Motorists could land themselves in a legal quagmire if they make one significant error when buying a new car.
It’s vital that before you jump into your new motor and hit the road, you ensure you have the vehicle’s log book, or V5C. This document is your evidence of being the registered keeper and holds responsibility for registering and taxing the vehicle.
Importantly, without the log book, you can’t tax the vehicle.
The DVLA strongly advises buyers to always request to see the V5C vehicle registration certificate before purchasing a car and to check for a ‘DVL’ watermark. It should also have a serial number that isn’t between BG8229501 to BG9999030, or BI2305501 to BI2800000 – if it doesn’t, the V5C may be stolen.
In addition, you should ensure you receive the green ‘new keeper’ slip from the log book, which allows you to tax and insure the vehicle immediately.
Driving without insurance
It is a legal offence to operate a vehicle on a public road without any form of car insurance. While you don’t have to splash out and buy fully comprehensive insurance, you should at least have third party insurance which is generally the most affordable option.
If you’re caught driving a vehicle without insurance, police have the authority to issue a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points. However, if your case is taken to court you could instead face an unlimited fine and even be disqualified from driving.
The police have the authority to seize an uninsured vehicle, which could potentially lead to its destruction in certain cases.
Road tax
Without a logbook, motorists could be slapped with a hefty fine of up to £2,500 as it would be impossible to tax the purchased vehicle. It’s advised to tax your vehicle immediately after purchase, as driving on UK public roads without valid road tax is a criminal offence, with very few exceptions.
Motorists caught driving an untaxed vehicle could face fines of up to £2,500 depending on the car’s status.
If the DVLA system automatically flags a vehicle as being untaxed but not declared SORN (off the road), the registered keeper of the vehicle will be slapped with an £80 fine.
Alternatively, you could receive an out-of-court settlement letter which includes a £30 fine plus one-and-a-half times the outstanding vehicle tax. If this isn’t paid, it can escalate to a criminal offence and a potential court appearance where you could face a £1,000 fine or five times the amount of tax charged – whichever is higher.
However, if you’re caught driving an untaxed vehicle with a SORN notice in place, you’ll receive an out-of-court settlement letter with a £30 fine plus double the outstanding tax. Failure to pay this could land you in court facing a hefty fine of up to £2,500.
The only occasion when you’re exempt from taxing your car is if you’re driving it to a pre-arranged MOT test. Although there’s no specific limit on the distance you can travel under these conditions, it’s advised not to drive an unreasonable distance or make any detours as this could void your exemption if you’re pulled over by the police.
Prior to purchasing a vehicle, the DVLA recommends carrying out certain checks, such as verifying the details in the log book and comparing them with the information provided by the seller. It’s also possible to check if the vehicle identification number and engine number correspond with those listed in the logbook.
