A question that often arises in driver’s minds is: “Can I tax my car without an MOT?”. The simple answer is no. If your vehicle does not have a valid MOT, you won't be able to renew your road tax.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the reasons why to provide a bit more clarity. We’ll also give you clear steps on how to check tax and MOT to avoid potential problems down the line.

Understanding MOT and vehicle tax

An MOT is an annual test for all vehicles three years or older which checks the vehicle's safety and roadworthiness.

On the other hand, vehicle tax, also known as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), is a tax that vehicle owners need to pay for their vehicle to be legally driven on public roads. The money collected from this tax is used to maintain and improve road infrastructure.

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Why can’t you tax a car without an MOT?

There are two reasons you can’t tax a car without a valid MOT certificate: safety, and legality:

Safety

A valid MOT certificate assures that you vehicle is safe to drive on public roads. Without this certificate, there’s no guarantee that your vehicle meets the necessary safety standards. Allowing a vehicle to be taxed without a valid MOT certificate would allow potentially unsafe vehicles to be driven on public roads and could lead to an increase in accidents.

Legality

Driving without a valid MOT certificate is against the law. The only exceptions are if you’re driving to a pre-approved test, or to a garage where you’re getting repair work done. In both cases, you will need to show proof of appointment if you are stopped by the police.

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How to perform a tax and MOT check

Caura makes it simple to check MOT and tax. Here’s how:

1. Download Caura for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
2. Sign up and enter your vehicle registration number (aka your licence plate) – you can add all your vehicles to the same account
3. Caura syncs up with the DVLA to automatically pull your renewal details

As soon as you enter your vehicle reg plate to Caura, we will send you renewal reminders in-app and via email so that you never miss it and get a fine.

Renew tax and MOT in Caura

When your tax and MOT are due, you can renew both in Caura in seconds.

To renew road tax, all you need to do is enter your V11 or V5C details, choose if you want to renew for 6 or 12 months and pay via Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit, or debit card.

Caura works with over 6,000+ independent and main dealership garages nationwide to get you the best deal on your MOT test.

All you need to do is tap ‘Book Garage’, choose the work you want to get done and pick the dates you’re available. Caura handles the rest!

Check tax and MOT in Caura