Car Tax

DonkeyKong77

the whole garage issue confused me too - the insurance company suggested it, and they may have assumed i was buying it from new, i honestly don't know why.

My last resort was to go to a local dvla office, but when i rang the number (after what seemed like 10mins of automated messages!) i'm back at square one, the person said the office could accept a cover notice, but only if it is not faxed, i.e. posted to me.

Though he also said the post office could accept a cover notice, rather than a certificate of insurance - which i didn't think they could.

Phoned the insurance company again - they said they would do their best, and advised to buy it online and drive, even though the disc wouldn't come through on time!, saying that if i was stopped then the computer records would show i had paid

june1970_2

i have drove in the past when my disc did not arrive until the 3rd.

lisyloo

Phoned the insurance company again - they said they would do their best, and advised to buy it online and drive, even though the disc wouldn't come through on time!, saying that if i was stopped then the computer records would show i had paid

If you buy it online then they will automatically check the documents so you won't need to produce anything.

Technically not displaying the tax disc is an offence so you could in theory be fined. However I suspect it's very very unlikely to happen as you have paid and they can check.
Personally I would take the chance.
You are probably more likely to be run down by a bus or get struck by lightening than fined for not displaying it.

DonkeyKong77

june1970 wrote:

i have drove in the past when my disc did not arrive until the 3rd.

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

DonkeyKong77

i read somewhere that there is some sort of industrial action which could affect the DVLA's work on wednesday, not sure if ths will affect the processing procedure though.

I think i will hold off until tomorrow morning, in the hope that i get insurance docs through, otherwise i will apply online (it's non refundable so once i've applied online i can't then say no thans i will go to the post office) - as it passed the insurand and valid mot question, the onnly problem is the time it takes to send the tax disc.

moonrakerz

nickmack wrote:

You should be fine. Tax discs should be scrapped altogether soon. As other posters have said, with a quick check of your numberplate, the status of your tax, MOT and insurance can be found. There shouldn't be a need to display anything in your windscreen. After all, who's going to look?

Certainly not the police !

My son was stopped recently by the police because he had a headlight out on his pick-up.

He had his "plastic" licence on him; the tax disc was 2 weeks old, so a pretty good chance his insurance was OK, but he still has to produce his papers at a police station - including his MoT for a "55" plate vehicle. Doh !!

No wonder the police are getting less and less co-operation form the motoring public.

Markyt

DonkeyKong77 wrote:

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

Always. It picks up all vehicles and flags them if anything turns up against the registered keeper - no insurance, bail jumpers, anything really.

newlywed

DonkeyKong77 wrote:

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

Where I live there is regularly a police van set up by the side of one of the main roads with a camera and sign saying something about it being unpaid tax numberplate recognition.

Busybody

Just got back from the garage and my car passed its MOT going on liner now to Tax it.:T

waster_2

moonrakerz wrote:

Certainly not the police !

My son was stopped recently by the police because he had a headlight out on his pick-up.

He had his "plastic" licence on him; the tax disc was 2 weeks old, so a pretty good chance his insurance was OK, but he still has to produce his papers at a police station - including his MoT for a "55" plate vehicle. Doh !!

No wonder the police are getting less and less co-operation form the motoring public.

This is not normal now. Most Police vehicles are equipped with a link to the NPC and DVLA and can check in seconds that the driver holds a licence and any endorsements/disqualifications on it, that the vehicle is taxed and MOT'd and that there is a valid insurance policy. The day's of producing are generally long gone.

Re the comment much earlier about “grace days” on taxing your vehicle. This is a popular misconception. There have never been grace days. For a vehicle to be lawfully used on the public highway it must always have a valid tax disc paid for and on display. In the past only a jobsworth copper would have pulled you within the first few days, but with ANPR cameras in most traffic cars and more, if you get flagged you could be in the sh*t.

You can apply for tax at least 14 days before the old tax expires, so there really is no excuse unless you want to be illegal.