace period for either.
- Untaxed. The car must be taxed before it is used or kept on a public road. Tax does not pass to a new keeper, so a car you have just bought needs taxing in your own name before you drive it away, using the reference on the green new keeper slip (V5C/2) or the V5C.
- SORN. The keeper has told DVLA the car is off the road. It cannot be used on a public road until it is taxed again. A SORN does not say why the car was off the road, so ask the seller and read the MOT history for the gap.
- MOT expired. The car can be driven to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from a repair, and nothing else. The fine for driving without a valid MOT is up to £1,000. You can test up to a month (minus a day) early and keep the same renewal date.
- No MOT record. A car under 3 years old (4 in Northern Ireland) has not needed a test yet; the page shows when the first one is due. For an older car with no test on record, DVSA holds no test for this vehicle and the tax and MOT status alone cannot explain why. The full report shows whether it was exported, scrapped or carried another plate.
For the due date alone, see when is my MOT due. For every test with its mileage and advisory count, the MOT history check. For what the tax will cost, the road tax calculator.
The usual answers. What each one means.
The free check reads the tax status straight from DVLA records. Here is what each answer means if you are buying the car.
- Taxed
Taxed by the current keeper
The tax is in the seller's name and stops when they sell. Tax it in your name before you drive it home, and check the MOT and insurance separately.
- SORN
Declared off the road
It cannot be driven or parked on a public road until it is taxed. Ask the seller why, and how long it has stood.
- Untaxed
Neither taxed nor SORN
The keeper can be fined for this. You can still buy it, but tax it before it moves.
What tax and MOT status cannot tell you
A taxed car with a valid MOT can still owe money or be written off.
DVLA and DVSA records cover tax, MOT and the vehicle's details. They hold nothing on finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers or keepers. The full report adds those records, where they exist.
Check the full history- Outstanding financeMoney still owed on the car
- Insurance write-offCat A, B, S or N on record
- Stolen markerPolice and insurer theft records
- Keepers and plate changesHow often it changed hands, and under which plates
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about MOT and tax on Carhealth
Enter the registration above. The page shows the tax status DVLA holds (taxed, SORN or untaxed) with the due date, and the MOT status (valid, due soon, expired or no record) with the expiry date and days left. Both come from DVLA records, with the DVSA test record filling in a fresh MOT pass that DVLA has not caught up with yet.
Untaxed means the car is neither taxed nor declared off the road with a SORN. There is no grace period for tax: GOV.UK says you need to tax a vehicle before you can use it on the road. If you have just bought the car, the seller's tax did not come with it, so tax it in your own name before you drive it.
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It tells DVLA the vehicle is being kept off the road, for example in a garage, so it does not need to be taxed while the notification stands. GOV.UK says a SORN vehicle cannot be used on the road until it is taxed again.
Book a test. GOV.UK allows a car without a valid MOT to be driven to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from somewhere to be repaired, and nothing else. Driving it otherwise can mean a fine of up to £1,000. There is no grace period after the expiry date.
No. GOV.UK says the tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle. The seller's tax ends with the sale and they get a refund of any full months left. You tax it in your own name, which you can do online with the reference number from the green new keeper slip (V5C/2) or the V5C.
It reads DVLA's record at the moment you look. GOV.UK says that after a tax or SORN application is approved it can take up to 2 working days for the records to update, so a very recent payment or SORN may not show yet.
No. Tax and MOT status come from DVLA and DVSA records, which do not hold outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen vehicle markers or the number of keepers. The full Carhealth report adds those records where they exist.
Sources
- DVLA: Vehicle Enquiry ServiceTax status (taxed, SORN or untaxed), the tax due date, the MOT status and the MOT expiry date DVLA holds for the registration you enter.
- GOV.UK: Check if a vehicle is taxedGOV.UK's own tax and SORN check, and its note that records can take up to 2 working days to update after a tax or SORN application. Checked 11 November 2026.
- GOV.UK: Make a SORNWhat a Statutory Off Road Notification is, and that a SORN vehicle cannot be used on the road until it is taxed again. Checked 11 November 2026.
- GOV.UK: Buying a vehicle and telling DVLA you have bought oneYou need to tax the vehicle before you can use it on the road, and the tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle (gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle). Checked 11 November 2026.
- GOV.UK: Getting an MOTThe exceptions for driving without an MOT (a pre-arranged test, or to or from a repair), the one month early-test rule and the up to £1,000 fine. Checked 11 November 2026.
- DVSA: MOT historyThe test record behind the MOT answer. Where DVLA lags a fresh pass, the latest passed test sets the expiry shown.
Related guides
Plain-English reading on this check, from the Carhealth blog.