UK reg car, back to UK

[jakewrightuk2]

I have ended up with two cars in Europe. For whatever reason they have ended up being:

1) is taxed, insured and no mot
2) One is not being used and is SORNd with no mot but is insured

My understanding is that I can take them on the ferry home and drive home if I am booked into an MOT for both. Does anyone know if this is correct? Does it matter how far the MOT station is from the ferry port as long as I am going 'direct'?

I figure I will probably get stopped via ANPR activation with both cars....

I understand that for the car that is SORN'd the SORN is not valid as it is not in the UK...bit late for that...

I will try and ask the police next week what the deal is but would be interested to hear views from here. I think I asked the DVLA or VOSA before and I think the view was as I described above.

I am most worried about the SORN'd car returning as I know if i get in trouble for that if what I describe above is not correct

Thanks
Jake

[anonymous-user]

There is no distance limit on the trip to the MoT. I brought a UK registered car on the ferry from Dublin and drove it from Holyhead to Birmingham without incident.

[agtlaw]

You should hold off asking the police for advice. Making a false SORN declaration is an offence.

[anonymous-user]

I've had this issue several times for a number of reasons, The un MOT'd car personally i would just drive it back and take it for an MOT at soon as possible (There's a station in Dover that i've used several times) Even if you get caught its only a 60quid non endorsable fine.

Re the Untaxed vehicle what about getting a set of these? http://www.transit-plate.com/ and then driving it home?

I've driven back to the UK without tax or MOT and taken it straight to the MOT station in Dover before without issues.

With the new tax rules does the system even check MOT before allowing you to tax the car? If not just tax it and drive it back.

Failling that couldn't you register them both in the country that you are currently in?

[anonymous-user]

It is never a good idea to ask the police for legal advice!

The onlibe tax purchase system does check for MoT before allowing you to tax the car.

[anonymous-user]

I didn't know that, Better get some tax bought before the MOT expires next month then

[jakewright]

Thanks all - stupid comment by me, I did not ask the police for advice.

I have now called the DVLA three separate times with the same question. Each time I have got the same repsonse.

"Once you are in the UK, you must drive it DIRECTLY to MOT station without stopping".

Will report back how it goes.

[Pet Troll]

I recently brought a car back from france, it was on UK plates but had no MOT or TAX. It had a french MOT and French insurance. I also insured it in the UK before I went out there.

I booked it in for an MOT and once off the ferry at Dover I drove back to Gloucestershire for the MOT (I 'may' have been too late for the mot and 'may' have got it done the next day). No problems at all.

[jakewright]

Pet Troll said:

I recently brought a car back from france, it was on UK plates but had no MOT or TAX. It had a french MOT and French insurance. I also insured it in the UK before I went out there.

I booked it in for an MOT and once off the ferry at Dover I drove back to Gloucestershire for the MOT (I 'may' have been too late for the mot and 'may' have got it done the next day). No problems at all.

Yep, that seems to be the response of a few people driving from out of UK... no issues, straight (or almost straight) to the MOT then tax it.

I explained to the DVLA my concern is the fact that I have SORN'd it whilst not in the UK (an offence) and that their site says I cannot drive it back due to this fact. However, they didn't seem too bothered....I assume it's because they don't know how this is handled and only know the typical response to "driving a SORN'd, no MOT'd car to a test station from a UK address to a test station"

Time will tell how clever the cameras at the ports are

[jakewright]

Update: I drove the car onto eurotunnel on saturday morning just passed, then drove quite a few hrs to a MOT station (close to home). Wasn't stopped and car is now legal.