Hi chaps
My car tax expired 31/05/2005 :(
I have all the paperwork and the cash but I could do with using the car tonight. Can I still drive the car, is there a period of grace following an expiry. I have never let them run out before so I have never queried it.
Thanks AJ

I'm not sure AJ but I do think that if you are driving without tax you probably won't be covered by your insurance (they will find any excuse not to pay!) which is pretty important. I would leave the car at home if I where you.

Originally posted by kathythebean
I'm not sure AJ but I do think that if you are driving without tax you probably won't be covered by your insurance (they will find any excuse not to pay!) which is pretty important. I would leave the car at home if I where you.
:confused: Insurance :confused:

Only messing :P

I think there used to be a 2 week grace period but i'm pretty sure that doesn't apply anymore.

No, theres no sort of grace period, if youve got no tax youve got no tax basically.

If you did decide to drive about and the fuzz pulled you, they would give you a producer where you haved got 7 days to get tax.

So you could drive about with no trouble, but it would be up to you morally as you would not be covered by insurance if (god forbid, touch wood) you had an accident.

Thank you for the help guys & gals :thumbsup:

14 days grace - i checked

Originally posted by miniminch
14 days grace - i checked
Ahhh, I feel better already :thumbsup:
Although I will quote you if I get nailed by the police. I will say miniminch assured me I was safe to drive. ;)

Days of grace for tax expiry were abolished about 5 years ago, so that electronic checking could be made legal. Now the vans which you sometimes see can read your tax disk and number plate and send you a fine the same day.

Only a few weeks ago the conservatives had to leave their coach (battle bus) on private land because the tax disk was a day over the expiry date. It was on the front of all the papers at the time.

If you are caught without valid tax then the fine isn't that great, but there is no point as your next tax disk will be backdated to when your last one expired anyhow.

The real trouble is if you have a collision, and your insurance is invalid, you are in real trouble.

Originally posted by AJ sheffield
Ahhh, I feel better already :thumbsup:
Although I will quote you if I get nailed by the police. I will say miniminch assured me I was safe to drive. ;) you do that - they'll know me as i've spent may an interesting evening in their company:suspect:

Tonight's star court report,
Driving without insurance, £100 fine 6 months disqualification.

OK so I am now like that bloke in the fast show who cant make up his mind, the one who doesnt know which way to turn :suspect:
I am being psychologically bounced from pillar to post, trapped groundhog stylee between the car and the forum:cry:

just get it taxed! or get a taxi...

Originally posted by UnkleBob
just get it taxed! or get a taxi...
You find me a 24 hour post office in Sheffield and I will give you the car...and pay for the taxi up here.

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/newrules/car_tax.htm

Does this mean you'll be stung for the £80 fine AJ?

Originally posted by Strix
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/newrules/car_tax.htm

Does this mean you'll be stung for the £80 fine AJ?

Trust me, there is NO grace period. Ive been stopped myself by a copper with tax that recently ran out so I have 1st hand experience. As for the automatic tax fine. They would like you to think that you get an automatic fine, but my Step Dad hasnt had tax for the last few months and he hasnt had a fine (yet).

:o I hope not
I dont actually know anyone thats ever been done for the sorn. If they get me I will move into the car and claim travellers rights...whatever they are :)

Edit: Ahhh spyro

I think if you haven't renewed your car tax by midnight today, and you haven't made a statutory declaration saying that your car is not being driven, and is not kept on the public highway, you will automatically be fined direct from the DVLA....gone are the days of 15 days of grace....sorry!

IMO it's a sh*** new legal requirement!

:(

Originally posted by spyro2000
Trust me, there is NO grace period. Ive been stopped myself by a copper with tax that recently ran out so I have 1st hand experience. As for the automatic tax fine. They would like you to think that you get an automatic fine, but my Step Dad hasnt had tax for the last few months and he hasnt had a fine (yet).
my sister has just had a letter and fine for this when she sold the car months ago and the log book has gone awol! so dont think it doesnt happen!!! he has probably declared the car off the road,

Originally posted by savbaby
my sister has just had a letter and fine for this when she sold the car months ago and the log book has gone awol! so dont think it doesnt happen!!! he has probably declared the car off the road,

No he hasnt decllared the car off the road. Im not saying it doesnt happen. I know it happens. Im just saying that it doesnt happen as quick as theyd like you to think it does, if that makes any sense.

Originally posted by spyro2000
No he hasnt decllared the car off the road. Im not saying it doesnt happen. I know it happens. Im just saying that it doesnt happen as quick as theyd like you to think it does, if that makes any sense.
its been a months since the tax expired so pretty quick, i know what you mean by the time thing , must just be pot luck if you get caught or not!

Just go to the post office in the morning and back tax it - worked for me.

You can do your road tax and your SORN stuff online now, (although it looks as though you need a new style MOT certificate - didn't even know there was one..?!) and they send your tax disc through the post.

http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/

Originally posted by savbaby
my sister has just had a letter and fine for this when she sold the car months ago and the log book has gone awol!

I had a letter about a car I had sold so I just phoned them and sorted it out. How did the V5 go AWOL? If it got lost in the post, and you can prove when you switched the insurance over and you still have the details of the guy you sold it to, you should be OK.