NCT Overdue

Scráib

This is slightly embarassing becuase I actually love my car and treat it like a baby. People always comment on how it still has the new car smell. Anyway...

I was never sure when my car was due for it's first NCT. Most people I know got a letter to tell them their car was due an NCT so I assumed that I'd recieve one myself in due course and forgot about it. No letter came though, so recently I started to wake up a bit and get worried.

Today I was on the NCT site becuase I thought the car would be due it's first test in April. To my horror, I realised that my car was in fact due since 2010!! :eek: I've been driving without a cert on my car for two years & I have no idea how any of the garda checkpoints I've passed through never copped it.

So then, to the point: I'm going to book an NCT ASAP, as in tomorrow when I can ring in (becuase the online booking won't let me today). Does anyone know what the consequences will be for not having an NCT for this long on the car? I've read up to 5 penalty points.

kona

Scráib wrote: »

Does anyone know what the consequences will be for not having an NCT for this long on the car? I've read up to 5 penalty points.

Not having to pay e75 every year for a scam for a start.

Anan1

kona wrote: »

Not having to pay e75 every year for a scam for a start.

The test costs €55, and the OP only needs to do it every two years. Given that you can't even get the basics right, you'll have to forgive me for not giving too much weight to your opinion on the actual test.;)

@OP - There will be no consequences as long as you don't get caught driving without a valid NCT.

Fiona

Once you get your booking confirmation print it out and leave it in your car in case you are stopped.

kona

Anan1 wrote: »

The test costs €55, and the OP only needs to do it every two years. Given that you can't even get the basics right, you'll have to forgive me for not giving too much weight to your opinion on the actual test.;)

Fair enough, Its not a scam because I dont know how much they take your for these days.

Gingernuts31

You can only get points if you are caught by a garda. If you haven't been caught so far I don't think anything will happen to you regards points. I don't know if the staff can report you for not having it since 2010 but I find most of them just want to get you out of there, get the next car done and go home.

If it was due in 2010 its a 2006 reg is that right? If you had of gotten it done then lets say in march 2010 the cert would have brought you up to march 2012. They might just do the test and give you a cert starting off fresh from 2012.

I don't think they will make a big deal out of it but my advice to you is don't drive your car untill you are going for the test. Even though you have been lucky so far with the guards and they haven't copped it it will be a day or 2 before the test and it will be copped and then you will be in big trouble. I know its prob not feasable not to drive but if you can get away with not driving it by all means don't drive it.

Call the centre and see what they say. Ask if they can just give you a test starting fresh from this year.

Let us know how you get on please? Good luck

L1011

Gingernuts31 wrote: »

Call the centre and see what they say. Ask if they can just give you a test starting fresh from this year.

That's not something the centre has powers to do. It'll be two years from due date (unless its within 3 months of the *next* due date).

bobbytables

Although I do not recommend anyone drives with an invalid NCT, in my experience I found that tax & insurance seems to be of greater interest to the authorities. Naturally if you're being an ass in your car, they'll throw it at you also.

Make sure your lights are working if driving at night.

Gingernuts31

MYOB wrote: »

That's not something the centre has powers to do. It'll be two years from due date (unless its within 3 months of the *next* due date).

What will happen to her then cause her car was due in 2010 and she didn't know it. Not an easy thing to miss but how and ever. Her due date was 2 years ago. If the OP is a she I don't know could be a he.

peace2804

There is nothing to worry about because it's not the task of the NCT crowd to report you, they just have to check the usual stuff and that's it.
My brother in law was away for a year and a half abroad and his car was in his garage for all this time with no NCT, when he came back he went to the NCT center and passed without having to explain anything, on the top of that he didn't have the tax nor the insurance when he went to the NCT center .

Our man in Havana

on the top of that he didn't have the tax nor the insurance when he went to the NCT center

/facepalm!

CiniO

OP it makes quite a difference now when exactly was nct due.
Assume if your car was first registered f.e. on 1st Aug 2006, then NCT was due on 1st August 2010. Then next due date is 1st August 2012.
So if you book NCT now and do it say next week, you will get a certificate valid for only just over 4 months (until 1st August 2012).
However if your NCT was due say 1st July 2010, so next due date is 1st July 2012.
So if you book your NCT now for 2nd April (which is less then 90 days before due date) you will get a cert for 27 months until 1st July 2014.

Also don't worry about any consequences if you haven't been penalized for this so far.
NCT centre won't report you or fine you, as it's non of their business why you didn't have valid NCT for last 2 years.
All you need to make sure is that your car is roadworthy and ready for NCT, and that you don't drive it. (to stay fully legal you should now tow your car to NCT centre instead of driving it there). However if your car fails NCT (and it's not a dangerous fail), you are legally allowed to drive it anywhere for the remaining of the day on which your car failed, so f.e. you can drive around garages to find the best one to fix whatever was wrong.

CiniO

Our man in Havana wrote: »

/facepalm!

Maybe he towed a car to the test centre. You never know

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

OP it makes quite a difference now when exactly was nct due.
Assume if your car was first registered f.e. on 1st Aug 2006, then NCT was due on 1st August 2010. Then next due date is 1st August 2012.
So if you book NCT now and do it say next week, you will get a certificate valid for only just over 4 months (until 1st August 2012).
However if your NCT was due say 1st July 2010, so next due date is 1st July 2012.
So if you book your NCT now for 2nd April (which is less then 90 days before due date) you will get a cert for 27 months until 1st July 2014.

Also don't worry about any consequences if you haven't been penalized for this so far.
NCT centre won't report you or fine you, as it's non of their business why you didn't have valid NCT for last 2 years.
All you need to make sure is that your car is roadworthy and ready for NCT, and that you don't drive it. (to stay fully legal you should now tow your car to NCT centre instead of driving it there). However if your car fails NCT (and it's not a dangerous fail), you are legally allowed to drive it anywhere for the remaining of the day on which your car failed, so f.e. you can drive around garages to find the best one to fix whatever was wrong.

I thought one of the NCT exemptions was for the day of the test; in which case, why tow?

CiniO

Marcusm wrote: »

I thought one of the NCT exemptions was for the day of the test; in which case, why tow?

There was an exemption for driving to the test centre on the day of the test.
However it looks like this was scrapped when regulations were amended in 2009. We had a discussion about it very recently in here (I think last week).

There is still the exemption applicable though, which permits to drive without NCT after failing the test, till the end of the day.

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

There was an exemption for driving to the test centre on the day of the test.
However it looks like this was scrapped when regulations were amended in 2009. We had a discussion about it very recently in here (I think last week).

There is still the exemption applicable though, which permits to drive without NCT after failing the test, till the end of the day.

I've just looked them up too. Seems weird not to have an exemption limited to a trip to a pre booked test - I have availed of a similar exemption in the UK. Can't see that there is a policy reason to have changed it.

corktina

CiniO wrote: »

OP it makes quite a difference now when exactly was nct due.
Assume if your car was first registered f.e. on 1st Aug 2006, then NCT was due on 1st August 2010. Then next due date is 1st August 2012.
So if you book NCT now and do it say next week, you will get a certificate valid for only just over 4 months (until 1st August 2012).
However if your NCT was due say 1st July 2010, so next due date is 1st July 2012.
So if you book your NCT now for 2nd April (which is less then 90 days before due date) you will get a cert for 27 months until 1st July 2014.

Also don't worry about any consequences if you haven't been penalized for this so far.
NCT centre won't report you or fine you, as it's non of their business why you didn't have valid NCT for last 2 years.
All you need to make sure is that your car is roadworthy and ready for NCT, and that you don't drive it. (to stay fully legal you should now tow your car to NCT centre instead of driving it there). However if your car fails NCT (and it's not a dangerous fail), you are legally allowed to drive it anywhere for the remaining of the day on which your car failed, so f.e. you can drive around garages to find the best one to fix whatever was wrong.

has to be insured though if its on its own wheels.

Scráib

CiniO wrote: »

OP it makes quite a difference now when exactly was nct due.
Assume if your car was first registered f.e. on 1st Aug 2006, then NCT was due on 1st August 2010. Then next due date is 1st August 2012.
So if you book NCT now and do it say next week, you will get a certificate valid for only just over 4 months (until 1st August 2012).
However if your NCT was due say 1st July 2010, so next due date is 1st July 2012.
So if you book your NCT now for 2nd April (which is less then 90 days before due date) you will get a cert for 27 months until 1st July 2014.

Also don't worry about any consequences if you haven't been penalized for this so far.
NCT centre won't report you or fine you, as it's non of their business why you didn't have valid NCT for last 2 years.
All you need to make sure is that your car is roadworthy and ready for NCT, and that you don't drive it. (to stay fully legal you should now tow your car to NCT centre instead of driving it there). However if your car fails NCT (and it's not a dangerous fail), you are legally allowed to drive it anywhere for the remaining of the day on which your car failed, so f.e. you can drive around garages to find the best one to fix whatever was wrong.

Well the silver lining here is that the NCT was due in February so I'll have it done for 2012-2014 now. I booked her in no problem anyway, come Saturday week I'll have that cert.

Thanks for the info folks! I might as well let ye know about the outcome when it's all said and done!

Scráib

Well I went out and had the NCT done, the car pased first time no bothers at all and not one word said about the fact that I was two years overdue!

Actually I have to say this: the lads in the garage were bang on sound, right down to the steward who checked the car in! They got the car in no hassle and had it sorted in a half-hour and then a quick "Yeah the car's fine, thanks!" at the end.

Thanks again for the advice folks, my car's no longer an unknowing penalty point magnet!!

Mr Benevolent

Scráib wrote: »

Well I went out and had the NCT done, the car pased first time no bothers at all and not one word said about the fact that I was two years overdue!

Actually I have to say this: the lads in the garage were bang on sound, right down to the steward who checked the car in! They got the car in no hassle and had it sorted in a half-hour and then a quick "Yeah the car's fine, thanks!" at the end.

Thanks again for the advice folks, my car's no longer an unknowing penalty point magnet!!

When is the NCT valid until?

Anan1

Confab wrote: »

When is the NCT valid until?

Feb 2014.

Jimbob 83

My car was 18 months out of NCT at one stage and they made me do it again 6 months later, what a scam, wasn't my fault previous owner was a lazy gimp

Anan1

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

My car was 18 months out of NCT at one stage and they made me do it again 6 months later, what a scam, wasn't my fault previous owner was a lazy gimp

How does the previous owner being a lazy gimp make the NCT a scam?

Jimbob 83

Anan1 wrote: »

How does the previous owner being a lazy gimp make the NCT a scam?

The car was tested once i bought it and was fine, so why should i have to go back and do it again 6 months later instead of 2 years later just to catch up, back tax i can understand but having to do nct again after 6 months to catch up makes no sense

Anan1

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

The car was tested once i bought it and was fine, so why should i have to go back and do it again 6 months later instead of 2 years later just to catch up, back tax i can understand but having to do nct again after 6 months to catch up makes no sense

Sure it does, the idea is to disincentivise people from getting their cars tested late.

CiniO

Anan1 wrote: »

Sure it does, the idea is to disincentivise people from getting their cars tested late.

Is there any other country in Europe which disincentivesises people from delaying doing their tests that way? I actually doubt it, but I might be wrong.

If road checks were happening more often, and penalties for such offenses as driving without NCT or TAX were more severe, there wouldn't be any need to disincentivise people from delaying they NCT or declaring cars off the road to avoid few months tax.

PS - I've done over 200,000 kilometres in Ireland, and I was stopped at roadcheck once.
About 3000km over France, and 2 roadchecks.
About 8000km over Germany and 1 roadcheck.
About 10,000km over Slovakia - 3 roadchecks.
Over 250,000 kilometres over Poland and probably more than 100 roadchecks.

slimjimmc

CiniO wrote: »

Is there any other country in Europe which disincentivesises people from delaying doing their tests that way? I actually doubt it, but I might be wrong.

If road checks were happening more often, and penalties for such offenses as driving without NCT or TAX were more severe, there wouldn't be any need to disincentivise people from delaying they NCT or declaring cars off the road to avoid few months tax.

PS - I've done over 200,000 kilometres in Ireland, and I was stopped at roadcheck once.
About 3000km over France, and 2 roadchecks.
About 8000km over Germany and 1 roadcheck.
About 10,000km over Slovakia - 3 roadchecks.
Over 250,000 kilometres over Poland and probably more than 100 roadchecks.

Well perhaps other countries might follow Ireland's lead then . Just because it's not done elsewhere (yet) doesn't mean it's inappropriate for here or elsewhere. While stricter enforcement of the law would encourage greater compliance it doesn't cost the State anything to make delaying the NCT less attractive.

Senna

CiniO wrote: »

PS - I've done over 200,000 kilometres in Ireland, and I was stopped at roadcheck once.

Well that's Bull, i'd bet my house on that.

CiniO

slimjimmc wrote: »

Well perhaps other countries might follow Ireland's lead then . Just because it's not done elsewhere (yet) doesn't mean it's inappropriate for here or elsewhere. While stricter enforcement of the law would encourage greater compliance it doesn't cost the State anything to make delaying the NCT less attractive.

Well, OP's case proves that delaying NCT in current system in Ireland can be attractive, as he got it not for 2 years anyway, and saved 50 quid on test 2 years ago.

I wrote about it in some other thread, but it's just above my mind how can test be valid "up to certain date" no matter when done, instead of being valid "for a certain period from the test".
Second option is the only logical solution.

Do you really believe that if system was changed that test was valid for year/2years from test date, then all those people who do a test on time would decide now to delay doing it, to have it valid for few months longer. I don't think so. While people who would delay doing the test, do it anyway at the moment.

But the amount of inconvienance for ordinary people is very big.
1. When you don't use your car for a while as you are f.e. away, and then come back, NCT your car and get a test valid only for few months - nonsense.
2. If you buy a car which wasn't used neither NCTed. You NCT it and get a test valid only for few months - nonsence.
3. The worst situation - you want to take your car abroad for longer, but your NCT is due in 4 months. So you can't do next NCT yet, as it's 3 months before the due date the earliest, and therefore you can't stay abroad longer than 4 months, as your NCT will ran out.


NCT being valid up to anniversary date, doesn't help anything, but inconvienances plenty of people.

CiniO

Senna wrote: »

Well that's Bull, i'd bet my house on that.

Why do you think so?

Senna

CiniO wrote: »

Why do you think so?

Unless the 200k km were spaced out over 20 years and all you driving was on back roads, then i do not believe you can do 200k km and only get stopped once.

CiniO

Senna wrote: »

Unless the 200k km were spaced out over 20 years and all you driving was on back roads, then i do not believe you can do 200k km and only get stopped once.

200k is spaced mostly over last 4 years.

And yes - most of it (maybe 80%) was on the country roads, however remaining 20% was mostly on main national roads and motorway. Also a bit of city driving as well.

Why should I be lying?

haminka

I've been driving in Ireland.for the past four years, always city or mainroads and had my first encounter with the guards 3 weeks ago, they checked the displayed discs and off i drove.

Our man in Havana

I was driving in Ireland for almost 5 years before I ever encountered a road check.

You can drive from my house in Bulgaria to Sofia (300km) and I will bet you €100 you would get pulled over at least once.

ayenotabadday

Is there a fee involved for not putting it through two years ago? Im in the exact same position now. I heard that you have to pay the Eur55 to cover the previous two years so that the car has continuous nct certificates? Any truth in this? Hopefully not :eek:

Jimbob 83

When i bought my Octavia it was 18 months out of test so i did test and 6 months later had to do again, is no clean starts.

Anan1

ayenotabadday wrote: »

Is there a fee involved for not putting it through two years ago? Im in the exact same position now. I heard that you have to pay the Eur55 to cover the previous two years so that the car has continuous nct certificates? Any truth in this? Hopefully not :eek:

No.

BHP

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

When i bought my Octavia it was 18 months out of test so i did test and 6 months later had to do again, is no clean starts.

If you had waited until it was 21 months out you would have got a certificate for 2 years and three months.

Clairehoop

Could anyone help me with this query please

My NCT was up last may. I have not driven the car since as I was away. The car is over 10 years old. So therefore I need the nct every year.

So I booked my nct for next week. I am just wondering if I will need to backdate it. Or is there an exemption. Or will I need to get it done next week and again in may? Thanks

Stheno

Clairehoop wrote: »

Could anyone help me with this query please

My NCT was up last may. I have not driven the car since as I was away. The car is over 10 years old. So therefore I need the nct every year.

So I booked my nct for next week. I am just wondering if I will need to backdate it. Or is there an exemption. Or will I need to get it done next week and again in may? Thanks

Answered in the other thread you posted in