Some advise needed - Driving without a valid Licence

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 7:15am #1

Hi,

Would appeciate if I could get some advice (I'm feeling somewhat low and remoresful today, so moralising not needed!)

I was stopped yesterday and my tax was out of date. For stupid reasons, I do not have valid licence.

I was given 10 days to present my licence and tax cert at the Garda Station.

Can you advse if there will be repurcussions if I acquire both in the next 10 days and present them. Will the issue date on the licence cause any poblems for me - it being later than the date on which I was stopped.

Thanks

MugMugs · 15-05-2012 7:18am

Hi. Have you ever held a licence? Did your one just expire?

Taxedalot wrote: »

Can you advse if there will be repurcussions if I acquire both in the next 10 days and present them.

Probably, you didn't have a valid licence at the time. TAX might not be an issue though.

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 7:20am

MugMugs wrote: »

Hi. Have you ever held a licence? Did your one just expire?

Probably, you didn't have a valid licence at the time. TAX might not be an issue though.

Long expired unfortunately!!

fergal.b · 15-05-2012 7:20am

Obviosly Taxedalot your not tax as much as the rest of us

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 7:22am

fergal.b wrote: »

Obviosly Taxedalot your not tax as much as the rest of us

I was waiting for that! If didn't pay so much in other taxes, the motor tax would have been paid!

MugMugs · 15-05-2012 7:24am

Taxedalot wrote: »

Long expired unfortunately!!

Do you think you'll get one in the ten days ?

You could be done for no licence. Get down to your local office today and apply for your new one. TAX your car and try find the Garda that stopped you (if you have his details) and explain your case to him and see what he wants to do. This however is a conversation you would have been better off having last night.

fergal.b wrote: »

Obviosly Taxedalot your not tax as much as the rest of us

Pretty apt username considering the circumstances alright.

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 7:29am

MugMugs wrote: »

Do you think you'll get one in the ten days ?

You could be done for no licence. Get down to your local office today and apply for your new one. TAX your car and try find the Garda that stopped you (if you have his details) and explain your case to him and see what he wants to do. This however is a conversation you would have been better off having last night.

Pretty apt username considering the circumstances alright.

I should be able to - I assume if all paperwork is in order I can pick new one up at the Tax office.

Going to change username after this to Incometaxedalot!

K.Flyer · 15-05-2012 7:31am

As above,
But when you go to tax your car make sure to pay the arrears as well and get and keep the receipt.
If you do end up in court it will stand in your favour, but you may still get a small fine for it.

MugMugs · 15-05-2012 7:32am

Taxedalot wrote: »

I should be able to - I assume if all paperwork is in order I can pick new one up at the Tax office.

You've a lot more faith in local councils than I.

howamidifferent · 15-05-2012 7:37am

I had a similar experience about 15 years ago. Genuine in that I hadn't realised either license or tax had expired. Renewed both immediately and presented them at the garda station. Explained it was a simple oversight and that was the end of it for me. Guard took my explanation at face value. It was a simple mistake on my part, no intention of not paying or anything.

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 7:42am

howamidifferent wrote: »

I had a similar experience about 15 years ago. Genuine in that I hadn't realised either license or tax had expired. Renewed both immediately and presented them at the garda station. Explained it was a simple oversight and that was the end of it for me. Guard took my explanation at face value. It was a simple mistake on my part, no intention of not paying or anything.

To be honest, this is fairly similar to my situation - I've no intention of not paying the tax, and it wasn't that far out of date either. I'm an honest individual, so hopefully I'll be treated as such and might manage some sleep tonight.

corktina · 15-05-2012 8:27am

Taxedalot wrote: »

I should be able to - I assume if all paperwork is in order I can pick new one up at the Tax office.

Going to change username after this to Incometaxedalot!

we all could use that name, we just don't

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 9:05am

corktina wrote: »

we all could use that name, we just don't

Thanks for that valuable contribution.

djimi · 15-05-2012 10:00am

Taxedalot wrote: »

I should be able to - I assume if all paperwork is in order I can pick new one up at the Tax office.

Took 15 days for my license to get sent out at the end of last month. Thats from Naas; not sure if its the same everywhere.

Tax you can get on the spot in the tax office.

Taxedalot · 15-05-2012 10:09am

djimi wrote: »

Took 15 days for my license to get sent out at the end of last month. Thats from Naas; not sure if its the same everywhere.

Tax you can get on the spot in the tax office.

Thanks.

I rang the Licence centre and they say that if I bring in all my documentation, they can't hand it out on the spot unless it is an urgent request with some documentation to prove its urgency - I don't think my situation will count from their perspective. Otherwise they will post it and claim I'll have it in a week. I'll drop down there later so should have it before the 10 days is up. I'll get the tax sorted while I'm there.

djimi · 15-05-2012 10:21am

Youll get a receipt to show that you have applied for and paid for the new license, so that might be enough to present to the Gardai. Worth a try; maybe bring some other form of ID just to be sure.

vectra · 15-05-2012 2:38pm

Can you no longer just walk into the tax office and renew your licence??

djimi · 15-05-2012 2:42pm

vectra wrote: »

Can you no longer just walk into the tax office and renew your licence??

Yes but you wont be issued the license on the spot; it will be sent out to you in about a fortnight.

Mycroft H · 15-05-2012 2:49pm

Taxedalot wrote: »

Long expired unfortunately!!

How long?

Not more then ten years I hope.

Jimdagym · 15-05-2012 3:32pm

Is it a pink one that's expired or a green one?

sligono1 · 15-05-2012 4:33pm

it will depend on the garda on what he wants to do and i know that for a fact last year somthing similar happened me the cop made a song and a dance about my licence been out of date.
but he did nothing about it he got me for the Tax and no belt,next day i taxed and back taxed the car paid my fines.no more about it after.

most of them are more intrested in lifting on the spot fines,wheres the licence would have to go to court.

but if you can show him you have done all you can to make right the situation he may cut you some slack

Foxhole Norman · 15-05-2012 4:48pm

vectra wrote: »

Can you no longer just walk into the tax office and renew your licence??

That only happens down in the Cork Tax Office now it seems.

Taxedalot · 16-05-2012 6:47am

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

That only happens down in the Cork Tax Office now it seems.

Thanks for all the responses.

In answer to some of the questions above:

Expired one is pink and less than ten years expired. I'm heading in to today to get new one - I rang yesterday and was told it will be posted within 5 days. If I have some documentary proof of it being needed urgently it can be issued on the spot. I don't have anything of this nature, but wonder if I tell them the Guards need it perhaps this might do - worth a try.

The tax I'll also get later today.

The last question I have, is one I should have asked when stopped, but I was so addled I didn't think of it - what type of 10 days are we talking here? Business days? Calendar days?

Thanks again for all of the advice - hopefully my experience will be the same as one of the the above posters, namely that he'll be happy that I've done all I can to set things right. Producing a licence at least shows that I wasn't disqualified from having one!

MugMugs · 16-05-2012 6:53am

Ten calendar days OP.

Mugs

bbam · 16-05-2012 6:54am

Once your licence is less than ten years out of date it's the same thing as being six months out of date.
Hey into the office and apply for both ASAP and you should have them back out in time.
Unless you were being a twat with the guard you'll be ok.

MugMugs · 16-05-2012 6:57am

bbam wrote: »

Once your licence is less than ten years out of date it's the same thing as being six months out of date.

The OP was answering a direct question re how long the licence was expired. He wasn't trying to justify anything. Under ten years expired is relevant.

Mugs

Taxedalot · 16-05-2012 7:30am

MugMugs wrote: »

The OP was answering a direct question re how long the licence was expired. He wasn't trying to justify anything. Under ten years expired is relevant.

Mugs

Someone defended me! Can you come with me when I go to the Station?

MugMugs · 16-05-2012 8:12am

Taxedalot wrote: »

MugMugs wrote: »

The OP was answering a direct question re how long the licence was expired. He wasn't trying to justify anything. Under ten years expired is relevant.

Mugs

Someone defended me! Can you come with me when I go to the Station?

I'm the last person you want with you

Mugs

sligono1 · 16-05-2012 9:26am

is it your local station you have to produce it at?? what is done in that case is the local garda just imputs your licence details into the pulse system,again speaking from experience i had to produce and the licence was out of date got the new new one the local garda coped it but just went ahead put in my details and that was that

Taxedalot · 16-05-2012 9:59am

sligono1 wrote: »

is it your local station you have to produce it at?? what is done in that case is the local garda just imputs your licence details into the pulse system,again speaking from experience i had to produce and the licence was out of date got the new new one the local garda coped it but just went ahead put in my details and that was that

I presume then that the original Garda, checks up against the pulse system to make sure that I've gone in within the ten days, so that he will know to issue a summons or not. Is he likely to also check the efficacy of what documents I've produced at the local station?

Do you think I'm correct in thinking that worst case scenario would be some points and a fine?

sligono1 · 16-05-2012 10:23am

im not sure how the pulse works,but i dont think there is points for licence you would have to be brought to court and fined,but again i have only ever herd of people who went to court who never produced but im sure if you make the effort and pay all your fines and show youve done all you can do things will be ok,

From my own dealing with the Gardai of late the big limpness is on gathering money for the state coffers first and foremost.

but let us know how you get on

Taxedalot · 22-05-2012 7:15am

sligono1 wrote: »

im not sure how the pulse works,but i dont think there is points for licence you would have to be brought to court and fined,but again i have only ever herd of people who went to court who never produced but im sure if you make the effort and pay all your fines and show youve done all you can do things will be ok,

From my own dealing with the Gardai of late the big limpness is on gathering money for the state coffers first and foremost.

but let us know how you get on

The outcome:

Got Licence and the tax. Went to the Garda station and was given a "receipt" to show I had presented the documents, walked away thinking all was good (with just a little pang that maybe the licence being dated after being stopped might come back to bite me at some point). Looked at the receipt again and it seemed to say that the car wasn't insured. Went back and checked and was told that all that was being looked for based on what the original Guard had put on the system, was the tax and that's why the insurance part of the receipt was not filled out fully. Asked did I need to do anything else and I was told, "no, you're good to go".

Hoping that's how it works out and vowing to not be so silly again.

Some advise needed - Driving without a valid Licence

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