I know that this has come up in previous threads but I'm not sure if a definite answer was posted.
I have just renewed my taxed disc online (this is about 2 weeks early), is it legal to display this disc before the old one has run out? If not, then with all of the online/radio/TV encouragement to renew I would have thought that they would have included some kind of bold warning not to display it until the old one has expired.
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Yes. The rules have now changed. You may display the new tax disc before the old one runs out - providing it is not earlier than the 5th of the month of expiry. For example, if the old disc expire 31 March you may display the new one from 5th March.
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The important thing is that you should always display a valid disc.
Edited by L'escargot on 16/05/2009 at 13:16
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The important thing is that you should always display a valid disc.
>>>>>>>not true anymore you have a window of non display of 7 days i believe if you havent received it before the old one runs out
the details are on the website,im too busy counting lolly to get the date at this moment
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The law seems to be specific on this point.
Under Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994
Section 33 Not exhibiting licence :-
(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 made by the Secretary of State a licence for, or in respect of, the vehicle which IS FOR THE TIME BEING IN FORCE.
Note the last 7 words above.
This means that if your vehicle is currently taxed and you display say on 28th May a new Licence taken out commencing 1st June over the top of the old Licence then the new Licence is not in force because it doesn't start until 1.6.09. So whilst there is a continuation of Excise Duty, technically the offence is there of failing to display a current Licence.
Whilst there has been changes in rules to allow non display whilst a Licence whilst a Licence is issued following application for one I know of no other change to the law as stated above.
dvd
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Therefore I have unknowingly committed some kind of offence by displaying my disc early (and I thought I was being a good driver).
My point is that if this is a big no no then why doesn't the website/renewal notice state this with equal vigour as it does the chance to obtain your new disc early via the online site/post-office.
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Tax discs don't have a valid from date, only an expiry date. I don't see how it can be illegal to display early providing the car is taxed throughout.
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My point is that if this is a big no no then why doesn't the website/renewal notice state this with equal vigour as it does the chance to obtain your new disc early via the online site/post-office.
They dont want to put you off paying early, a few million pounds in their account two weeks early generates considerable interest, or did before the banks screwed up the system.
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The disc does have the date that you bought it printed on it, so I guess 'they' could work it out that way.
Just seems a silly system, I would like to put my new disc in my car as soon as I've received it in the post rather than wait and possibly forget at the beginning of the new month.
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Its no big deal as long as the car is shown as taxed on the DVLA computer you wont get a problem. Tax discs are almost obsolete anyway. Sleep easy and worry not.
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I have this very carefully worked out process.
I get a precise length of Selloptape (approx 11.5cm) and use it to stick my new disc alongside my old disc.
That way I always have a valid disc on display and when I remember after 01 of the month I remove the Sellotape and put the new disc in the holder.
It seems to keep the fines away :-)
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You can only get a new tax disk in advance if you already have a current one that is going to expire at the end of the current month.
So a newly issued renewal disk is valid from the date of issue nowadays. (as far as I'm concerned).
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the legislation hasn't kept up with the system and it's probably not worth parliamentary time to change it..or it will be tagged on to something else as or when appropriate in the future.
put the new one in the window... if you're showing a 'plus' date on the windscreen, no one is going to prosecute you for 'failing to display'........ and the more major offence of not having tax itself, has never been an issue, because you've always been taxed and it's easily checked.
I have never known anyone be prosecuted for 'failing to display', when there was in fact tax paid for... e.g. motorcyclist keeps it in his pocket to prevent theft/water damage... so why would anyone be prosecuted for this technicality.
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There are far bigger things to worry about.
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I might have told this story on here before and if I have I apologise. Some years ago my Galaxy which was then only a few months old was broken into in Manchester. Some of my stuff was taken and a window smashed. Anyway, I called the police who were not very interested and didn't even attend the scene despite my having lost some valuables but there you go. That's not the point of my ramble.
Anyway, the window was fixed and I carried on using the car. A few weeks later, I had to go to Northern Ireland via Stranraer / Belfast. Because I carry large suspicious looking bags I usually attract the attention of security checks at such places. I was checked by the harbour police on the way in to Belfast and again on my disembarcation at Stranraer on the way back. About a week after that while washing the car I noticed for the first time that the tax disc was missing. It suddenly came to me that I had been driving around without a tax disc for a couple of montths as it must have been stolen at the time of the break in. I hadn't noticed. No traffic warden had noticed despite the car having been reguarly parked in many different locations in various towns and cities and furthermore, two sets of security concious harbour police hadn't noticed.
Of course I immediately arranged a replacement disc but it struck me then that obviously nobody much cared about it.
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