Guide
Can I sell a car without MOT
Wondering if you can sell a car without an MOT? The answer is yes, but there are few things you should keep in mind before advertising the car…
Words by: Nimisha Jain
Published on 15 April 2025 | 0 min read
Yes, in some scenarios, you can sell a car without an MOT certificate:
• if you’ve declared your car as SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), • if your car is a classic car that was built or registered more than 40 years ago, • or if you’ve listed the car advert while you’re waiting for your pre-arranged MOT appointment with a test centre. Unless you’re driving your car without an MOT for your pre-arranged MOT appointment, the only way you could lawfully move a vehicle without an MOT is on a trailer or recovery vehicle so that all four wheels are off the ground. If you’re thinking of selling your SORN car, the car will need to be towed to the buyer as that’s the only way to move the car without an MOT certificate. Unless you’re selling a classic car more than 40 years old or a SORN car, we recommend getting an MOT certificate before selling the car. If you’ve lost or damaged the MOT certificate, you can apply on Gov.uk for a replacement. It costs £10 to replace the certificate but it can go a long way in helping you sell your car. You can be fined £1,000 if you’re caught driving without an MOT so it’s best to get an MOT for your car as soon as possible.
• if you’ve declared your car as SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), • if your car is a classic car that was built or registered more than 40 years ago, • or if you’ve listed the car advert while you’re waiting for your pre-arranged MOT appointment with a test centre. Unless you’re driving your car without an MOT for your pre-arranged MOT appointment, the only way you could lawfully move a vehicle without an MOT is on a trailer or recovery vehicle so that all four wheels are off the ground. If you’re thinking of selling your SORN car, the car will need to be towed to the buyer as that’s the only way to move the car without an MOT certificate. Unless you’re selling a classic car more than 40 years old or a SORN car, we recommend getting an MOT certificate before selling the car. If you’ve lost or damaged the MOT certificate, you can apply on Gov.uk for a replacement. It costs £10 to replace the certificate but it can go a long way in helping you sell your car. You can be fined £1,000 if you’re caught driving without an MOT so it’s best to get an MOT for your car as soon as possible.
What is an MOT?
All cars in the UK are legally required to get an annual MOT test once your car is three years old.
Having an MOT certificate proves that your car is roadworthy and meets the environmental standards to potential buyers. MOT tests are carried out by approved and qualified nominated testers. The test helps find any defects with the car and categorises it into ‘Dangerous’, ‘Major’, ‘Minor’ and ‘Advisory’. You get a ‘Pass’ if the test doesn’t find any defects with the car. After you’ve got your result, you can get any issues fixed at the test centre or a garage before selling your car.
Having an MOT certificate proves that your car is roadworthy and meets the environmental standards to potential buyers. MOT tests are carried out by approved and qualified nominated testers. The test helps find any defects with the car and categorises it into ‘Dangerous’, ‘Major’, ‘Minor’ and ‘Advisory’. You get a ‘Pass’ if the test doesn’t find any defects with the car. After you’ve got your result, you can get any issues fixed at the test centre or a garage before selling your car.
Selling a car without an MOT
If you’re selling a classic car, you should be okay as you’re legally allowed to drive cars more than 40 years old without an MOT.
If you’re selling a SORN car, you should be fully honest about the car’s status in the car advert. You may have to be more patient to sell a car without an MOT. Buyers will usually prefer buying a car that’s mechanically sound and comes with all the paperwork unless they’re looking for a new project to work on or are looking for car parts. Once you manage to sell the car, either you or the buyer will have to arrange for the car to be towed to the buyer as it can’t be on the road until it’s got the proper MOT, tax and insurance in place. All these factors can make the car selling process longer and you may get potential buyers haggling for a lower price. Once you sell the car, you should notify the DVLA about the sale so that they can update your driving records and cancel the SORN. Learn more about what to do after selling your car.
If you’re selling a SORN car, you should be fully honest about the car’s status in the car advert. You may have to be more patient to sell a car without an MOT. Buyers will usually prefer buying a car that’s mechanically sound and comes with all the paperwork unless they’re looking for a new project to work on or are looking for car parts. Once you manage to sell the car, either you or the buyer will have to arrange for the car to be towed to the buyer as it can’t be on the road until it’s got the proper MOT, tax and insurance in place. All these factors can make the car selling process longer and you may get potential buyers haggling for a lower price. Once you sell the car, you should notify the DVLA about the sale so that they can update your driving records and cancel the SORN. Learn more about what to do after selling your car.
What to do if my car has no MOT?
If you’re looking to get rid of your car that doesn’t have an MOT, there are a few options:
1. Sell the car You can advertise the car on Auto Trader and hope for the best. If your car is a popular make and model, you may have a higher chance of getting potential buyers. Remember: you should be fully honest about the car’s MOT status in the advert. It’s very easy for the buyer to check the car’s MOT status on gov.uk so you should disclose every detail about the car so that you’re able to attract the right buyers. 2. Part exchange the car If you’re looking to replace the old car with another one, you can try to part exchange the car to get a discount on the price of the new one. Again, you’ll have to disclose the SORN status of the car to the dealer, and them to arrange the collection of the car. 3. Auction the car If you want to make a quick buck, you can auction the car on Auto Trader. Using your car’s registration and mileage, you can get a valuation of your car based on market data. Once you have the valuation, you can create a car profile by providing us with some basic information about your car. Once your profile is ready, we will bud the car to our network of over 5,000 verified dealers. Instead of managing adverts, inquiries, and viewings yourself, our team of experts will handle the entire auction process for you. The dealers will compete against each other by placing bids, and you won’t need to handle any negotiations. After the auction, we’ll tell you about your highest bid and you can decide whether you want to accept or not. Once the sale is confirmed, the winning dealer will collect the car directly from you at no extra cost. 4. Scrap the car If your car’s at the end of its life, you may be best off scrapping it. You can contact an authorised treatment facility (ATF) and ask them to collect the car from you. The ATF will pay you the scrap value of your vehicle – this may not be as much as you could make from a private sale, but it can be a good option if you need to get rid of the car immediately. Once your car has been scrapped, you’ll receive a ‘certificate of destruction’ within seven days.
1. Sell the car You can advertise the car on Auto Trader and hope for the best. If your car is a popular make and model, you may have a higher chance of getting potential buyers. Remember: you should be fully honest about the car’s MOT status in the advert. It’s very easy for the buyer to check the car’s MOT status on gov.uk so you should disclose every detail about the car so that you’re able to attract the right buyers. 2. Part exchange the car If you’re looking to replace the old car with another one, you can try to part exchange the car to get a discount on the price of the new one. Again, you’ll have to disclose the SORN status of the car to the dealer, and them to arrange the collection of the car. 3. Auction the car If you want to make a quick buck, you can auction the car on Auto Trader. Using your car’s registration and mileage, you can get a valuation of your car based on market data. Once you have the valuation, you can create a car profile by providing us with some basic information about your car. Once your profile is ready, we will bud the car to our network of over 5,000 verified dealers. Instead of managing adverts, inquiries, and viewings yourself, our team of experts will handle the entire auction process for you. The dealers will compete against each other by placing bids, and you won’t need to handle any negotiations. After the auction, we’ll tell you about your highest bid and you can decide whether you want to accept or not. Once the sale is confirmed, the winning dealer will collect the car directly from you at no extra cost. 4. Scrap the car If your car’s at the end of its life, you may be best off scrapping it. You can contact an authorised treatment facility (ATF) and ask them to collect the car from you. The ATF will pay you the scrap value of your vehicle – this may not be as much as you could make from a private sale, but it can be a good option if you need to get rid of the car immediately. Once your car has been scrapped, you’ll receive a ‘certificate of destruction’ within seven days.