How to check a car’s insurance and tax status

Need to check if your car is taxed and insured but don’t know how? Read on to find out.

Keeping your car taxed and insured is an expensive business, but it’s a legal requirement if you’re driving it on public roads.

There are hefty penalties if you’re caught driving without these things, including up to six points on your licence, big fines and your car could even be crushed.

It’s really easy to check your car’s tax and insurance status, and in this handy guide we’ll run through how to do both.

How to check if a car is taxed

Checking your car’s tax status is free and easy to do. You can do it for free through the government’s website or through Carwow.

Don’t go to websites which try to charge you for this service. It’s no quicker or easier and there’s no need to pay for it.

How to use Carwow’s car tax checker

• Head to the Carwow tax checker
• Enter the registration of the car
• Confirm the car details are correct

Once you’ve done these three things, you’ll be presented with the car’s tax status including whether it’s taxed or not and how long the tax is valid. You can also see the car’s MOT history here.

The DVLA has a service that allows you to report an untaxed car, should this be a course of action you wish to take.

How to check if a car is insured

The best way to check if a car is insured is to use the Motor Insurance Database (MID). This is a publicly-available database that insurers also have access to, and you can use to confirm the status of a car.

This does not reveal any personal information or anything about the insurance policy. Just a simple confirmation of the car model and a yes or no to confirm if it’s insured.

Again, this is a free service to use — so ignore any third party companies that try and charge you for the same thing.

You should only use it to check the insurance status of your own car. The MID has a separate tool for checking another car in the event of an accident.

How to use the Motor Insurance Database check tool

1. Head to the Motor Insurance Database tool page
2. Enter your car’s registration

Once you’ve done that, you’ll be presented with a page that confirms the car model and insurance status.

What to do if your car isn’t taxed or insured

It is a legal requirement for your car to be both taxed (unless exemptions apply) and insured if you’re using it on public roads.

Driving a car on public roads without tax can land you a fine of up to £1,000. A handful of exemptions apply, just remember that you still have to apply for tax every year even if you don’t pay for it. Exemptions include:

Vehicles used by a disabled person

You can claim a disability exemption when you apply for vehicle tax. Until this is confirmed though, you should continue to tax your car as normal.

Disabled passenger vehicles

Vehicles used by organisations specifically to provide transport for disabled people are exempt.

Historic vehicles

Vehicles produced before 1 January 1981 are exempt from paying tax.

Electric cars

Electric cars do not need to have tax paid for at the moment. Do note, though, that from 1 April 2025 electric cars will be liable for road tax. Brand new EVs will pay £10 in the first year, and the current yearly rate after this is £190. This could go up with inflation next year though.

Steam vehicles

Steam-powered vehicles are tax-exempt. That’s a bit of pub trivia for you.

Vehicles used for agriculture, horticulture and forestry

This includes tractors and light agricultural vehicles typically used off-road. ‘Limited used’ vehicles which are used for no more than 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) between land occupied by the same person.

Unless those exemptions apply, you must pay for your car tax. It’s easy to do — just head to the dedicated government page and follow the steps. You’ll need your V5C logbook and a V11 reminder if you have one.

Only one exemption applies to car insurance and that’s for SORN vehicles. Declaring a car SORN means you must have it parked on private property — it cannot be left on a public road.

Driving a car on a public road without insurance puts you at risk of a fixed £300 penalty and 6 points on your licence. If the case goes to court, there’s the potential for an unlimited fine and disqualification from driving.

The police also have the power to seize and, in some extreme cases, even destroy your car.

If you need car insurance, your best bet is to use price comparison websites. These can compare offers from various insurers to help you find the best deal for you.

Why is it important to check if a car is insured and taxed?

It is a legal requirement for all cars to be taxed unless you have made a SORN declaration and your car is kept off the road (it can’t be street-parked), and you face a penalty of £1,000 or five times the amount of outstanding tax (whichever is greater). Your car could also be clamped by DVLA agents, with release fees adding to the bill.

Similarly, it is illegal to use a car on a public road without at least having third-party insurance cover. Penalties for uninsured driving include six penalty points and a £300 fine, or you could receive a driving ban and unlimited fine if your case goes to court.

Checking car tax and insurance FAQs

When is my car tax due?

Road tax can be paid on a monthly basis, every six months, or annually. When it is due will obviously depend on these factors, as well as the date you started paying tax. If you choose the annual option and pay, for example, on 21 March, it will be due again 21 March the following year. Do note that paying for the full year saves you a little money: a car with the standard £190 annual rate will cost a total £199.50 if you pay monthly or every six months.

You can use the Government’s online tool to check if a vehicle is taxed, and also see when its tax runs out, and will therefore need renewing.

When is my car insurance due?

As with road tax, car insurance companies typically offer annual and monthly payment options and, again, paying for a full year will typically save you money. Even if you pay monthly your renewal date will typically be annual, meaning the monthly payments will remain fixed for a year. Speak to your insurer to find out when your policy is due for renewal if you are unsure.

Can I tax a car without insurance?

It’s illegal to have a car that’s taxed without insurance. If this is the case, you’ll likely get a warning letter from the Motor Insurance Database warning you before a potential fine from the DVLA.

Is my car insured if it is not taxed?

If you have a policy in place and your car is not taxed, it will technically still be insured — but your insurance company has the right to refuse a payout and potentially cancel your policy.

Can I insure and tax a car on the same day?

There are no set days for you to tax or insure your car. You’re free to do both at once if you wish.

What vehicles are exempt from paying tax?

Some cars are zero-rated for road tax, but you still need to ‘tax’ them, even though this is a purely administrative task that requires no money changing hands.

Electric cars are exempt from road tax until 2025, as are cars emitting under 100g/km of carbon dioxide that were first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017. Cars that are over 40 years old are also exempt, as are cars belonging to people in receipt of certain benefits. Our guide to cars that are exempt from road tax has more information.

What do I need to tax my car?

You will need the car’s registration and the 11-digit reference number from either its V5C logbook or the green ‘new keeper’ slip from this if you’ve just bought the car; or you can use the 16-digit reference number from the V11 reminder letter that you should receive as your tax comes up for renewal.

What do I need to insure my car?

The insurance company will need your name, date of birth, address, occupation and the vehicle registration, plus you’ll need to answer a number of other questions about your life, and driving history.

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