Lesson
Documents
This category covers the paperwork every driver needs: licence, insurance, MOT and vehicle tax. Questions often test dates and who is responsible.
Key rules to know
- Cars need their first MOT when they are 3 years old, then every year after that.
- The legal minimum insurance is third party. Fully comprehensive covers damage to your own car as well.
- You must tell DVLA when you change your address, and update the V5C (log book) when you buy or sell a car.
- A learner must display L plates (or D plates in Wales) and be supervised by someone aged 21 or over who has held a full licence for that type of vehicle for 3 years.
How it applies on the road
You buy a used car
You must tax it before driving it — tax does not transfer from the previous owner. You also need your own insurance in place.
Your MOT has expired
You can only drive the car to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage for repairs needed to pass.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the seller's vehicle tax carries over.
- Thinking an MOT certificate proves a car is roadworthy for the whole year — you are always responsible for its condition.
Official sources
Content written and reviewed by Rob Cordina. Last reviewed: October 2026. Our practice questions are original, written from the Highway Code — they are not official DVSA questions. Always check the latest Highway Code.