What documents do you need to carry in your car?

[larrylamb11]

Wondering if there is a legal requirement or other statute about which documents you should carry with you relating to you and the car?

Driving Licence (photocard)?
Driving Licence (paper counterpart)?

Vehicle reg doc. (V5)?
Vehicle MOT?
Insurance certificate?

.....should one carry all these? or only some?

[plotloss]

None, thats what a producer is for...

[ohopkins]

None of them, then they cannot be stolen and used in identity fraud against you and your car.

[docevi1]

I've heard that a Policeman doesn't want to see them at the roadside as it causes more work to be done.

Your car must have a Tax disc displayed and thats it (of course validate MOT & insurance).

I carry my car Driving licence for ID purposes but leave the paper version at home.

[Whoozit]

I've also been told that you shouldn't hand over your license if asked to do so when you've been stopped for speeding, as you could then be considered to be surrendering your license.

It sounds a little far fetched, can our resident BiB confirm or deny?

[xxplod]

Best advice is do not leave anything actually in the car, esp. insurance, MOTs and the service history. All very useful to tea leaves.

[larrylamb11]

So if you leave nothing in the car, what do you do after an accident? I can never remember who i am insured with, do you just take name and address and forward details?
I thought you had to supply your insurance details if asked?

How is it more work for BiB if you have your docs with you at the roadside and they pull you for an impromptu inspection? Surely it would be less, as they can see in an instant that everything is in order.........

[will crash]

You are required to carry your driving licence,insurance and MOT (if applicable)in the car. However as this is not practical, the Police will issue you with a HO/RT1 to produce these (and other documents including road tax) at a Police Station within 7 days.
The Police can actually issue a summons for non production of these documents at the road side, but I have never seen this. The producer is basically a defence for the driver, by allowing a seven day period of grace to produce these docs.

[plotloss]

As long as you supply contact details everything else can be sorted later.

[RichB]

will crash said:

You are required to carry your driving licence,insurance and MOT (if applicable)in the car..

But no one does...

[will crash]

Not many people carry their docs in the car, hence we tend to use the DVLA licence checker and Insurance database. Using these two fab bits of kit catches out loads of non licence holders and loads of non insurance holders. This tends to negate the use of the producer.
Used cunningly the producer can be good evidence of false names and address for a later charge of police Obstruction.

[larrylamb11]

will crash said:

You are required to carry your driving licence,insurance and MOT (if applicable)in the car.

Required by whom? Is it written in law? If so, who has the power to demand to see them, just the BiB?

[KITT]

Whoozit said:

I've also been told that you shouldn't hand over your license if asked to do so when you've been stopped for speeding, as you could then be considered to be surrendering your license. It sounds a little far fetched, can our resident BiB confirm or deny?

I too have heard this, especially if you've already got points on it. Any BiB care to comment?

[john_p]

larrylamb11 said:

Required by whom? Is it written in law? If so, who has the power to demand to see them, just the BiB?

s164/165 Road Traffic Act
www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880052_en_8.htm#mdiv165

"a person driving a motor vehicle .. on a road .. must, on being so required by a constable, give his name and address and the name and address of the owner of the vehicle and produce the following documents for examination. [licence/insurance/etc]"

[larrylamb11]

Thank you.
So it is 'the law' to produce on request your driving licence, vehicle insurance certificate and vehicle MOT by the roadside if you are asked...... unless you dont have them - in which case a handy get-out says you have 7 days to show them at a cop-shop of your choosing......
OK, i think that makes things clearer. So i dont NEED to carry anything around according to the law.

[lanciachris]

no, you dont absolutely need to, but it saves the trip to your local police station to present them.

[Pigeon]

will crash said:

You are required to carry your driving licence,insurance and MOT (if applicable)in the car. However as this is not practical, the Police will issue you with a HO/RT1 to produce these (and other documents including road tax) at a Police Station within 7 days.

So if the producer system includes road tax as well as the licence/insurance/MoT, why do we still have to display this silly disc which gets nicked out of open cars and bikes? Surely that's just as "not practical"?

(I never carry documents on the bike - nowhere to put them except my pockets, and pieces of paper in my pockets disintegrate quite rapidly.)

[towman]

xxplod said:

Best advice is do not leave anything actually in the car, esp. insurance, MOTs and the service history. All very useful to tea leaves.

Sound advice. Mine went one night a few weeks back - now have hassle to get copies of MOT.

Steve

[DRV112]

In practice you don't really need to carry anything, that is what HORT1's are for, but if you get a really nasty bib like I did on the M55 they can detain you until they are satisfied that everything is in order i.e your identity, the car ect..
So it is usually a good idea to have some form of ID on you, credit card ect..
4 bloody hours in a cell in the middle of Blackpool.