Car Tax Timing

[milly143]

I have two questions....

It occured to me ten minutes ago that my car tax runs out tonight so as the post office will be closed I have renewed it online. Obviously the car is now taxed but would I get into any trouble for not displaying a current tax disc in the window for the next few days?

Secondly, December is not a great month to be forking out £100 quid on tax. Come June, I never seem to be able to afford the £200 to tax it for 12 months, which would avoid me having to renew it in December. Could I tax it early, say in November without losing out on anything?

[Berkshirelad]

There are two totally distinct possible offences.

1) Fail to have VED (tax). This is detected by the DVLA (from the continous licencing records) and prosecuted by them. if you have taxed your car on-line, the DVLA records will show the vehicle as having valid VED so no prosecution will follow.

2) Failure to display a valid disk. This is prosecuted by the Police and the offence is complete if no valid disk is diplayed whether or not the DVLA records show valid tax. Whilst DVLA state that you have 5 days, this is NOT enshrined in statute and you remain liable (although it would a jobsworth copper that pushed this for prosecution)

[Berkshirelad]

@ R1

It is NOT possible to tell if a vehicle is insured from a database as there is NO requirement in English law to insure a vahicle. It is the DRIVER who must be insured under s.143 of the RTA.