How to Check Tax and MOT on Any Vehicle

The DVLA Free Vehicle Enquiry Service

The DVLA operates a free public vehicle enquiry service at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax. You simply enter a UK registration number — no account, no payment, no personal information required — and the service returns the vehicle's current tax and MOT status. The data comes directly from DVLA records, making it the most authoritative source for this information.

The tool is updated daily and covers all vehicles on the GB register. It will not return results for vehicles registered in Northern Ireland (which operates its own DVA register) or vehicles that have never been registered.

What the Tool Shows

The DVLA vehicle enquiry returns the following information:

• Tax status — whether the vehicle is taxed, untaxed, or declared SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). If taxed, the expiry date is shown.
• MOT status — whether the vehicle has a current, valid MOT. If it does, the expiry date is displayed. If not, you will see that the MOT has expired or that no MOT record exists.
• Make and colour — basic vehicle identification details so you can confirm you have entered the correct registration.

Crucially, the tool does NOT reveal the registered keeper's name, address, or any personal information. That data is protected under UK GDPR and the Road Traffic Act 1988, and is only accessible through the formal V888 keeper enquiry process.

Understanding the Statuses

The tax status will show one of three states:

• Taxed — the vehicle excise duty (VED) has been paid and is current. The expiry date tells you when the current tax period ends.
• Untaxed — the VED has lapsed. It is illegal to drive or park the vehicle on a public road in this state.
• SORN — the vehicle has been declared off-road. It cannot legally be driven or parked on a public road and must be kept on private land.

The MOT status will show either a valid MOT with its expiry date, or that the MOT has expired (or no MOT record exists at all). Note that vehicles less than three years old are not required to have an MOT, so a missing MOT record on a newer car is normal.

Why This Matters When Buying a Used Car

Checking tax and MOT status is one of the first things you should do when considering a used car purchase. An expired MOT does not necessarily mean the car is unsafe — the test may simply be overdue — but it does mean the seller has not maintained the vehicle in a roadworthy state. An expired MOT also means you cannot legally drive the car away from the sale unless you are heading directly to a pre-booked test.

Untaxed vehicles are a red flag of a different kind. Road tax does not transfer when a vehicle changes hands — the moment a sale completes, the previous owner's tax is cancelled automatically. That means you must tax the vehicle before you can legally drive it. Factor this cost into your negotiation.

Enforcement: ANPR Cameras

The DVLA and police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras extensively on UK roads. These cameras cross-reference every number plate against the DVLA register in real time. An untaxed or uninsured vehicle will trigger an alert automatically. Penalties for driving an untaxed vehicle include a fixed penalty notice, and persistent offenders can have their vehicle clamped and impounded.