Expired car tax, cautioned by police, help !

jimpix12

Hi all. I (stupidly) didn't renew my car tax which expired 31st Dec and was pulled over by the police yesterday. They cautioned me and said the DVLA will contact me in due course with a fine. I've now got new tax.

I'm new to all this so wondered what a verbal caution was - from what I can garner it was a 'simple caution', but I'm not sure if that means I have to declare it on employment forms when they ask for CONVICTIONS and/or CAUTIONS. I've read on Wikipedia that a simple caution will be stored on the police database for 2 years, but I don't even know if this constitues as a simple caution, as I didn't sign anything. They did the whole "anything you do say will be given in evidence" thing. Does anyone know if I have to 'declare' this (I'd hope not but nowadays who knows.........).

Kaz2904

I would say yes. I would think you have to declare it oninsurance and anything else you're asked about.
Not being funny but surely you knew your tax was due out and what the consequences could be?

Enfieldian

No you don't.

This is a totally different type of caution.

Cautions that have to be declared are the ones given at a Police Station, usually by an Inspector or higher.

Hintza

Think you have escaped. The police could have fined you and then the DVLA could have fined you again. I think you will only now receive a small £40(?) fine. You might be very luck and escape both.

Keep fingers crossed and don't worry at this stage. Good luck.

Happychappy

spunko2010 wrote: »

Hi all. I (stupidly) didn't renew my car tax which expired 31st Dec and was pulled over by the police yesterday. They cautioned me and said the DVLA will contact me in due course with a fine. I've now got new tax.

I'm new to all this so wondered what a verbal caution was - from what I can garner it was a 'simple caution', but I'm not sure if that means I have to declare it on employment forms when they ask for CONVICTIONS and/or CAUTIONS. I've read on Wikipedia that a simple caution will be stored on the police database for 2 years, but I don't even know if this constitues as a simple caution, as I didn't sign anything. They did the whole "anything you do say will be given in evidence" thing. Does anyone know if I have to 'declare' this (I'd hope not but nowadays who knows.........).

Hi,

The police do NOT prosecute for the offence of having no vehicle excise licence, the authority to prosecute comes solely from the DVLA, all the police do is submit a form to the dvla to inform them the vehicle was on the road on a time and date and who the driver/owner was.

The police officer in his/her wording of cautioning you, was for the offence of failing to display a VEL which the police can issue a fixed penalty for, but as I say, cannot prosecute for the not having. Normally police do not issue tickets for failing to display as it is a bit of two bites of a cherry as the DVLA will fine you, normaally around £80 for the not having a current tax disc.

You do NOT need to declare the caution for failing to display. DVLA will write to you and deal with the not having part through a fine.

madnlooney

i thought the DVLA now issue the fine automatical if tax isnt renewed or declared off the road

pompeyrich

madnlooney wrote: »

i thought the DVLA now issue the fine automatical if tax isnt renewed or declared off the road

They do but not straight away, i would guess, to avoid applications that may be genuinely in the post or delayed in the system. Mine arrived a couple of months after the expiry date, £80 penalty, reduced to £40 if within 28 days and also the 2 months back tax had to be paid too.

BDZ

The caution you got at the roadside is just a caution police use when pointing out an offence to you, it informs you of your rights and means that you reply is admissible in evidence.

This is NOT the same as a police caution of the type you have to declare along with convictions. That kind of caution is given to you by a police inspector when you have (usually) been arrested over a criminal matter but you are a juvenile/have no previous convictions/ or it is a very low-level offence.

You do not have to declare your road tax issue on any future paperwork, so don't worry

The fine for non-payment of road tax is up to 5 times the amount of tax you owe, though it is often less.

spiro

As your new disc runs straight on from the old one the DVLA are unlikely to do anything. I missed my renewal (due 1/1/xx) and didn't buy the tax until Feb so Jan was 'missing'. I phone the local DVLA office who calculated the amount of 'missing' tax and hold me to send a cheque for the amount with my reg to the local office and that was it.