when car you drive a un taxed car on road?

[Anthony26]

Hi all im looking to buy a car that the tax has expired on at the end of October, its a convertible so I didnt really want to tax it yet as I have no intension to drive it until spring and it will not be kept on a public road, I need to drive it back from london to kent. Is this possible or ilegal? can I book it in for a MOT ect to get around the problem?

[AW8]

Tell buyer you will buy it but you want him to deliver it. Turn it on seller for not having Tax & MOT.

Generally you can only drive it to MOT station via direct route for pre booked test.

Worst case scenario cost of hiring a man and & trailer or asking for someone to help for cost of fuel plus sagreed ammount of beer tokens, (dont currently own or have access to a trailer btw).

I havent covered the insurance issue - same obviously being required.

[Anthony26]

Thankyou that is what I planned to do either get him to drive it or trailer it back as I do have access to a trailer myself but didnt really want to tow it if possible. And not really sure about booking it in for an MOT 70 miles away i dont even think the police are quite that stupid

[vsonix]

Anthony26 said:

Thankyou that is what I planned to do either get him to drive it or trailer it back as I do have access to a trailer myself but didnt really want to tow it if possible. And not really sure about booking it in for an MOT 70 miles away i dont even think the police are quite that stupid

That's what's called a loophole, mate... if it doesn't have an MOT... and you live 70 miles away, then by booking it an MOT then driving it there you are working 100% within the law and the cops can STFU! What business is it of theirs where the car was before you collected it to take for the test?

[bakerjuk]

Be very careful. As I remember it, the law says "to any local MOT service station"

These civil service goons are not as stupid as we may think nay hope they are.

[StevenB]

Are you going to insure it ? if yes, and it still has an MOT, get the seller to tax it for 6 months then get a refund on the tax, should only cost £25 -30 ?

[Engineer1]

The police may take a dim view of abusing the MOT exemption as a way of moving a car without VED, the reason you have an exception is that without it any car that that had it's MOT expire without being renewed would be impossible to get back on the road as lack of MOT would prevent Taxing and lack of Tax would prevent you getting to the garage for an MOT.

[Jonnas]

Don't have a mate with some trade plates? Otherwise I would get it picked up/delivered. I bought a car with no tax from a dealer, drove 1 mile to the post office with all the forms filled out and cheque written to post office counters. fking Nazi traffic warden rocks up and writes me a ticket out while I stand 5 yards from the post office counter! Some choice words were said that warden that afternoon........

[NHK244V]

Taken from one of the .gov sites, i carry it with me when doing exactly what your thinking of (with insurance ! though)



You do not need an excise licence (tax disc) when taking an unlicensed vehicle to a pre-booked test, when driving it away from such a test, delivering it by prior arrangement to a place where work is to be done if it has failed, or bringing it away from that place. In such circumstances it is an exempt vehicle as defined in Section 5 and Schedule 2 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994:

"22 (1) A vehicle is an exempt vehicle when it is being used solely for the purpose of—
(A) submitting it (by previous arrangement for a specified time on a specified date) for a compulsory test, or
(B) bringing it away from a compulsory test.
(2) A vehicle is an exempt vehicle when it is being used by an authorised person in the course of a compulsory test solely for the purpose of—
(A) taking it to, or bringing it away from, a place where a part of the test is to be, or has been, carried out, or
(B) carrying out a part of the test.
(3) Where the relevant certificate is refused on a compulsory test of a vehicle the vehicle is an exempt vehicle when it is being used solely for the purpose of—
(A) delivering it (by previous arrangement for a specified time on a specified date) at a place where relevant work is to be done on it, or
(B) bringing it away from a place where relevant work has been done on it."

[cpas]

StevenB said:

Are you going to insure it ? if yes, and it still has an MOT, get the seller to tax it for 6 months then get a refund on the tax, should only cost £25 -30 ?

As this ^^^

Assuming you will be insuring it anyway, taxing for 6 months then surrendering it within the month away will cost you about £16 depending on the age of the car (ie pre 2001 fro example).