Buying a Car without Road Tax

[36TEAK36]

Hi, I am thinking of buying a car, which is located 200 miles away, but the Car has no Road tax, so I am not sure if there are any special laws which would allow me to drive the car home.My own insurance is fully comp, but if I drive a car without Road Tax I thought this would make my insurance invalid. I don't want to break the law, but I would assume this is quite a common dilemma.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

[joeluke]

Think you'd need to insure car and take insurance certificate and new car's MOT certificate to local PO where you're buying car and tax it there.......otherwise you'd be driving it home illegally (although I'm sure plenty do, depends if you want to take that risk?)

[Postdog]

Get the seller to tax it

[boxtops]

Has it been declared as SORN by the current owner? You would definitely need to buy road tax before you can drive it.

[bednobs]

yep. what he says. or bring it home on a trailer

[ChuckFickens]

That's incorrect, Eddie.

The only time you are allowed to drive a car without current road tax is to, or back from a pre-booked MOT. driving at any other time without a current tax disk displayed on the vehicle is illegal.

[R1Geezer]

most of that is not true Eddie.
The car must be taxed, end of story no exceptions no back dating etc etc,
the bit on your current insurance that covers you to drive other cars (if it does have it) is cannot be used here, if you buy it your own it end of. You can get your insurance transferred on to the new vehicle before you pick it up so that's the way to go there. The best way is to get the current owner to tax it and reimburse them. If you drive it with no tax and get home ok you'll probably be ok but 200 miles of passing plods number recognition cars and you are going to get caught.

[R1Geezer]

also never heard of "drive home" insurance, what's that?

[welshlibranr]

it has to be taxed!...........otherwise your insurance is invalid!............

[R1Geezer]

not true, insurance is not void or invalid, common myth. The insurer my well use that as an excuse to reduce payout or not payout at all but you are insured and would not be prosecuted for no insurance if you have no tax.

[ChuckFickens]

R1, I'd not heard of drive home insurance, but a quick check shows it is available. It would cost me £21.20 to insure my car for £24 hours for the purpose of driving it home after purchase.

Welsh... having no tax does not invalidate insurance.

[welshlibranr]

Ok R1, but is still a great risk, they may not pay out means that they may not cover you, even though you have paid for insurance, that to me means that the insurance is in effect, invalid!............

[R1Geezer]

yes very unwise, especially with the modern plate readers they can tell, tax/insurance/mot.

[New Judge]

No, welshlibranr, the compulsory element of insurance required by the Road Traffic Act cannot be invalidated, revoked or made void because the vehicle is untaxed. The only matter which can normally invalidate such cover is where the driver is disqualified from driving or does not hold (or is disqualified from holding or obtaining) a licence to drive. Any other offence committed, whether it concerns the vehicle (such as no MoT or unroadworthiness) or the driver (excess alcohol, for example) or the driving (speeding, careless or dangerous) does not invalidate the compulsory element of insurance. If it did prosecutions for all such offences would be automatically accompanied by a prosecution for No Insurance. A visit to your local magistrates’ court will show that this is not so.

In fact, unless it says otherwise specifically in the policy, such offences would not invalidate the voluntary element of motor insurance (such as Fire, Theft or Accidental Damage to the insured vehicle). Most policies carry a “roadworthiness” stipulation but mine most certainly does not mention cover being invalid if the car is not taxed.

[chas2008]

Thanks for that New Judge, about says it all, its amazing how many people think having no tax invalidates insurance as a repairer we get vehicles in with illegal tyres and in most circumstances the insurance companies still pay out...especially if it wasnt a factor in the circumstances of the accident.
You would assume if it shouldnt be on the road the insurance is invalid, wrong !!