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Tax & MOT check

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Check tax and MOT on any UK vehicle

Is your car taxed and MOT valid right now? One registration gives you both answers, both expiry dates and the full MOT history, free.

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Check MOT and tax together in one search

Most people run a tax and mot check separately, on two different services, and end up with half the picture. Enter the registration once here and the tax mot check returns both records side by side.

  • Tax status: taxed, untaxed or SORN, with the expiry date

  • MOT status: valid or expired, with the expiry date

  • Days remaining on each, shown as a countdown

  • Full MOT history with advisories, failures and mileage at every test

Both answers from one registration search

Enter your registration and you have the answer in seconds. If you are asking is my car mot taxed before a journey, this is the fastest way to be certain rather than hopeful.
Vehicle tax status comes from DVLA. MOT status and history come from DVSA. Records can lag by up to 48 hours after a renewal or a test, so allow for that if you have just renewed either one.

Tax and MOT fail independently of each other

The two records are issued by different bodies, run on different clocks and lapse for different reasons. Checking one tells you nothing reliable about the other.

They expire on different dates

Tax and MOT almost never run out together. People renew one, assume they are covered, and discover the other lapsed weeks ago. A single check mot and tax search removes the guesswork because both dates are returned at the same time.

You cannot tax a car without a valid MOT

DVLA will not issue or renew vehicle tax if there is no valid MOT on record. This is the single most useful thing a combined check tells you, and it is the reason the two records are worth reading together rather than one after the other. If a tax renewal has been refused, an expired MOT is the most common reason, and a check road tax and mot search will confirm it before you try again.

Renew in the right order

Book and pass the MOT first, then tax the vehicle. Doing it the other way round wastes a payment attempt and leaves the vehicle untaxed for longer than it needs to be. Allow up to 48 hours for a new pass to reach DVSA records before you retry the tax renewal.

The penalties are separate and both are expensive

Driving without a valid MOT and keeping an untaxed vehicle are two different offences, enforced by two different bodies. You can be penalised for both from the same journey, and the untaxed penalty applies whether the vehicle is being driven or simply parked on a public road.

Buyers check it before you do

Anyone viewing your car will run a check on the registration before they arrive. An expired MOT you did not know about weakens your position before the conversation starts.

What the free tax and MOT check returns

Everything below costs nothing and needs no account.

Vehicle tax status and expiry

Current status returned as taxed, untaxed or SORN, with the exact expiry date. For tax bands, rates and what changes when a vehicle is sold, use the dedicated car tax check. 

MOT expiry date

The date the current MOT certificate runs out, so you know how long is left before the vehicle needs retesting.

Full MOT history

Every test on record, with pass and fail results, advisory notes and failure reasons. For how to read advisories, repeat failures and what each result actually means, use the full MOT history check. 

Recorded mileage

The mileage logged at each MOT test, in sequence. A reading that drops or jumps is worth investigating with a mileage check. 

Vehicle details

Make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type, CO2 output and year of first registration, also available on their own through a car spec check. 

Reading your tax and MOT due dates

Both dates come back with your result, along with a countdown so you can see at a glance which one needs attention first. Work to whichever expires sooner, and remember that the MOT has to be in place before the tax can be renewed. If the two dates are close together, treat the MOT date as the real deadline.
Records are a snapshot of what is held at the time you run the search. A test passed this morning, or a tax renewal paid overnight, may not appear yet.

Insurance status sits outside tax and MOT records

No tax and MOT check can see insurance, and it is worth being straight about why. Insurance status is held on the Motor Insurance Database rather than in DVLA or DVSA records. To confirm whether a vehicle is insured, use ask MID. To confirm whether it is taxed and tested, use this page.

How to check tax and MOT by registration

1. Enter the registration

Type the UK reg into the box. Spaces are optional and there is no account to create.

2. Read both records

Tax status, MOT status and both expiry dates appear together, with the full MOT history underneath.

3. Go further if you are buying

Tax and MOT tell you the car is legal today. They tell you nothing about money owed on it or damage in its past. Before you pay a deposit, add an outstanding finance check and a write-off check, or take the full vehicle history report.

Where our data comes from

Vehicle tax status is sourced from DVLA records. MOT test history and expiry come from DVSA. REGUP is an independent vehicle checking service and does not claim to be DVLA, DVSA or GOV.UK. More about how we work is on our about REGUP page.

A check reports what is held on record at the time you run it. It does not replace the physical documents, and it is not a roadworthiness assessment.


Tax & MOT check FAQs

How do I check the tax and MOT on a car?

Enter the registration at the top of this page. The free mot and tax checker returns tax status, MOT status, both expiry dates and the full MOT history in seconds.

Is my car taxed and MOT valid?

Enter your registration and both answers appear together. If you have just renewed either one, allow up to 48 hours for records to update.

Can I check tax and MOT on someone else's car?

Yes. Vehicle record data is not personal data, so you can run a check mot and tax search on any UK registration. What you cannot see is who owns it.

Can I drive to an MOT test if my MOT has expired?

You may drive to a pre-booked MOT appointment with an expired certificate. You still need valid tax and insurance, and the vehicle still needs to be roadworthy.

Why has my tax renewal been refused?

The most common reason is an expired MOT. DVLA will not issue vehicle tax without a valid MOT on record. Run a check road tax and mot search to confirm before you try again.

Does vehicle tax transfer when I buy a car?

No. Tax is cancelled when the vehicle changes keeper. The seller receives a refund for complete months remaining, and you must tax it before you drive it away.

What does SORN mean on a tax check?

Statutory Off Road Notification. The keeper has declared the vehicle off the road, so no tax is due, but it cannot legally be driven or parked on a public road.

Is the MOT and tax check free?

Yes. Tax status, MOT status, expiry dates, MOT history and mileage cost nothing and need no account. Finance, write-off, stolen and keeper checks sit inside a paid report.

Do tax and MOT expire on the same date?

Rarely. The two records run on separate cycles and are renewed at different times, which is why one can lapse while the other is still valid. A combined check returns both dates together.

Can I tax a car without an MOT?

No. DVLA will not issue vehicle tax unless a valid MOT is held on record for the vehicle. The MOT has to be passed first, then the tax can be renewed.

Check tax and MOT now

Enter any UK registration and see both records together in seconds. For anything you are buying, follow it with a free car check and a full report.

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