Driving Old Car without tax or NCT

gavmcfad

I have an old car at my parents house. It hasnt been driven in well over 6 months and the NCT is expired by nearly a year and the tax is also up.
I want to take the car to where i live which is about an hours drive as i am going to put it up for sale and have organised a mechanic to service the car.
My question is what happen if i am stopped by a guard whilst driving the car back to my where i live....as it is not taxed or NCT'd at the minute.

Cookie_Monster

or insured presumably. Get a trailer and tow it there.

gavmcfad

I was thinking of transferring the insurance of the car i drive now onto it for one day and then transfer it back.

keithclancy

gavmcfad wrote: »

I have an old car at my parents house. It hasnt been driven in well over 6 months and the NCT is expired by nearly a year and the tax is also up.
I want to take the car to where i live which is about an hours drive as i am going to put it up for sale and have organised a mechanic to service the car.
My question is what happen if i am stopped by a guard whilst driving the car back to my where i live....as it is not taxed or NCT'd at the minute.

You'll get a fine for no Tax or NCT, in fact if its that far out they can sieze the car from you.

cadaliac

No questions will be asked by the tow truck driver who will be lifting your car on to the back of his truck and taking it off to the impound.
This is what will happen when you get stopped at a road block or check point. They have heard all the excuses.
No tax and no NCT is a dead cert (pardon the pun) to get the car lifted.
as suggested, get it towed. It will cost you less in the long run.
BTW, what is the car worth?

gavmcfad

cadaliac wrote: »

No questions will be asked by the tow truck driver who will be lifting your car on to the back of his truck and taking it off to the impound.
This is what will happen when you get stopped at a road block or check point. They have heard all the excuses.
No tax and no NCT is a dead cert (pardon the pun) to get the car lifted.
as suggested, get it towed. It will cost you less in the long run.
BTW, what is the car worth?

Very little at the minute. Without NCT i would be lucky to get 500 euro!

cadaliac

gavmcfad wrote: »

Very little at the minute. Without NCT i would be lucky to get 500 euro!

OK I can understand your predicament now.
To be honest, if you get caught on the road without tax and NCT, they will lift the car, unless you get really lucky.
An hour on a trailer isn't going to be cheap and is probably not worth the hassle/cost.
Do your parents live in a city? If so, forget about it, you will probably be caught.
If not, well, I'm not saying anything.......
Just check your insurance company will cover a car without NCT also, this is very important.

Cookie_Monster

cadaliac wrote: »

Do your parents live in a city? If so, forget about it, you will probably be caught.

to be fair, the likely hood of getting caught for this, or anything on the roads is tiny, even if you are actively drawing attention. However I am still not encouraging it.

Trappers Son

How leanient are they Gardai with this sort of thing.. NCT due in July as was Tax..

I simply cannot afford either until the end of the month?

Am I Goosed?

djimi

Trappers Son wrote: »

How leanient are they Gardai with this sort of thing.. NCT due in July as was Tax..

I simply cannot afford either until the end of the month?

Am I Goosed?

If your tax disc says 07/10 then you might be okay; Ive gone thru checkpoints a few times with my tax a few days out and the Garda has simply told me it needs to be renewed. Im not sure the same can be said for NCT, especially if you have not booked a test.

Just so were clear, Im not advocating driving without either tax or NCT. You might get lucky if stopped, but there is just as much if not more of a chance that you wont. Not a risk Id be taking tbh; its cheaper to pay for tax and insurance than it is to get caught...

cadaliac

cadaliac wrote: »

No tax and no NCT is a dead cert (pardon the pun) to get the car lifted.
as suggested, get it towed. It will cost you less in the long run.
BTW, what is the car worth?

I don't agree, I bought an old Merc in Galway last summer for €430, it was rough as a bears arse, was stopped with no tax, no NCT and no current insurance disc displayed. I was insured to drive it though, was pulled over by an unmarked car and had no probs. I was after getting new tryes for it though and had it booked in for an NCT, also I hadn't as yet received the change of ownership form.

Book an NCT, arrange insurance and drive it if its roadworthy. You can cancel the NCT booking whenever suits.

Re the tax, I was stopped last Friday with a tax disc expired end of June, no bother at all.

Trappers Son

Trappers Son wrote: »

How leanient are they Gardai with this sort of thing.. NCT due in July as was Tax..

I simply cannot afford either until the end of the month?

Am I Goosed?

Book an NCT, the date given will be in months anyway, keep the confirmation letter in the car, once you tax the car before end of August you should have no bother at all.

Vertakill

Trappers Son wrote: »

How leanient are they Gardai with this sort of thing.. NCT due in July as was Tax..

I simply cannot afford either until the end of the month?

Am I Goosed?

They're not lenient at all when it comes to the tax/nct being ridiculously out of date.

In saying that, the likelihood of being caught within the hour of driving is incredibly slim so if it were me, I'd chance it. I wouldn't even consider it 'chancing it' because it's literally that unlikely to be pulled over.

It's not like you're robbing the tax man blind or anything either... it's 1 hour of driving. So no one can get on a high horse about how they're paying for you who's driving around for free etc.

Chances of getting caught are very slim but it could be one of them days when your a mile from your house and you get caught.

Do you have any friends that have a jeep and trailer it could be carried on? Or ring up a few tow truck places and get a few prices.

Henry Ford III

Trailer it.

Vertakill

Weigh up the costs of renting a trailer vs the impound fee if it's seized... then you have your answer! :P

mike65

Plot a course using back roads rather than N roads or motorway and you should be fine. Also just be aware of traffic bunching up ahead of you for no apparent reason (break lights) or cars coming against you at too regular an interval (which suggests cars being paused for windscreen inspection!).

-Corkie-

mike65 wrote: »

Plot a course using back roads rather than N roads or motorway and you should be fine. Also just be aware of traffic bunching up ahead of you for no apparent reason (break lights) or cars coming against you at too regular an interval (which suggests cars being paused for windscreen inspection!).

Plenty of checkpoints on the back roads too. I was bagged last week at 10am on a road like a dirt track....;)

mike65

Pesky cops! Have to buy a plug-in cloaking device....

-Corkie-

mike65 wrote: »

Pesky cops! Have to buy a plug-in cloaking device....

LOL I think its impossible to give the op advice here. The attitude of the driver lets you get away with lots of stuff..;);). As Roverjames said above about being stopped in Galway. I bet he didnt grunt at the cop when he rolled down the window.:):)

slimjimmc

Vertakill wrote: »

Weigh up the costs of renting a trailer vs the impound fee if it's seized... then you have your answer! :P

Don't forget to factor in the mandatory court appearance for no NCT and, if convicted, the 5 penalty points and court fine. Trailer seems cheaper, or just sell the car as is.

CiniO

Vertakill wrote: »

Weigh up the costs of renting a trailer vs the impound fee if it's seized... then you have your answer! :P

Renting a trailer?
You also need a car or more likely big van or jeep to pull it.
You will also need EB license to pull such a heavy trailer.
It's not so easy.

Trappers Son

Vertakill wrote: »

They're not lenient at all when it comes to the tax/nct being ridiculously out of date.

In saying that, the likelihood of being caught within the hour of driving is incredibly slim so if it were me, I'd chance it. I wouldn't even consider it 'chancing it' because it's literally that unlikely to be pulled over.

It's not like you're robbing the tax man blind or anything either... it's 1 hour of driving. So no one can get on a high horse about how they're paying for you who's driving around for free etc.

Its hardly ridiculously out of date.. The insurance is fine and tax and nct due in July?

Im gonna risk it..

fatbhoy

If you're going to take the chance of driving it over, then drive it over during rush-hour traffic when the chances of meeting a tax-checkpoint are really low.

bmw535d

do you know any people in the motor trade that have a trade plate? maybe they could drive the car to the location for you. as far as i know the trade plate covers them for a car not being taxed nct'd etc.

Trailers, trade plates etc for a car that's a week out of tax and NCT :rolleyes:
Once it's insured there will be no bother at all.

cadaliac

gavmcfad wrote: »

I have an old car at my parents house. It hasnt been driven in well over 6 months and the NCT is expired by nearly a year and the tax is also up.
I want to take the car to where i live which is about an hours drive as i am going to put it up for sale and have organised a mechanic to service the car.
My question is what happen if i am stopped by a guard whilst driving the car back to my where i live....as it is not taxed or NCT'd at the minute.

This is the Original Post. There is another poster (Trappers Son) saying that he is going to risk moving his car, which is only a week out.
Pls correct me if I am wrong, but the basis of my original replys are on the original posters timeframes.
(I too, would not worry if it were only a week out)

Vertakill

cadaliac wrote: »

This is the Original Post. There is another poster (Trappers Son) saying that he is going to risk moving his car, which is only a week out.
Pls correct me if I am wrong, but the basis of my original replys are on the original posters timeframes.
(I too, would not worry if it were only a week out)

Thanks for clearing that up rather than me having to do it. Trappers Son, I dunno where you got that week thing from!

slimjimmc wrote: »

Don't forget to factor in the mandatory court appearance for no NCT and, if convicted, the 5 penalty points and court fine. Trailer seems cheaper, or just sell the car as is.

CiniO wrote: »

Renting a trailer?
You also need a car or more likely big van or jeep to pull it.
You will also need EB license to pull such a heavy trailer.
It's not so easy.

Didn't really think of the NCT fine actually, so fair play slimjimmc.

I'm sure the OP knows someone with a tow bar though CiniO!

But again, even with all of those costs vs the risk of getting caught is the only way to look at it.

I'd still risk it.

firefly08

Get someone to drive the same route 5 mins ahead of you. If they see a checkpoint they can ring you and you can turn back.

My car was impounded after I was stopped on Monday morning, no tax or NCT (car had been off the road all year and I had just arrived back in the country)

Trappers Son

I guess im just a risk taker! I like betting too would ya believe!

diesel powered

gavmcfad wrote: »

I was thinking of transferring the insurance of the car i drive now onto it for one day and then transfer it back.

i'm currently looking to buy a car but it's in Donegal , but i live in Cork problem is the car has no nct or tax !
im wondering if i book nct back home and swap my insurance do i have a reason worry that im breaking the law and face heavy fines ?

Trappers Son

Trappers Son wrote: »

I guess im just a risk taker! I like betting too would ya believe!

Yep

Trappers Son wrote: »

NCT due in July as was Tax..

I simply cannot afford either until the end of the month?

unkel

gavmcfad wrote: »

Very little at the minute. Without NCT i would be lucky to get 500 euro!

Then why bother getting it serviced / NCTd and either forking out for having it trailered or risking getting caught? Lots of costs / risks and very little gain...

I don't know where you live but there are plenty of checkpoints in / around Dublin these days.

tiocimarla

you have two months after the end date on the tax disc before the gaurds are allowed legally to seize the vehicle. you will be fine, as for the nct all you have to do is book a test and they give a confirmation letter.

If you are stopped by a gaurd and your tax is no more than 2 months out off date and you have a letter from nct, then legally you will be sound.

Basically if you have proof on person when stopped that you are sorting it out then you will be fine.

Just dont be smug about it gaurds dont like that;)

unkel

tiocimarla wrote: »

If you are stopped by a gaurd and your tax is no more than 2 months out off date and you have a letter from nct, then legally you will be sound.

Legally sound? Not sound at all. You will get two fines. One for having no motor tax ans one for not displaying a valid tax disc.

marbar

no tax is a fine. you'll get points for no NCT though. 5 iirc
some companies you 40 quid every time you swap insurance. that would be 80 quid to get it sorted
check out a truck and see what the difference is

galwaytt

slimjimmc wrote: »

Don't forget to factor in the mandatory court appearance for no NCT and, if convicted, the 5 penalty points and court fine. Trailer seems cheaper, or just sell the car as is.

Curious: who gets the points: vehicle owner or driver ?

firefly08 wrote: »

Get someone to drive the same route 5 mins ahead of you. If they see a checkpoint they can ring you and you can turn back.

...hopefully using a carkit, and not phone - that's more points !!

cadaliac wrote: »

Just check your insurance company will cover a car without NCT also, this is very important.

Sorry, but that's nonsense. There is no connection between insurance and NCT.

tiocimarla

unkel wrote: »

Legally sound? Not sound at all. You will get two fines. One for having no motor tax ans one for not displaying a valid tax disc.

Nope I have to stand by what I said bacause its true, my uncle is a gaurd and you have two months to get a new tax disc. If you get stopped you get ten days to produce.

No fine is given.

Also what you say means you get two fines for the same thing:rolleyes:

When your tax runs out you get a renewal letter and the two months is the cut off for this to be renewed.

Wow where are you getting your info from mate coz ye havnt a clue tbh.

What you state is an uneducated guess, what i state is FACT:P

Jo King

o/p why not get the mechanic who is doing the service to drive it with trade plates?

Max Power1

tiocimarla wrote: »

Nope I have to stand by what I said bacause its true, my uncle is a gaurd and you have two months to get a new tax disc. If you get stopped you get ten days to produce.

No fine is given.

Also what you say means you get two fines for the same thing:rolleyes:

When your tax runs out you get a renewal letter and the two months is the cut off for this to be renewed.

Wow where are you getting your info from mate coz ye havnt a clue tbh.

What you state is an uneducated guess, what i state is FACT:P

facepalm.

You can get a fine for a) non display of a valid tax disc and b) no tax.

Get your "facts" from a better informed source in future :rolleyes:

unkel

tiocimarla wrote: »

Wow where are you getting your info from mate coz ye havnt a clue tbh.

What you state is an uneducated guess, what i state is FACT:P

Really?

slimjimmc

galwaytt wrote: »

Curious: who gets the points: vehicle owner or driver ?

...hopefully using a carkit, and not phone - that's more points !!

Sorry, but that's nonsense. There is no connection between insurance and NCT.

The driver takes the whack, he is the one legally required to ensure the car complies with legislation as he is the one driving in a public place.

It wouldn't make sense otherwise, as you could then blatently drive around penalty-free in a car registered to your buddy who just emigrated to Australia, never to to return home again. I guess that's one of the reasons the Garda asks you "are you the owner of this veh-ic-le"

slimjimmc

tiocimarla wrote: »

Nope I have to stand by what I said bacause its true, my uncle is a gaurd and you have two months to get a new tax disc. If you get stopped you get ten days to produce.

No fine is given.

Also what you say means you get two fines for the same thing:rolleyes:

When your tax runs out you get a renewal letter and the two months is the cut off for this to be renewed.

Wow where are you getting your info from mate coz ye havnt a clue tbh.

What you state is an uneducated guess, what i state is FACT:P

FACT??? Please provide a link to the relevant legislation which permits you drive around for 2 months un-taxed and without risk of penalty. I would go find the link myself if I could but as there is no such law, I can't do the impossible.

I'm afraid you're confusing the generosity of a Garda's leniency with the unambiguousity of the law. Whether your uncle lets people off with breaking the law is him using his descretion.

Your motor tax is valid up to the date of expiry which the the last day of the month printed on the tax disc, it wouldn't be an expiry date if you can legally ignore it.
Once the expiry date has passed you are fair game for any Garda to prosecute you if he is so inclinded. However you can drive for up to 2 months after expiry without getting you car seized and impounded, but you can still get fined for non-displaying tax and not having tax.

And no, they are not the same thing as they are 2 seperate offences. Not having tax means you just didn't pay your tax, that's one offence. Not displaying a valid tax disc is obviously is a result of the first offence but it also covers the situation where you have paid tax but haven't bothered to stick up the new disc.

ex6

RoverJames wrote: »

Book an NCT, the date given will be in months anyway, keep the confirmation letter in the car, ... you should have no bother at all.

So is this a "rumor" or a "law"? I have similar issue upcoming soon. Looking to buy a cheap car for commuting (new job starts at 6AM - no way to make it to work with bus/train). I sent following mail to NCT.ie - have not received answer yet.

My letter to NCT.ie wrote:

Hello,

I recently changed jobs and need to buy a car within a month. I see some used cars being sold are out of NCT or just about going out (expiring NCT in 08/2010 or 09/2010 for example).

I have heared from co-workers and friends that the waiting time to get NCT done can be quite long - I have heared roughly 6 weeks.

So my question is. Can I legally drive in Irish roads with car what has no NCT, if it is not my fault - as I can not get the NCT done because of the waiting period?
In other words - if I have NCT checkup booked, but not yet passed?

With best regards,

mike65

So then did this illicit journey ever get made or successfuly completed?

Max Power1

ex6 wrote: »

So is this a "rumor" or a "law"? I have similar issue upcoming soon. Looking to buy a cheap car for commuting (new job starts at 6AM - no way to make it to work with bus/train). I sent following mail to NCT.ie - have not received answer yet.

The law is you cannot drive without a valid NCT certificate.

The "rumour" if you will- is that the gardai tend to turn a blind eye if you have a booking confirmation letter in the car. Similar to the learners driving unnacompanied - it depends totally on the individual garda, and the manner of the driver. If you are anyway pleasant and the garda is not in a bad mood, you should get off without a fine/points!

MetzgerMeister

Would it be possible for you to get a friend to tow it with their car and a tow rope/bar with you steering it? Or is this considered the same thing as driving it on the road?

celticbest

If your tax is only out since the end of July the Guards will not say anything to you as you as not required to have a new disc until 28 days after the current one expires.

If you book an NCT and get them to text you the confirmation with the test date this should also cover you in regards to the NCT being out of date.

Del2005

einheisserschre wrote: »

Would it be possible for you to get a friend to tow it with their car and a tow rope/bar with you steering it? Or is this considered the same thing as driving it on the road?

The friend would need an EB licence to do the towing.


My tax and NCT are usually always upto date and I rarely see a checkpoint. I was away with work for a few months several years ago and my tax and NCT expired when I was away, both out by about over 3 months. When I got back I was driving the car for it's NCT, still no tax as I didn't want to tax it if it failed badly, and I run into a tax checkpoint. Somehow I was waved through, but if not I'd have been walking.