New Road Tax Laws

If you've sold/scrapped/exported your car it is your responsibility to tell the DVLA or you could face a fine of £80.

In the past, the only way that you could be fined for not having any tax, was by a policeman who saw that you were not displaying an up to date tax disc. The government has now introduced a new scheme that searches a database for cars which do not currently have any tax.

The owners of these cars are then issued with £80 fines and could face further fines if no action is taken. Even if you don't use your car on the roads you could still pay a fine unless you have declared your car off the road with a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification).

This new law also applies if you have sold or scrapped your car, it is YOUR responsibility to inform the DVLA of the change of ownership, or you could be the one getting a fine in the post.

It should also be noted that just because you don't use your car, it doesn't mean that you don't need tax for it. If it is kept on a public road (i.e. down your street) it requires tax regardless of whether you use it or not.

So make sure that you've filled in the relevant part of the ownership form and sent it of or you could be receiving a nasty surprise from the DVLA soon.

Date - 15/09/2006