What happens if I do not tax my car?
An untaxed car with no SORN draws an automatic £80 fine, and you must pay the tax for the time it was untaxed. Driving it is illegal until it is taxed, and an unpaid fine can mean clamping or crushing.
Last reviewed . The official sources it draws on, and the date each was read, are listed at the foot of the page.
The fine and the back tax
GOV.UK says you must tax and insure a vehicle that has no SORN, and that if you do not, you are automatically fined £80 for not having a SORN. Its page for Direct Debit payers says you are fined £80 if you do not tax your vehicle or tell DVLA that it is off the road, and that you also have to pay for the time it was not taxed.
DVLA’s penalty letter tells you how much you have to pay and when you must pay it by. The service for paying a DVLA fine covers a fine for not taxing your vehicle or declaring a SORN, and the tax you owe for the time you did not tax it.
Driving the car
GOV.UK says it is illegal to drive a vehicle until it has been taxed. A vehicle that has a SORN is a separate case, covered in our answer on what a SORN is and when you need one.
If the fine is not paid
If you do not pay a DVLA fine on time, your vehicle could be clamped or crushed, or your details passed to a debt collection agency. After you pay, GOV.UK says you must make sure the vehicle is insured and taxed, make a SORN or tell DVLA you no longer have the vehicle.
When a Direct Debit fails
DVLA emails the account holder when a payment fails because there is not enough money, and tries again within 4 working days. If that also fails, the Direct Debit is permanently cancelled and the vehicle is no longer taxed. You then have to tax it using the V5C, either with a new Direct Debit or another payment method, and it is illegal to drive until you have.
After you buy or sell a car
The tax is not transferred when you buy a vehicle, so you must tax it, or declare it off the road with a SORN, before you drive it. If you are sent a tax reminder for a vehicle you have already sold, you do not need a SORN; tell DVLA you have sold it.
Sources
- GOV.UK: When you need to make a SORNRead on 6 October 2026. You must insure and tax a vehicle that has no SORN or be automatically fined £80; no SORN is needed for a vehicle you have sold.
- GOV.UK: Vehicle tax Direct Debit paymentsRead on 6 October 2026. The £80 fine and paying for the time the vehicle was not taxed; what happens when a Direct Debit fails; it is illegal to drive until taxed.
- GOV.UK: Pay a DVLA fineRead on 6 October 2026. What the service covers, and that an unpaid fine can lead to clamping, crushing or a debt collection agency.
- GOV.UK: Tell DVLA you’ve sold, transferred or bought a vehicleRead on 6 October 2026. You must tax a vehicle you have bought before you drive it, or declare a SORN; the tax is not transferred.
Related
More answers
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