To report a car with no MOT, contact the police, because MOT enforcement is a police matter. In Greater Manchester, use the Greater Manchester Police online form for reporting a vehicle without an MOT, or call 101. To report a car with no tax, or a SORN car parked on the street, use the DVLA’s anonymous online form at gov.uk. An abandoned car goes to your local council. In every case the car has to be on a public road. A car on a private drive isn’t something the police or the DVLA will act on from a report.
Most people only look this up after a car has sat outside their house for months: flat tyres, a green film on the windows, and a residents’ parking space nobody else can use. We collect cars all over Greater Manchester, and we see both sides of this, the neighbours who want the car gone and the owners who didn’t realise how quickly the penalties stack up. This guide covers who to report to, what they need from you, what happens next, and what to do if the reported car turns out to be yours.
Quick answer: who to report to
- No MOT, on a public road: the police. GMP online form or 101.
- No tax, or SORN but parked on the road: the DVLA, online and anonymous.
- Abandoned (damaged, burnt out, not moved for weeks): your local council.
- Being driven with no insurance, or causing danger: the police. Call 101, or 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
- On private land or a driveway: the landowner, or the council if it’s abandoned. The DVLA and the police generally won’t act on a report.
Step 1: Check the car before you report it
It takes about 20 seconds and saves you making a report that goes nowhere. Enter the registration on the free gov.uk vehicle check. It shows:
- whether the car is taxed, untaxed or SORN
- when the MOT runs out, or ran out
- the make, colour and year, so you can confirm it’s the right car
A few things that often look suspicious but are perfectly legal:
- Newer cars don’t need an MOT until they’re three years old, so “no MOT” on a two-year-old car is normal.
- Some older vehicles are exempt. Many cars over 40 years old registered as historic don’t need an MOT.
- A car can be taxed with an expired MOT. Tax paid before the MOT ran out stays in place until it’s due again. So “taxed” doesn’t always mean “legal to drive”.
- Not driven for weeks doesn’t mean illegal. If it’s taxed, has an MOT and is parked legally, there’s nothing to report, however long it sits there.
How to report a car with no MOT in Greater Manchester
An MOT is a police matter, not a DVLA one, so the DVLA’s online form isn’t the place for it. Greater Manchester Police has its own form for this.
- Go to the GMP “Report a vehicle without an MOT certificate” page.
- Have these details ready: the registration number, make, model, colour, and exactly where the car is, including the street name and nearest house number or landmark.
- Add your name and contact details. The form asks for them.
- Submit it. You’ll get a reference.
Two limits to know about:
- The car must be on a public road, either being driven or parked. GMP’s form is clear that it only covers vehicles being used on a public road.
- It isn’t anonymous. If you don’t want to give your name, the force points you to Crimestoppers, which takes reports anonymously. You can call them on 0800 555 111 or use their website.
Outside Greater Manchester, most police forces have the same form on their own websites, or you can call 101.
Seen it being driven?
If you’ve seen the car being driven, say so in the report, along with when and where. A car parked with no MOT is an offence. One being driven without an MOT, and often without insurance, is taken more seriously. If it’s being driven dangerously right now, call 999.
How to report an untaxed car or a SORN car on the road
Tax is the DVLA’s job, and its reporting route is quick and anonymous.
- Confirm it’s untaxed or SORN using the vehicle check above.
- Go to gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle.
- Enter the registration, make and colour, and the location.
- Submit. You don’t need to give your name.
A SORN car on the road goes through the same form. A SORN means the owner has told the DVLA the car is off the road, so it isn’t allowed to be parked on a public street at all. We explain the SORN rules in our guide on how to SORN a car.
If a car has no tax and no MOT, report it to both: the DVLA for the tax and the police for the MOT. They’re separate systems, and they don’t automatically pass reports to each other.
How to report an abandoned car
“Abandoned” is a council matter, and it’s a different thing from untaxed. A car is more likely to be treated as abandoned if it’s badly damaged or burnt out, missing wheels or number plates, full of rubbish, or hasn’t moved for weeks and has no tax.
Use gov.uk/report-abandoned-vehicle. Enter the postcode and you’ll be sent to the right council, whether that’s Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Wigan or one of the others. For the full process, including what councils can and can’t do, see our guide on what to do about an abandoned car. If the car is on land you own or manage, read abandoned cars on private property.
It’s often worth reporting an abandoned car to the council and to the DVLA if it’s untaxed. Whichever acts first, the car usually gets dealt with sooner.
What happens after you report it?
Untaxed or SORN car (DVLA)
DVLA enforcement officers check the car and, if it’s on a public road without tax, they can clamp it and put a warning notice on it. To get the clamp off, the owner has to tax the car and pay a release fee. If nobody does, the car can be towed to a pound, where storage charges build up daily. Unclaimed cars can eventually be disposed of. The fees are listed on the gov.uk clamped vehicle page.
On top of that, the keeper faces the DVLA’s tax penalties. They start with an automatic £80 for an untaxed car with no SORN, and go much higher if it’s caught on a public road. We set out the full DVLA penalty table in our SORN guide.
No MOT (police)
The police check the vehicle’s records and decide what action to take. That can range from a warning to the keeper up to a fine. Driving or keeping a car on the road without a valid MOT can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
You probably won’t hear back
Neither the DVLA nor the police usually update the person who made the report, partly to protect the owner’s privacy. The first sign anything has happened is often a clamp or a notice on the car.
Reported it and the car’s still there?
- It may have been taxed since. Run the vehicle check again.
- It may be on land that isn’t a public road, such as some car parks, private roads, forecourts or grass verges. The DVLA and police can’t act there.
- Enforcement takes time, especially for a parked car that isn’t causing a danger.
- Report to the other body too. If you’ve only told the DVLA, tell the police, or the council if it looks abandoned, and the other way round.
What if it’s your car that’s been reported?
If you’ve come home to a clamp, a council sticker or a police notice, act quickly, because the costs only go one way. Your options:
- Keep it and make it legal: get an MOT (you can drive it to a pre-booked test), insure it, and tax it. Our guide to driving without an MOT explains exactly which journeys are allowed.
- Keep it but take it off the road: move it onto a drive or private land and declare a SORN. Moving a SORN car back onto the street isn’t allowed.
- Let it go: if the car isn’t worth an MOT and repairs, scrap it. Scrap value is based on weight and metal, not on tax or MOT status, and a licensed scrap facility closes the DVLA record and triggers any tax refund. We’ll collect it from the street or your drive, as long as it hasn’t been clamped. A clamped car has to be released by the DVLA before anyone can move it.
Sometimes a car sits untaxed because the owner has died or moved into care, and the family haven’t got to it yet. If that’s your situation, our guide on what to do with a deceased person’s car covers the DVLA side gently and step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Can I report a car with no MOT anonymously?
Not through the Greater Manchester Police form, which asks for your name and contact details. If you’d rather stay anonymous, report it through Crimestoppers instead. Reports of untaxed cars to the DVLA are anonymous.
Who do I report a car with no tax to?
The DVLA, using the online form at gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle. You need the registration, make, colour and location. You don’t have to give your name.
Can I report a car with no MOT that’s just parked on the road?
Yes. A car needs a valid MOT to be kept on a public road, not only to be driven, so a parked car with an expired MOT can be reported to the police.
Can I report a car with no MOT or tax on someone’s driveway?
Generally not, because a driveway is private land. The DVLA’s own records will still flag a car that’s untaxed and not SORN, and the keeper can get an automatic penalty, wherever the car is parked.
Will the owner find out who reported their car?
DVLA reports are anonymous, so the owner can’t be told who made them. Police reports are handled confidentially. If you’re worried, use Crimestoppers, which never asks for your identity.
Can a car be taxed but have no MOT?
Yes. If the tax was paid before the MOT ran out, the tax stays valid until it’s next due. The car still can’t legally be driven or kept on the road without a valid MOT, apart from the journeys allowed to a pre-booked test or for repairs.
How long does the DVLA take to act on a report?
There’s no fixed timescale, and you won’t usually get an update. Run the vehicle check again after a few weeks. If the car is still untaxed and on the road, report it again and consider telling the council if it looks abandoned.
Car of your own sitting untaxed in Greater Manchester?
If it’s been parked up for months, the MOT has gone and the repairs aren’t worth it, let us take it before the penalties and fees build up. Get an instant scrap car quote. We collect free from anywhere in Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Rochdale, Wigan and the rest of Greater Manchester, including cars that won’t start. Payment goes to your bank on the day, and we deal with the DVLA paperwork and Certificate of Destruction. Call us on 07432 675878.
This guide reflects DVLA, gov.uk and Greater Manchester Police guidance as of October 2026. It’s general guidance, not legal advice.
