UK motoring guides
Check the rules before you pay or drive
These 21 UK motoring guides explain buying checks, vehicle tax, MOTs, number plates and driving rules using 124 cited publications. Each guide answers a practical question and identifies the relevant jurisdiction, with dated government, regulator or operator sources for the rules and figures.
Legal rules, deadlines, fees and penalties cite the relevant GOV.UK page, statutory instrument or DVSA manual. Each source includes the date of the version used. An unpublished figure is left unpublished.
Each guide shows when it was published and last updated. Tax bands, clean air zone standards and sentencing guidelines can change, so use the updated date when one is shown.
MOT
4 guides on this topic.
- When is my MOT due, and how do I find the exact date?
When is my MOT due?
The first MOT falls on the third anniversary of registration. How that date is set, how to check it, and why testing early can cost you cover.MOTRulesDatesUpdated 11 sources - Can I drive my car if the MOT has run out?
Driving without an MOT
You can drive an untested car to a booked MOT or to repairs, and nowhere else. The fine, the dangerous defect trap and what it does to your cover.MOTRulesPenaltiesUpdated 10 sources - My car failed its MOT. What can I do now?
MOT failure: what happens next
A fail is not one thing. What dangerous and major mean, when you may drive away, and the three retest routes with what each one can cost you.MOTRepairsRulesUpdated 13 sources - How much should an MOT cost, and why do prices vary so much?
The maximum car MOT fee is £54.85
The maximum car MOT fee is £54.85. Check the vehicle class, VAT position, repair charges and retest deadlines before comparing garage quotations.MOTCostsRulesUpdated 10 sources
Tax
3 guides on this topic.
- How much car tax will I pay?
Car tax rates by registration date
Which of the three VED systems your car sits in, what the first year rate costs, and how the expensive car supplement adds £440 a year for five.TaxCostsRulesUpdated 10 sources - What is a SORN, and how do I declare one?
Declare a SORN and take a vehicle off the road
A SORN stops the tax and the insurance need, refunds full months, and lets you drive only to a booked test. How to declare it and how to undo it.TaxRulesOff roadUpdated 10 sources - How do I check whether my car is taxed, and what if there is a gap?
Check whether a vehicle is taxed
Check the DVLA record in seconds, then read it properly. The direct debit that quietly stops, the sale that cancels it, and how to close a gap.TaxRulesChecksUpdated 11 sources
Number plates
2 guides on this topic.
- What year was a UK number plate issued?
What year is my number plate?
Read any UK number plate for its age: the current two digit system, the prefix and suffix letters before it, and the marks that carry no age at all.Number platesReferenceUpdated 4 sources - Why do UK number plates change twice a year, and does it matter when I buy?
New number plates in March and September
Why the UK issues new registrations on 1 March and 1 September, what it does to new car prices and part exchange values, and when the quiet months actually are.Number platesBuyingUpdated 3 sources
Car tax
One guide on this topic.
Clean air zones
One guide on this topic.
Clean air zones
One guide on this topic.
Company car
One guide on this topic.
Consumer rights
One guide on this topic.
Road tax
One guide on this topic.
Speeding
One guide on this topic.
Theft and cloning
One guide on this topic.
Guides and calculators
Check the rule, then calculate the cost
Read the relevant rule first, then use your car's details to calculate the likely charge or cost.
Read the buying guide before you travel, check the plate at the kerb, and compare tax and clean air zone charges with your own mileage before you agree a price. Private finance, write-off and stolen-vehicle records need a paid provenance check.