Car Tax Check: How to Check if a Vehicle Is Taxed or SORN
By RegPeek Editorial Team · Published
Vehicle tax status is public information, so you can confirm it in seconds — and you should, because tax does not transfer when a car changes hands.
The short answer
Enter the registration on RegPeek or the DVLA service to see whether a vehicle is taxed, untaxed or has a SORN declaration, along with the next due date where it is supplied. Tax is cancelled when a vehicle is sold, so a buyer must tax it before driving it away.
Enter a registration to see MOT status, road tax and mileage history in seconds.
Check a VehicleWhat each status means
- Taxed — vehicle tax is in force, with a due date for the next payment.
- Untaxed — no tax is in force and the vehicle must not be used or kept on a public road.
- SORN — a Statutory Off Road Notification has been made, so the vehicle is declared off the road and must be kept on private land.
Tax does not transfer with the car
When a vehicle is sold, the seller's tax is cancelled and any full remaining months are refunded to them automatically. The buyer must tax the vehicle in their own name before driving it, using the new keeper slip from the V5C.
Never accept 'it's taxed until December' as a reason to drive a car home. From the moment of sale it is untaxed for you.
How SORN works
SORN is made through DVLA and lasts until the vehicle is taxed again. A SORN vehicle cannot be driven on public roads at all, with the narrow exception of a journey to a pre-booked MOT test. It also cannot be parked on a road, only on private property such as a driveway or garage.
Penalties for getting it wrong
DVLA runs automated checks against its records, so an untaxed vehicle is usually detected without anyone being stopped. Penalties can include a fine, clamping or removal of the vehicle, and court action in serious cases.
Tax status and the MOT
You normally cannot tax a vehicle unless it has a valid MOT, so the two checks belong together — see can you tax a car without an MOT? and when your MOT is due.
Run a free check on the homepage to see tax and MOT status side by side before you buy, sell or take a car off the road.
Ready to check a car? Run a free UK vehicle check by registration.
Check a VehicleSources
Related guides
- Can You Tax a Car Without an MOT?In almost all cases you need a valid MOT to tax a vehicle. The exceptions, the order to do things in and what to do if the MOT has already lapsed.
- When Is My MOT Due? Check Your Expiry Date by RegistrationFind out exactly when your MOT expires using only the registration number, what the expiry date means and how to avoid missing it.
- What Does a Full Car History Check Show?What a paid vehicle history check covers — finance, stolen markers, write-off records, keepers, plate changes, import status and specifications.
- How to Read MOT History Before Buying a Used CarA practical guide to reading a used car's MOT history: mileage patterns, repeat advisories, test gaps and the red flags worth walking away from.
RegPeek is an independent vehicle information service and is not affiliated with DVLA or DVSA. This guide is general information, not legal advice.