Test Drive an untaxed car

[Polyethyl]

I have an appointment with a used car business to go and test drive a 2nd hand car. The car isn't taxed. When I asked about this the salesman said it was for me to tax the car once I've bought it. So how do you test drive it then? I've googled and it says its a £1,000 fine. And that there's no scheme for just paying tax for a single day.
This is the first time I'm buying a car. How does this normally work?

They should be taxing the car. If it's not taxed, it has to be SORN'd which means it's officially off the road. Tell them it's against the law to test drive an untaxed car even for a few minutes.

is this covered by using trade plates?

My car was driven to the dealer untaxed and unregistered.

If it’s a garage then they will have ‘test plates’ that they will be able to use but not sure how it would work for a private seller. Because the tax is now with the owner and not the car these days, it’s very unlikely that any used cars at a garage would gave tax.

They would use trade plates if it was a business which would cover this surely

They’ll put red trade plates in the car while you’re test driving.

They'll put trade plates on for the test drive but it will need to be taxed before you drive it home if you buy it. If I recall rightly, last time I bought a car from a dealer they did it for me and it was included in the final price but it was a while ago so I may have misremembered.

The last time I test drove a used car, the dealership put trade plates on it.

Yes, when you test drive the car you will notice that they have red number plates on, you may have seen these in the past on other cars which means a garage owns them. You will tax the car yourself at the garage before you leave if you buy it, which will probably be in a few days as they will have to get it ready for you and you will sort out your insurance in the meantime

Trade plates will cover the test drive. Tax used to move with the vehicle, now it doesn't. So you have to tax it when you buy it, before you drive away. Sounds like the salesman misunderstood what you were asking and thought you were asking if the car came with any tax on it, like the old system

thank you. I've phoned him back and I'm pleased to say that what he said matches what you all said.

Hopefully it will be lovely, enjoy your new car OP

If its a motor trader, they should have trade plates to cover themselves. They if they don't, I would walk away because changes are they are rogue traders

Relatives own a car dealership, as others said, and I'm glad the dealer confirmed, they use trade plates.

Fines would apply if test driving a car for private sale that wasn't taxed- someone selling a car from their driveway for example.

Its fairly common to test drive cars with no tax; as others have said the tax is with the registered keeper of the car not with the car itself. This will all be covered by the garage - as will the insurance when you are test driving the car. They will either tax it for you before handing it over or give you the V5 which you can use to tax the car online. As long as you have insurance, MOT and tax when you pick up the car it is fine