More a WWYD but with legal implications

[NotGeoffVader]

My car has a service plan which means it gets checked over every year. I have just tried to renew my road tax and got it declined as it has no record of my MOT.
Just checked all the service plan info and it doesn't include MOT (I thought it did). Am a fairly new driver but have discovered I have been without MOT for 6+ months.
It's being done now.
What should I do? Keep quiet or 'fess up to the DVLA?
I have no income so a fine is going to sting like hell.

Just get it MOTed.

... and keep quiet.

I'm no expert, but I think driving a car without a valid MOT certificate invalidates your insurance. You need to get this sorted and book it in for its MOT. A service isn't the same as a MOT, all they are doing is checking the car over. I've no idea about the DVLA, I'm hoping someone will know. Please don't drive your car unless it's to the garage.

Car is at the garage being MOT'd now. But as I said, I thought the service plan included it. I must confess I am a bit dim about car-related matters but in recent months have had a lot of stress, and this has only just become apparent.

I guess I can wait for the DVLA to contact me if there is an issue. But looking up on the site it says there is a fine of up to £1000. :(

If I had known the MOT was not included in the service plan I most certainly would not have let it expire.

I have a friend who drove without tax for a considerable length of time. Nothing happened when she taxed it. I would imagine that nothing would happen with an MOT either - they will not know if the car has been driven during the time it was without an MOT.

You've got it done now. Give 48hrs or so for the MOT database to update and then tax the car. It will be fine. Once the MOT has been done, you're back to being legal and your insurance will be valid again.

My brother did this, got it MOT'd and no-one was any the wiser. If you get caught driving on the road, by the police without an MOT and thus invalidate your insurance, you can face a hefty fine and the car can be impounded, so don't drive it anymore without getting the MOT done and get the car taxed.

You may know this, or not, but if you park let alone drive on the public highway and your tax disc has expired, you can receive a ticket. Hope it's all sorted out soon!

Don't worry about. As long as you're getting it MOT'd now, you will be fine. 3x DP has forgot when his MOT was due, most recently being last month when he realised it should have been done in Feb.

Just make sure you set yourself a phone reminder/put on calender etc so you dnt forget nxt year because if you do get caught you will be in trouble and as someone else pointed out it does invalidate your insurance.

Thankyou everyone!

The garage that are doing the MOT issue reminders but I will make sure I put one on my phone anyway. The tax disc is valid 'til the end of the month so no worries on that score. I was trying to be organised, you see....and look at the can of worms I opened for myself.

Annoying particularly because I have today free and was going to go shopping. Shall have to catch the bus now. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

How old is the car? I'm assuming fairly new if comes with a service package. If so, it didn't need doing for 3 years anyway, maybe thats why it wasn't offered?

It's reasonably new - 2004 I think. Good point, I guess that is why it wasn't offered. Stupid me for not checking though.

Just one correction - being without a valid MOT does NOT automatically invalidate your car insurance. The Financial Ombudsman Service will insist that the insurers pay out on any claim unless the incident giving rise to the claim is caused by a fault that would have been picked up by an MOT test. However, in the event of theft or a write off, the value of your car will be adjusted to reflect the lack of an MOT.

2004, means its needed MOT since 2007, so that won't be the reason. But now you have one, the garage will send reminders when its due