new car tax rules

[dannyboy]

need a bit of info

my tax ran out end of june, gonnna renew it today but was just wondering if you get 14 days grace to sort it or wether they just slap a fine on you. if they do , do you get points too?
cheers in advance

 

[Easy 10]

I've let mine overrun for a couple of weeks before renewing, and not been fined. I think you do get a few weeks "grace", but I dunno how long. 30 days maybe.

You won't get points on your licence though.

 

[SK1NT]

Yea there are all these rumours that if your a day late renewing with these new barcoded tax discs, u get fined straight away. I left mine for a week before i renewed and it was fine, luckily!

 

[CHAPPERS]

I renewed mine a week late last time and a couple of days this time round, from what the guy at the post office said you get a couple of weeks grace before they start chasing ya.

 

[dannyboy]

cheers chaps

 

[Gazwag]

You have to watch it as even though there is a period of grace, if you are stopped by the police it is still illegal to drive a car/van with no tax disc on a public road even if its one day late, in fact I believe unless the car is on private land you can still get done if its parked on the highway

 

[Wardy]

You have to watch it as even though there is a period of grace, if you are stopped by the police it is still illegal to drive a car/van with no tax disc on a public road even if its one day late, in fact I believe unless the car is on private land you can still get done if its parked on the highway

If it is parked on public highway then you need to have tax. In fact even if it is not and you have it say on your drive, unless you have filled in the expempt form and sent it of you still liable to pay.

 

[Gazwag]

I meant just in the grace period

 

[readingstockport]

There is NO grace period in law. There never has been, the DVLA just let people get away with it in the past. They are becoming much stricter on this and will hammer you if you are caught driving it. Best to renew asap.

 

[Lammy]

Has anyone here actually bothered to read the new rules that are sent out with you reminder?

It is illegal to drive or own an untaxed vehicle if it has not been declared 'off the road'.

However, You will not be fined if there is no gap between the expiry date of your old disk and the start date of your new one. i.e. you basically have a month to get your new disk before the computer sends out an automatic fine. However, if a traffic warden catches you you may be fined. I don't believe "it's in the post" is a valid excuse anymore.

 

[FG aka Football Genius.]

whats the point of having a grace period mite as well say heres your free 14 days a year (or whatever time) period when you can run a car park on highway road free.

 

[Lammy]

whats the point of having a grace period mite as well say heres your free 14 days a year (or whatever time) period when you can run a car park on highway road free.

It's not free is it you twat. It's a period of time for you to pay your bill. You can't buy a tax disc that starts 14days into a month can you!

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Errr FG you idiot, it still has to be backdated to when the old disc ran out. The expiry date is still the same regardless of what date of the month you renewed on.

 

[Gully]

If you want to keep your car untaxed, ie: if it isn't roadworthy, you don't want to use it or are restoring it, then you have to declare SORN as far as I am aware. I believe this stands for something like Statutory Off Road Notification. If you do this then the DVLA won't chase or fine you, the vehicle would have to be kept off the public highway though.

I am going away on Saturday for four months and was aware that my car tax would run out whilst I am away, I toyed with the idea of declaring SORN but wanted someone to drive the car around as it isn't a good idea to have it sat around for that length of time. In the end I took the easy option, sold the car and banked the money, instead of having a it depreciating away for four months I will get a few pennies in interest.

 

[Brovion]

I invariably pay mine a few days late, I've been doing it for nearly 30 years and I've never been fined. I pay for the days I've 'missed' and the dates are always contiuous, so if I was ever fined for late payment I would be extremely miffed. Easy targets again.

PS - Let's just take it as read that the Daily Mail "ITS THE LAW SO DON'T BREAK IT!" brigade who always insist that parking restrictions and speed limits should be enforced to the letter will disapprove of this and think I should be hung and flogged.

 

[beorhthelm]

the 14 days grace period has never existed other then in official guidence to police/wardens, ie not bother to book someone for a minor oversight. I think it came about due to the genuine "its in the post" defense, whereby if you sent off your renewal on the 30th of the month you might not see your new disc for a week or so.

this is just another one of those things where there's been no change in the law, but its being enforced more rigourously. I for one welcome it as, in theory at least, no un-roadworthy/uninsured car can stay on the road for more than a year.