Like an idiot my VED at midnight is up at midnight and I've no MOT. I've arranged an MOT test for Thursday, but can only legally drive the car to a "pre-arranged appointment" at the MOT centre once the VED expires (it otherwise can't be on the road I think).
I can't leave the car at the test-centre tonight (it's full up) but may be able to tomorrow. I can also park it off-road near the test centre tonight (at a pal's) and pick it up Thursday AM to take to the test centre, which takes care of the untaxed-legality (but not the "driving with no MOT" one) but will eat up some time vs driving it there untaxed.
This is all within Edinburgh, am I likely to get caught/fined, WWSTWD? Better to phone round for a tester with whom I can leave it tonight? (Presently booked with the Council). As it's a Smart I would hope most commercial testers would not want to work on it and thus not look for faults...
Note: (1) I realise there are separate insurance issues which I am looking into, and (2) this is NOT the Mini (which remains for sale 😀 )
Get yer car taxed online and don't use it except to take it for its MOT.
Although, many people seem to get away without having either for quite some time. If you're really bothered and can't tax it for whatever reason, then park it somewhere discrete off the main roads for a day or two prior to the MOT.
If it's not taxed and has not MOT you need to SORN it. It has to be one or the other. If it's not insured it has to be SORN. I know at least 2 people who have been stung for this via the automated system. There's was longer than 1 day though. You may get some grace. But I'm not going to say it's OK!
A bit confused by your post but do you mean you haven't got anywhere off road to park it at yours? If that's the case you have to either MOT it and tax it today, or drive it to your mate's today and park it off road then SORN it.
Then, when it's insured, you can book an MOT and legally drive it to the MOT without tax or valid MOT.
I really wouldn't leave an UN MOT'd, UN taxed/Un SORNed car parked somewhere on the road, all it takes is someone taking umbrage to a car appearing on 'their' bit of road and you're in for a big fine.
Get yer car taxed online
I don't think you can without an MOT.
If you're very risk averse and haven't got off road parking at yours then drive it to your mate's and leave it, take it to the MOT Thursday. As above, as long as you're insured you can drive without VED and MOT to a pre-booked appointment. Where I live I'd not worry about leaving a car on the road for 1 day without VED but if you're on a main thoroughfare in a city it'd be riskier. All it needs is any vehicle with ANPR to drive past and it could be awkward.
I don’t think you can without an MOT
It is mot'd until midnight tonight though?
Tax online.
Park on private land/drive.
Book MOT and drive ONLY to that appointment.
Whether you are taxed or not doesn’t matter when it comes to driving to a prebooked MOT, you only need to have valid insurance. If you don’t need it until Thursday then just park up and drive it to your MOT appointment. If you do use it between now and then it’s not (or wasn’t) an endorsable offence, unless there is an unsafe defect such as knackered tyres which are endorsable in and of themselves.
Source - serial owner of classic and unreliable cars that have spent periods of time untaxed/Without MOT and an aging Italian motorcycle that is often awaiting parts come MOT time
Thanks all, in the end I am "risking" a private MOT tester (a recommendation) closer to me, where I can leave it tonight until they get it done. Technically not pre-booked, but in the circumstances I'd hope plod woudn't be bothered.
I am now wondering if I need to SORN it from tonight though?
EDIT I should also check my insurance covers me driving with no MOT so I'm not driving uninsured?
It is mot’d until midnight tonight though
Expired November!
There is not risk if you are driving the car from an off-road parking spot to your booked MoT. Some people drive from one side of the country to the other when they buy a vehicle to their booked MoT test and it is perfectly legal.
Pious STW will probably damn you for all eternity.
Technically you will need to SORN it from tonight. Like I said above, you may get some grace. The problem with SORNing it is that (and I'm not sure what the case is now) it used to be that after you SORNed you couldn't then tax online for a few days.
I've never checked my insurance TBH.
FWIW I've driven an insured, but untaxed and Un MOT'd car to an MOT loads of times (all totally legally) and never once been stopped, even when getting the car MOTed in the middle of Brum.
Cheers, I know the risk is low, but the outcome is bad. I've got 2 miles to drive, albeit in rush hour...
There is not risk if you are driving the car from an off-road parking spot to your booked MoT.
Yes but the risk would have been driving an car without MOT other than to a pre-booked test (ie to pal's). But sorted now.
You should keep it off the road until you drive to the MOT appointment. Then as sson as you have an MOT, get it taxed.
DVLA enforce car tax with ANPR, I see cars clamped and stickered frequently.
This should be your main concern.
BTW, if it helps, I'm doing this from another angle today, running round trying to get an already MOTed, but untaxed car insured, which would be dead easy, if it weren't for the fact that it was imported and heavily modified, and at least 2 specialist insurers that I've previously used have told me to not even bother going through the rigmarole with them as they won't be able to provide a decent quote...
This should be your main concern.
It is, and I have got round it.
BTW, if it helps, I’m doing this from another angle today, running round trying to get an already MOTed, but untaxed car insured, which would be dead easy, if it weren’t for the fact that it was imported and heavily modified, and at least 2 specialist insurers that I’ve previously used have told me to not even bother going through the rigmarole with them as they won’t be able to provide a decent quote…
Ohh, what is it @submarined ?
VED will be fine for a week or two, but if no MOT only drive to the garage
No need to SORN if it's booked in for the next day or so, total waste of time
If you do make it SORN , VED from the Post Office is the only option. Computer says NO for a couple of days after the declaration while DVLA get's its information sorted into order.
If VED expires and the vehicle is not SORN, you are automatically issued with an £80 fine which reduces to £40 if paid within 28 days. However, it's not clear to me exactly how 'automatic' this is.
If you are caught by ANPR driving without VED or under a SORN, you could face prosecution unless you can demonstrate you were driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment.
If VED expires and the vehicle is not SORN, you are automatically issued with an £80 fine which reduces to £40 if paid within 28 days. However, it’s not clear to me exactly how ‘automatic’ this is.
From recent experience, it’s not within the first month.
I forgot about the camper and was a month overdue for both tax and MOT when I realised. (Parked off the road, not driven)