Can I Tax a Car with Temporary Insurance?

Ensuring your car is legally allowed on the road is essential. There are many things drivers need to consider to ensure their vehicle is road legal, including the road tax.

What Is Road Tax?

Road tax must be paid for cars to be used and parked in the UK on public roads. Also known as vehicle excise duty, road tax can be paid monthly, bi-annually, or annually.

The road tax cost will be determined by the vehicle you drive. Cars with lower CO2 emissions are less expensive to tax, and some cars are even exempt from paying road tax, including;

• Electric vehicles
• Vehicles owned and operated by disabled people.
• Vehicles used to provide transport for disabled people
• Historic vehicles built before 1978

Vehicles exempt from road tax charges still have to get road tax; it is just free to do this.

Where do I Tax my Car?

You can buy or renew road tax for your car by phone, at your local Post Office, or by visiting the government website and following the prompts.

What Is Needed To Get Road Tax?

You will need a valid insurance policy to tax your car and for the car to be MOT’d.

To tax the car online, you will need a V11 reminder, the V5C with an eleven-digit reference number, or the new keeper slip with the twelve-digit reference number.

If you are taxing your car over the phone, you will need the information on your V5C or new keeper slip.

For taxing your vehicle in a Post Office, you will need either the new keeper slip, V5C, or V62. You should also take an MOT test certificate, proof of address, and photo ID.

Can I Tax A Car With Temporary Insurance?

You will be able to tax a vehicle with short-term car insurance, and the vehicle does need to be insured to tax it initially.

What Is Temporary Car Insurance?

A temporary car insurance policy provides drivers with an excellent way to ensure they can legally drive their vehicle with adequate cover as and when needed. It will also help drivers who don’t regularly drive save money by not paying annual premiums.

There are many examples of temporary car insurance policies that can be taken out to suit different needs, including:

One day/week insurance

Short-term daily or weekly insurance policies can be taken out for as little as a day or a week. One-day car insurance is an excellent option for people transporting or looking after vehicles for a short period. A weekly or one-day car insurance policy allows them to use the car during this time without the expense of a longer policy.

Monthly car insurance

Monthly car insurance is an excellent temporary cover option available to people who might be using a vehicle for a longer period but still won’t benefit from an annual policy.

Young drivers’ temporary car insurance

Passing a driving test can be an exciting time, but being able to afford a car and new driver insurance can be challenging. The young driver temporary car insurance policies available at GoShorty allow young drivers the freedom of temporarily using someone else’s car.

Temporary student car insurance

Students coming home during the holidays won’t need an annual car insurance policy as they won’t be able to use their parents’ car when they are away. Temporary student car insurance is an excellent option that can be tailored to suit their return over the holidays.

FAQs

Can a car be taxed before getting insurance?

A car cannot be taxed in the UK without a valid insurance policy in place. The Government and DVLA will be able to check that you have a valid insurance policy in place for the vehicle, so you will not need the documents to hand when you are taxing the vehicle.

What are the penalties for driving with no tax?

Even vehicles that are exempt from paying road tax in the UK still need to register for it. Vehicles that have not been taxed could face a fine of £80, and if the fine is paid within 28 days, this is reduced to £40.

If the case is taken to court, the maximum fine you could receive is five times the value of the vehicle’s road tax or £1,000.

Driving without road tax will also invalidate your insurance policy. Driving without a valid insurance policy can also lead to a fine of £300 and 6 penalty points being added to your licence.

If the case of driving without insurance makes its way to court, drivers face a ban on driving and an unlimited fine.

Why would I not need car tax?

Motorists must know that all vehicles must be taxed, even those exempt from paying a charge for it.

The only way your car would not need to be taxed is if it has been legally declared off the road. This can be done by making a SORN.

A SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification) can be declared by phone, post, or online, and you will need to provide either the V11 tax disc renewal letter’s 16-digit number or the V5C logbook’s 11-digit number.

If you declare SORN by post, you will be able to complete and send the V890 to the DVLA.

After registering a SORN, the vehicle will have to be kept off public roads, even if it is not being driven and stored on private property.

After a SORN declaration is made, the vehicle will have to be kept off the road indefinitely. If you plan to put it back on the road, you will need to pay road tax to make it road legal.

Final Thoughts

Short-term cover is an excellent way to reduce the costs of running a car for people who don’t use it daily. Being able to tax your vehicle with temporary insurance cover in place gives motorists more freedom.

Ensuring your vehicle is road legal and you have a valid insurance policy is essential. Thankfully our short-term insurance policies and the convenience of being able to tax your vehicle online make it easy.