How do you know if DVLA sent you a fine?

faringdon

Hi,

I live in a block of flats where post gets hurled thru' the letter box and then dumped on top of the mail boxes. Often someone just chucks away a pile of it. Mail can easily be missed. How can you find out if you have any outstanding fines with DVLA?

The following says how the roads are getting more fine-hungry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj452OX794g

RandomTourist

The only reason you might get a fine from DVLA is if you fail to tax your car. Check that!

elsien

The roads are getting more fine-hungry?

Not making a lot of sense. To which fines in particular are you referring?

ETA - from watching about 5 seconds of that video, it is talking about motorways. So firstly, don't speed. And secondly, any fines do not come from the DVLA. Thirdly, I think it unlikely that people chuck the post away every day. So make a point each day of checking to see if any of it is for you?

magicmoneyportaloo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089615#Comment_82089615

To be fair to the OP, people can have issues with post. I have a friend who lives in an HMO and the landlord didn't sort out the address properly so he doesn't get mail 😬

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089610#Comment_82089610

or for not having insurance on a car that isnt SORNed, the actual fine letter is sent by the DVLA.

Plus there are the fines for not updating the DVLA (licence, medical conditions or transfer of ownership)

Car_54

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089749#Comment_82089749

What the DVLA actually send is the offer of an out-of-court settlement, which is not a fine.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089805#Comment_82089805

I think most would consider a fixed penalty notice a fine even if by the strictest definition it isnt a criminal fine

TooManyPoints

I think most would consider a fixed penalty notice a fine even if by the strictest definition it isnt a criminal fine

Yes that's quite true. But i doesn't hurt to point out the difference. Particularly as you can be sent to prison for failure to pay a fine but only taken to court for failure to respond to an out-of-court offer.

Car_54

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82089809#Comment_82089809

The DVLA don't send fixed penalty notices either. A fixed penalty is fixed. The DVLA offer varies, depending on the tax unpaid.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82090017#Comment_82090017

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-enforcement-policy/dvla-enforcement-of-vehicle-tax-registration-and-insurance-offences

The government says they do

3. Enforcement of vehicle insurance offence (not applicable to Northern Ireland)

Offence or penalty	Identification	Enforcement action	Legal reference
Being the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle.	Offence identified from the DVLA vehicle register and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) Motor Insurance Database.	A fixed penalty notice (FPN) is issued. Penalty set at £100 reduced to £50 if paid within 33 days. If penalty is not paid, as a criminal offence the case may be pursued through the magistrates’ court. The maximum penalty is £1,000.	Sections 144A, 144B, 144C and 144D of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The Motor Vehicles (Insurance Requirements) Regulations 2011.

Car_54

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82090043#Comment_82090043

Fair point. I was thinking of RandomTourist's claim above that "The only reason you might get a fine from DVLA is if you fail to tax your car."

Insurance is clearly different, in that there is no tax for DVLA to recover.