Driving your car (Skoda Octavia for the fan bois) to France when it’s not taxed and, due to the archaic Catch 22 processes of the DVLA, can’t be taxed until 4 weeks after you’re due to return?

Insurance and MOT all up to date and have confirmation it’s insured irrespective of the tax piece.

What do you reckon?

I thought not taxed invalidated the insurance these days? If true, the only thing that you would have going for you is a valid MoT.

I could be wrong, but I thought that driving without insurance is for sure a criminal offence.

I would be really not keen on driving it anywhere near a port, purely because of the level of ANPR around these places. You’d be screwed, assuming that you weren’t arrested in France.

No, definitely not. Sounds like massive asshattery.

What process at the DVLA means it can’t be taxed ?

Ca you explain a bit more. If everything else is in order. MOT and insurance. Why can’t you tax it?

Easiest way is probably to do it online.

ANPR cameras would almost definitely catch you out.

Why can’t you tax it? It’s instant online now.

Unless you are trying to save pennies by doing it at a certain time of the month.

DVLA don’t have my postcode so I have to send off a form that takes 6 weeks to process so that they can send me out a reminder to pay my tax.

Turns out the garage I bought it from only gave the DVLA my name and through whatever circumstances I was in at the time missed the fact I was never sent my registration documents.

No I wouldn’t.

I are also confused why tax no be possible.

edit

the garage I bought it from only gave the DVLA my name

So the DVLA must think you live at the garage’s address?

The ANPR cameras may already have caught me but the DVLA don’t have an address to send the fine to 😀

It’s £30 a year tax and I really want to pay it ASAP, but the DVLA won’t actually accept it due to the address issue.

So the DVLA must think you live at the garage’s address?

Nope they think the car lives at no address.

Some police forces have devolved powers from DVLA that enables officers to remove untaxed vehicles from the road. The seizure applies to untaxed vehicles after 2 months and a day. (The Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles) Regulations 1997).

So if it’s untaxed beyond that day, you’re possibly in play of getting picked up by a mobile ANPR or otherwise pulled by the police and having your motor towed off – which is not desirable if it’s laden with bikes and kit!

Set fire to it on your drive and then get a hire car based on your insurance policy*.

*You may not be insured and/or go to prison.

but the DVLA won’t actually accept it due to the address issue.

Cant you tax online? Quick look shows you can use either the new driver slip or the vehicle logbook number.

Nope they think the car lives at no address.

I must admit that is a special new category of incompetence from the DVLA right there.

So you also have no registration documents in your name?

Good luck if you get stopped overseas then.

also, wasn’t it taxed before you drove it away given the way that the new owner taxes the vehicle laws work? Most dealers just fill the form in online and you tax it there and then.

Id have a good think about how much of a royal pita it would be if you were stopped by french police for some minor misdeameanor and this coming to light.
Or being stopped by a gb traffic car because you’ve triggered the anpr camera onboard it.
And as much as your insurance co say you’re still insured, I wouldn’t like to test that in court.
Don’t do it, it’s not worth the hassle IMO.

Quick look shows you can use either the new driver slip or the vehicle logbook number.

Not if you’ve not got the logbook because the DVLA can’t send it to you as they don’t have your address and require you to send a different form to them that takes 6 weeks to process so that they can update the address.

Honestly it’s mental.

The new owener slip is only valid for a short period of time, which admittedly I should have sent off (almost 3 years ago) but forgot.

Every month the DVLA sweeps their database for cars without tax and sends a letter to… oh.

almost 3 years ago

So untaxed for 3 years (less whatever tax you bought it with)?

As per @deluded post, if it’s under 2 months, I’d risk it. We haven’t quite given up good judgement for mindless following of rules yet.

I’d drive, along with copies of whatever stuff you have to prove you’ve made a decent attempt to tax it. The Police, as a rule don’t like fulfilling the role of tax collectors and in my experience couldn’t give 2 figs as long as you’ve got a valid license and insurance.

3 years? Wow.

TBH France is the least of your worries, they don’t know and don’t care whether you’ve paid your local road licensing.

Well 2 years as you pay for the tax at the garage when you take ownership, completely my fault that I just forgot that I hadn’t set up a new DD for the new tax etc, but without a reminder and given it’s £30 tax as opposed to the £300+ I used to pay I just completely forgot.

You forgot (and didn’t pay) for two years?
Sorry, but tough sh*t.

It’s £30 sharkbait, I’ve paid DD for years on all my previous cars. Not wishing to sound a prick but I wouldn’t notice if a £30 pound DD had left my account or not, you set them up precisely so you can forget.

What I should have remembered is I never got the owners doc.

3 years of driving an untaxed car? Well, I must say this ANPR thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

I’m pretty sure that some post offices will do the ownership, car tax form that is done there and then and over rides all previous registration, tax etc..

I’m failing to see how the DVLA is to blame.

Kind of my thinking too there Johnners.

I drive about 10k a year, have driven it abroad before and would have done this time too. It’s the knowing that I’m doing something wrong now that is causing the dilemma.

TBH I’d still risk it, you’ve gotten this far…

They’re not to blame Drac, but their process of not being able to update an address on a system for 6 weeks without a paper doc’ is a little archaic in my opinion.

You can go to the post office, fill out the V62 form but if the address at the DVLA doesn’t match your postcode the post office can’t tax the car, and you can’t update your postcode at the post office without there being a postcode on the DVLA’s system in the first place.

TBH I’d still risk it, you’ve gotten this far…

It’s more the lack of V5C if you get stopped in France.

It’s more the lack of V5C if you get stopped in France.

I’ve never taken mine, in fact for 6 years of company car ‘ownership’ I never had one.

can’t you just get the train to France then hire a car?

https://www.drive-france.com/faqs/what-do-i-need-drive-france/

Compulsory Documents

Driving Licence, Passport, Car Insurance Policy, V5 Document (Log Book). The MOT certificate is also compulsory to carry if your car requires one.

I’ve never taken mine, in fact for 6 years of company car ‘ownership’ I never had one.

Your mistake.

Your mistake.

Or an accepted risk.

I didn’t have headlight adaptors this year. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Your mistake.

Actually, given the post you are replying to, you are actually incorrect about the documents required.

If you have a company/salary sacrifice/lease car you are unlikely to have access to the V5 as you don’t actually own the car (the leasing/controlling company keep hold of it). What you have to ask the leasing/controlling company for is a VE103B (Vehicle on Hire Certificate), which is your proof of right to be operating the vehicle.

Won’t the car just use GPS to decide it’s in France and adjust the headlights itself? Most recent Skodas do…

Actually, given the post you are replying to, you are actually incorrect about the documents required.

I stand corrected. Every days a school day, etc.

Or an accepted risk.

Indeed.

And as much as your insurance co say you’re still insured, I wouldn’t like to test that in court.

There is a clause at the very end of our insurance doc saying something like “failure to tax / mot the vehicle does not invalidate our obligation to provide 3rd party insurance”. I believe all ins cos have to do this.

So, as I understand it,

I’m not committing the “no insurance” crime if I drive without tax / MOT

But…

I might be civilly liable for any losses I cause the ins co. should a claim arise in that time if it might reasonably be attributed to me for driving an untaxed/unmot’d vehicle

As you say – bit of a ball-ache to test that in court though. Insurance companies have usually got expensive lawyers…