From direct.gov.uk... "A current tax disc must be displayed on the vehicle it was bought for. If you buy a new tax disc before your current tax disc expires, you should not display the new one until the old one has expired. The new tax disc is only valid from the first day of the month you have taxed from".

That suggests that, strictly speaking, you must go out at midnight precisely on the last day of the month & change the disc, but make sure you don't remove the old one before you display the new one, otherwise you will be committing an offence (albeit for just a few seconds...) of not displaying a valid disc.

I have read of people getting ticketed at 08:00 on the morning of the 1st of the month, as they leave the house at 08:30 to go to work, aiming to swap the disc before setting off & finding the ticket from 30 minutes before.

I know it seems a nitpicking technicality but it highlights a couple of things I think... (1) the ability to penalise 'normal' behaviour' from a motorist, & (2) the reliance on a bit of paper in the windscreen that seems archaic in a digital age... with all the online info about the insurance, road tax, on/off road (SORN) etc statuses available to the authorities we might expect a more sensible approach...? ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

"I have read of people getting ticketed at 08:00 on the morning of the 1st of the month, as they leave the house at 08:30 to go to work, aiming to swap the disc before setting off & finding the ticket from 30 minutes before."

Never heard of that before, but I would not say it could not happen? My force as some others normally give 14 days grace for vehicle excise. This is not the law, its the chief Constables decision.

We rung our police after spotting a death trap on wheels with a long expired tax disc. They said they would keep an eye out for the vehicle in case it isn't road worthy or uninsured etc but the tax disc is a DVLA issue and they couldn't do anything about it.

You could always try and argue: : Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea – an act is not necessarily a guilty act unless it is accompanied by a guilty mind.

A claim of genuine error with something so trivial might just work  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

I'm almost certain there is a 14 day grace period for renewing a tax disc anyway, so imagine the stories you've read are works of fiction

The 14 day grace period is not law, It's up to each chief constable along with the fiscal service (Scotland)to decide whether to adhere strictly to the letter of the law or not.

Just like most of us - I am sure the local plod isles than able to exorcize some common sense in matters like this and so periods of grace, assuming things are in place to replace the disc, I would expect is fairly normal.

It is for those people who are incapable of following basic laws that the nanny state and silly rules that accompany it are around for.

I just hope that law enforcers never loose site of basic common sense! Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

Last edited by dunroof on 2nd Jan 2013 7:28 am. Edited 1 time in total

Quote:

If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires.

... BUT can you (eg) display a tax disc that has an expiry date of 31 March 2013 BEFORE 31 March 2012? Or, by displaying "early", are you displaying an INVALID disc, thereby committing an offence?

I like to get the tax disc as soon as I can. It would be convenient to pop it in the windscreen straight away, rather than putting it somewhere safe & perhaps forgetting to change it on the stroke of midnight & then being in breach 'by accident'...

So... YES / NO - can one display BEFORE the expiry of the current disc?

Ta !!! ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

"Yes, it's okay to book you the day after yours runs out despite what the Chief Constable may try to decided locally. Law is law, he can't decide to alter what an Act of Parliment has passed or he could be seen as condoning the offence."

Yes, the above is partially correct, In Scotland ACPOS (Chief Constables), Fiscal service can decide when to prosecute, ie speeding. The 30mph limit is the max in a built up area or otherwise dictated by signs, Using hand held radar you wil not get a FP unless you are 42mph or over, Mobile camera van will get you a NIP at 40mph or over, being followed by police vehicle over 42mph (my force). I know these limits vary from force to force throughout the country.

Lets not get all caught up in this and make the thread go on for weeks! The bottom line is: You need to have the correct valid Excise disc displayed when parked on a road.

QUOTE "The bottom line is: You need to have the correct valid Excise disc displayed when parked on a road. "

So... YES / NO - can one display BEFORE the expiry of the current disc? ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

I would not worry too much about it if its only a few days. A vehicle check should be carried out before issuing a ticket, PNC is sometimes wrong or not fully up to date at times? It would be a definite "Job's worth" to issue a ticket. Comon sense should prevail.

You could go onto the DVLA web site and ask them.

"A current tax disc must be displayed on the vehicle it was bought for. If you buy a new tax disc before your current tax disc expires, you should not display the new one until the old one has expired. The new tax disc is only valid from the first day of the month you have taxed from. "

This is from direct.gov... implies that early display is against the rules, so we're back to schlepping out at midnight on 31st and swapping the disc, and not risking changing it at 08:01 the next day...

I appreciate that a ticket in that situation would be the action of a jobsworth but why do the rules allow for jobsworths to flourish? Why not "display no earlier than the last day of expiry". That would work. It would be sensible & common sense. Would kibosh the jobsworths.

Who is harmed when someone buys his disc well in advance then omits to display until 08:30 on the 1st of the month? It's the "failure to display" I think is the problem. Surely those who need to know can access the database to tell that the disc has been purchased?

Aah well. Seems trivial I know but I get peeved by the pettiness of the way we are ruled sometimes. ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

The ultimate jobs worth award must go to the parking attendants in Edinburgh, they are ruthless, sometimes hunt in packs!

I never worry about this. My tax runs out 30th of April so I shall drive home and later that evening after dinner I shall simply wander out onto the drive and put the new tax disc in ready for morning.

Even though the tax disc is put in a little early, so long as I don't go out onto the public road I am fine. In any case, a police officer driving past a load of houses isn't going to just stop at random and go "Aha! someone has put a tax disc in that car about 3 hours before it is valid"

All is well with my method. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey