Riding on road with no road tax for two years!?

terencechung122

Oh my word. It sounded silly for most people but I have just noticed that I need road tax on my 50cc scooter to be road legal after two years of riding on it on a L plate with road tax possibly expired 1.5year ago.

I have been stopped by police twice but did not have any problem so I assumed at the time that my bike is running legally. I have always had insurance on it for the time being and I really didn't mean to evade tax as it is so cheap anyway (£15) but I simply didn't know I need tax on it. I moved house twice after I have bought the vehicle and have not change the address so I have not received a tax renewal notice. I have just had it MOTed and my insurance renewed and I am about to get it taxed but I heard that I can get a huge fine. What are the consequence and what can I do to get it road legal again with the least trouble?

Advice and opinions are much appreciated!

spiro

Have you changed the address on your driving licence?

My advice, based on having no car tax for over a month, is to tax it NOW and then phone the local DVLA office and ask what the back tax is. Then send them a cheque for that amount. If you are lucky that will be the end of it. If not there could be penalties for (a) no road tax and (b) failure to advise of address change.

crazyguy

Think yourself lucky you got away with it as your insurance would have probably be invalid with no tax, just get it done asap !

Trebor16

spiro wrote: »

Have you changed the address on your driving licence?

My advice, based on having no car tax for over a month, is to tax it NOW and then phone the local DVLA office and ask what the back tax is. Then send them a cheque for that amount. If you are lucky that will be the end of it. If not there could be penalties for (a) no road tax and (b) failure to advise of address change.

.

I would tax it but I wouldn't bother letting the local DVLA office know. But having taxed it it might be the case that DVLA would then get in touch with you and say that "fines" have been issued.

Of course, you could phone them up, don't give them your name or phone number, and tell them the situation and ask them what they would do.

Trebor16

crazyguy wrote: »

Think yourself lucky you got away with it as your insurance would have probably be invalid with no tax, just get it done asap !

Your insurance would not be invalidated because the road tax has run out.

crazyguy

Trebor16 wrote: »

Your insurance would not be invalidated because the road tax has run out.

Apparently, the penalties are covered by Section 31A of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1993 (Amended 2003).

Woody._2

terencechung122 wrote: »

Oh my word. It sounded silly for most people but I have just noticed that I need road tax on my 50cc scooter to be road legal after two years of riding on it on a L plate with road tax possibly expired 1.5year ago.

I have been stopped by police twice but did not have any problem so I assumed at the time that my bike is running legally. I have always had insurance on it for the time being and I really didn't mean to evade tax as it is so cheap anyway (£15) but I simply didn't know I need tax on it. I moved house twice after I have bought the vehicle and have not change the address so I have not received a tax renewal notice. I have just had it MOTed and my insurance renewed and I am about to get it taxed but I heard that I can get a huge fine. What are the consequence and what can I do to get it road legal again with the least trouble?

Advice and opinions are much appreciated!

Do you have a full licence? If not is your CBT still valid?

[Deleted User]

£16 a year now for moped tax.

Got an MOT also?

paddedjohn

As said above, your insurance cant be invalidated for lack of road tax, or mot for that matter.
I would just go and tax it and hope for the best that the dvla dont come a calling, if they do try telling them that you sorned the bike and its not your fault if they didnt receive the paperwork, if you do have to pay any back tax its only £16/year but i dont know how much the fine could be.

Trebor16

crazyguy wrote: »

Apparently, the penalties are covered by Section 31A of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1993 (Amended 2003).

But only in relation to the road tax issues, not insurance. Section 31C details the penalties, whereas 31A details the offence.

HappyMJ

If they ask for back tax it won't be much if it's only £15/£16 a year. They could give you a penalty for not taxing it. They may already have at a previous address but it's not a fine. Even then the penalty is not large and can be appealed if you advised them of change of address and they did not update their records.