Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sat 1 Sep 2012 17:24
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Drivethru

Oh dear, had new tax disc a fortnight and today I forgot to put it on. I was in town and have gone past a camera that I think checks for tax dodgers and I was also parked on street. I read where traffic wardens can fine you the same as a parking fine and nothing has happened with that. I was just wondering if anything could happen via the camera. The new disc is safely in place now!

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Sat 1 Sep 2012 18:38
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - gordonbennet

Camera doesn't read your tax disc, it checks your reg number and unless it pings something amiss simply ignores you, i wouldn't worry about it, computer says yes.

It would be a miserable copper indeed who nicked you for being forgetful, i'd be up before the beak every week if staying clean depended on a perfect memory.

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Sat 1 Sep 2012 18:45
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Drivethru

Thanks Mr Bennet, It's the first time I've had cheap tax (£30) and I thought it would be just my luck to get fined and wipe the savings out!

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Sat 1 Sep 2012 18:51
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - gordonbennet

Ha, yes SWMBO's Citroen C2 VTS is £30 too, its due the month after my workmate has to tax his Insignia VXR @ £470, he moans like billio about it...do i wind him up, oh yes..;)

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Sat 1 Sep 2012 21:19
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - tony g
Hi, I suppose the offense is failure to display ,but I'm not sure with the advent of computer checking whether they are still enforcing that part of the road fund tax law .anybody know?
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Sun 2 Sep 2012 11:46
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - RichT54

I am not sure if it's a recent change, but if you have applied for your tax disc and it doesn't turn up in time, you can display the old one for up to 5 days.

From DVLA website Q&As:

I have not received the tax disc. Can I use the vehicle without the tax disc displayed?


When you apply for a tax disc online or by using DVLA's phone service you are able to legally continue to drive your vehicle for up to 5 days after the tax disc has expired while you wait for the new tax disc to arrive. This will only apply when you have applied for a new tax disc before the current one expires. You should continue to display the expired disc on your vehicle, until the new one arrives.

Edited by RichT54 on 02/09/2012 at 11:47

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Sat 1 Sep 2012 21:33
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Auristocrat

During my time with DWP, the pool cars we used were exempt from road tax and used to display tax exemption certificates in place of tax discs. Got pulled up by the police a few times for them to check what was in the tax disc holder - even had it happen on the motorway.

The pool cars never carried insurance either - the Treasury having undertaken to provide cover in place of insurance.

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Sun 2 Sep 2012 00:00
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - bathtub tom

The penalty is for 'failing to display a valid excise licence' IIRC.

ANPR won't pick this up, as the vehicle's got a valid licence.

If an obstroperous official does do you for it, I suspect you could quite successfully appeal it.

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Sun 2 Sep 2012 09:28
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - martint123
If an obstroperous official does do you for it, I suspect you could quite successfully appeal it.

Not sure of why an appeal would work? I thought it would be cast iron guilty.

With the recent (proposed?) delegation to local authorities of even more powerful wardens (and a percentage of fines) then "sensible policing" goes out of the window.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-205292/Super-ward...l (daily wail, so moderate yourself).

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Sun 2 Sep 2012 10:27
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - SlidingPillar

The rule on display is something like, 'visible from the pavement'. So my vintage car with no windscreen has it on a holder on the passenger side body work. I've seen photos taken in the 30s with the same positioning.

You can't see it from an ANPR point of view, but that gives the police the tax status and that is all they are going to care about. The lowly offence of 'failure to display' is as pointed out, rather minor, and is a no points offence as well. One of those offences that tend to get tacked on if they've stopped you for some other reason, certainly not a reason for getting stopped in the first place.

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Sun 2 Sep 2012 11:44
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Bromptonaut

Not sure of why an appeal would work? I thought it would be cast iron guilty.

With the recent (proposed?) delegation to local authorities of even more powerful wardens (and a percentage of fines) then "sensible policing" goes out of the window.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-205292/Super-ward...l (daily wail, so moderate yourself).

Judging by references to 'the Tories condemned' and opposition spokesman named Damian Green that looks like old news. If the legislation it refers to is, as I suspect, the Traffic Management Act 2006 then it's very old news.

In any event, the powers it mentions have been exercised by wardens in London for years without the sky falling in.

As others say, failure to display is very small beer and is not enforceable by CCTV which matches the reg to DVLA records to flag vehicles where VED is unpaid.

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Sun 2 Sep 2012 11:54
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - unthrottled

Failure to display is completely redundant now instant access data is available from the DVLA. Surely it's time to scrub the 'offence'?

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Mon 3 Sep 2012 11:57
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - tyro

Reminds me of the time I forgot to display my new tax disc. My car was in the garage for repairs at the time, and by the time I got it back, I had completely forgotten. It was a couple of months (yes, months!) later that a friend commented on the fact that my tax disc was seriously out of date . . . .

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Tue 4 Sep 2012 09:10
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Armitage Shanks {p}

Saw a car, on the road, in my village last week, with a tax disc which expired in November last year! So much for ANPR and DVLA penalties and enforcement!

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Tue 4 Sep 2012 14:47
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Bromptonaut

Saw a car, on the road, in my village last week, with a tax disc which expired in November last year! So much for ANPR and DVLA penalties and enforcement!

If of course, like the OP, it's a case of forgefulness then neither ANPR or admin penalties will be engaged.

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Tue 4 Sep 2012 15:15
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - thunderbird

Saw a car, on the road, in my village last week, with a tax disc which expired in November last year! So much for ANPR and DVLA penalties and enforcement!

If of course, like the OP, it's a case of forgefulness then neither ANPR or admin penalties will be engaged.

There is an offence of "failure to display".

33.—(1) A person is guilty of an offence if—

(a) he uses, or keeps, on a public road a vehicle in respect of
which vehicle excise duty is chargeable, and

(b) there is not fixed to and exhibited on the vehicle in the
manner prescribed by regulations (passenger side (kerb side) of the vehicle’s windscreen), made by the Secretary of State a
licence for, or in respect of, the vehicle which is for the time being
in force.

Think the max fine is £200 but no points.

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Wed 5 Sep 2012 00:38
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - BigJohnD

You'll be fine.

There's a very short grace period these days on the tax disc, but a) a check would show you have paid up and b) it was the first of the month.

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Sat 8 Sep 2012 16:32
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - monkeyonastring
Found the renewal letters for both my cars neatly filed in a draw with copies of heat magazine! Panicked, went on line and bought them both, 9th of the month, Saturday afternoon, after post office had shut, it went through fine, fingers crossed we don't get in trouble......
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Sun 9 Sep 2012 10:03
Any - Forgot to Display Tax Disc - Bromptonaut
Found the renewal letters for both my cars neatly filed in a draw with copies of heat magazine! Panicked, went on line and bought them both, 9th of the month, Saturday afternoon, after post office had shut, it went through fine, fingers crossed we don't get in trouble......

You'll be fine. The system issues penalties based on a report run 28days after due date (ie late Sept for 31/08 expiries). Chance that an automatic camera might have caught you but you'd be very unlucky indeed for that to happen AND it be enforced where disc had been bought before receipt of FPN.

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