Can I Drive?

Author
Discussion

lloydmartin

Original Poster:

44 posts

171 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I've recently renewed my car tax over the phone and have not received the tax disc just yet, I know I have tax, but without a disc can I drive??


Thanks,

Lloyd

Y282

20,566 posts

187 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
i wouldn't without some form of confirmation.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

249 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I believe the offence is 'non display', so technically not. I'm sure someone will confirm.

SteveS Cup

1,996 posts

175 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I always do it online and print off the reciept just in case.

I thought there was a period after the tax runs out that you're ok. If you've got tax you won't ping up any ANPR camera's but if you park it in a public car park then traffic warden may report you.

lloydmartin

Original Poster:

44 posts

171 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I have a confirmation code/letter, do you think that would be enough? I don't really fancy getting a fine.

Thanks,

Lloyd

ADEuk

1,911 posts

251 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
Yes. You cant be done for failing to display something you dont physically have possesion of

Petrolhead_Rich

4,659 posts

207 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
Rawwr said:
I believe the offence is 'non display', so technically not. I'm sure someone will confirm.
This ^^^

Although having moved house and taxing online before swapping V5 over, then not bothering to go back to old house to get tax disc from new owner I can confirm that your chances of getting stopped are pretty minimal as it's all done on ANPR these days!

Just don't do what I did and drive for seven months after you purchased the six month tax disc, as it causes embarrassment when you goto the post office to renew! (Oh and you commit an offence)

Oh and before anyone starts, I was within the limit to back date the tax by 20 days so I did pay in full!


ETA:

while driving an accident damaged Volvo to an MOT prior to taxing it, I can also confirm you get a warning letter if you don't have tax, not that this is relevant to the OP's question, but an interesting fact non-the-less!


anonymous-user

69 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
It is an offence not to display a valid tax disc. However, I'm pretty sure that there is a period of grace now since it was possible to renew online (Providing you've done that). DVLA website will have the answer I expect.

lloydmartin

Original Poster:

44 posts

171 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
Thanks for the quick replies, very helpful, I can now drive my car. Had to ride my Fixie bike up a few big hills for a while, which isn't suitable just before work!

FraserLFA

5,083 posts

189 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I think you get 5 working days from the date of purchase for it to arrive. The Police database should be up to date already, so any problems could be sorted in moments.

jsg612

571 posts

183 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
Sorry to hijack the thread, it's subject related... My tax expires at the end of this month and I received my new 12 months tax disc a few days ago. Can I display the new tax disc yet or do I have to wait until the 31st to change it over? Not really bothered, just curious as to the legalities of this... Thanks!

johnpeat

5,328 posts

280 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
You are required to display a tax disc - failure to do so can result in a fine - that's the legal aspect of it.

When online tax was first launched, the service was slow and this led to people being fined because their discs hadn't arrived. Nevertheless they'd broken the law by failing to display the disc and many had to pay-up.

I believe anarrangement was made whereby offences would be ignored for a SHORT period after the start of the month - where you had proof that you'd paid BEFORE your old tax expired.

So I'd say driving without a disc mid-month is a risk to say the least!

Edited by johnpeat on Tuesday 23 August 21:50


Edited by johnpeat on Tuesday 23 August 21:51

Engineer1

10,486 posts

224 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
The DVLA site always stated 5 days grace to receive the new disc as in theory you could renew your tax on sunday the 31st online, your new tax wouldn't arrive till a few days later but you where taxed. It also says something about this only applying in the situation above, if you are buying new tax i.e. taking something off SORN then it isn't taxed till it has the disc, atleast that was my understanding of it.

johnpeat

5,328 posts

280 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
jsg612 said:
Sorry to hijack the thread, it's subject related... My tax expires at the end of this month and I received my new 12 months tax disc a few days ago. Can I display the new tax disc yet or do I have to wait until the 31st to change it over? Not really bothered, just curious as to the legalities of this... Thanks!
You have to swap it on the 1st of the month - said Plod to me when I was stopped for showing a 'not yet valid' tax disc in my car (a good few years ago).

The fact the old disc was behind it seemed lost on this dimwit who insisted on giving me a pointless lecture which boiled down to him trying to justify why he was wasting both his and my time on nothing whatsoever...

johnpeat

5,328 posts

280 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
Engineer1 said:
The DVLA site always stated 5 days grace to receive the new disc as in theory you could renew your tax on sunday the 31st online, your new tax wouldn't arrive till a few days later but you where taxed. It also says something about this only applying in the situation above, if you are buying new tax i.e. taking something off SORN then it isn't taxed till it has the disc, atleast that was my understanding of it.
This is better put that I managed - you have a grace-period ONLY if you tax before it expires - not if you're coming out of SORN or you've just, plain forgotten and taxed late.

jamesson

3,363 posts

236 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
ADEuk said:
Yes. You cant be done for failing to display something you dont physically have possesion of
How ridiculous. Of course you can be done for it. It is an offence to drive a car on a public road without displaying a valid tax disc. If you couldn't get done for it, everyone who doesn't have a tax disc because they didn't bother to buy one would not be committing that offence.

chunkol

7,703 posts

243 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
lloydmartin said:
I've recently renewed my car tax over the phone and have not received the tax disc just yet, I know I have tax, but without a disc can I drive??


Thanks,

Lloyd
I do this most years. Never had bother yet. I now renew online, leave it far too late as usual, and guess what? Never had a problem. Disk usually arrives within a week after expiry, and I rarely have to park somewhere with wardens or police patrols.

FraserLFA

5,083 posts

189 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
ADEuk said:
Yes. You cant be done for failing to display something you dont physically have possesion of
So if someone hasn't bothered to tax their car, they can't get prosecuted for not displaying a tax disk because they don't own one?

That makes no sense.

66comanche

2,369 posts

174 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
I have my new tax disc but have forgotten to put it in the car so far (today was first time I've used it this month), I might carry on with the outdated disc on show as an experiment just to see if it's picked up on...

ADEuk

1,911 posts

251 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
quotequote all
FraserLFA said:
So if someone hasn't bothered to tax their car, they can't get prosecuted for not displaying a tax disk because they don't own one?

That makes no sense.
Well its true. They get done for driving an unlicenced vehicle, not failure to display.