Car off road since Jan, needs NCT

borderlinemeath

Hope all you experts can give me the right info as most people I ask are of conflicting opinions...

My car has been off the road since around February. The tax was up since end of January and there was a problem with the clutch. It also needed new tyres so I parked it up as I couldn't afford to do all at once and if I've needed transport I've used my fiances car as he also has a van.

NCT ran out in July and it's only now I have enough spare cash to sort out the car as I plan to sell it. I've got new tyres and the clutch sorted, but my question is do I need to get it taxed to go for the NCT? If it comes to it I'll put 3 months tax on it to sell it but it would be a last resort as I would think the NCT more important for a sale.

Kenny Logins

Get the RF100 form stamped (non-use period, sect. 5.3) at your local garda station and if you get stopped, tax it.

I don't think you need tax for an NCT.

Tallon

There is a law that allows you do drive it strictly to and from the test centre.

6. If my NCT is due, how can I arrange an inspection?

If your car is eligible for the NCT (please refer to testing chart above) then please phone us on 1890 412 413 or you can check our on-line service by simply typing in your car registration number and date of first registration of the vehicle (which can be found on your vehicle registration book, registration certificate or licensing certificate.

Cars that have been off the road or have not been taxed for over 3 months it will be necessary for the owner of the vehicle to contact NCTS directly themselves.

http://ncts.ie/faq.html


Edit: Legislation here

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/si/0395.html

Go down to 3. (2) (C)

3. (1) Subject to sub-article (2) and to article 4, section 18 of the Principal Act and these Regulations shall apply to vehicles having at least four wheels, which are designed and constructed primarily for the carriage of passengers and which have a maximum of 8 seats excluding the driver's seat and a maximum design gross vehicle weight of 3,500 kilograms.
(2) Sub-article (1) shall not apply to a vehicle—
(a) which is an historic vehicle,
(b) which is solely used on an off-shore island,
(c) which is being driven to a test centre, for the purposes of having a test, or a re-test, carried out, for which an appointment had been made prior to the time of such driving,
(d) on the day on which a test certificate in respect of the said vehicle had been refused,

borderlinemeath

That's great to know, thanks. Once I know they won't refuse to do the NCT without tax I can get it there on a trailer if necessary:D.

Capt'n Midnight

What's the story on insurance on the day?

Most insurance will let you drive someone else's car but not a second car you own. Yes I could transfer ownership and transfer back again afterwards but that's getting silly.

So do you have to get someone whose insurance would cover it to drive it on the day ? Or is there a way you transfer insurance for a day without having to pay through the nose for the privilege ?
Or can you insure a car for one day ?

aujopimur

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

So on the day of a pre-booked test the car can be driven to the centre without Tax

Just to be clear, because it's a penalty point offence, does the same apply to not having an NCT ?


What's the story on insurance on the day?

Most insurance will let you drive someone else's car but not a second car you own. Yes I could transfer ownership and transfer back again afterwards but that's getting silly.

So do you have to get someone whose insurance would cover it to drive it on the day ? Or is there a way you transfer insurance for a day without having to pay through the nose for the privilege ?

Or can you insure a car for one day ?

You need tax and insurance to drive to the test centre, it's up to the owner to arrange insurance cover.

CiniO

Tallon wrote: »

There is a law that allows you do drive it strictly to and from the test centre.

No, there isn't.

http://ncts.ie/faq.html

Cars that have been off the road or have not been taxed for over 3 months it will be necessary for the owner of the vehicle to contact NCTS directly themselves.

In that FAQ I think what they meant, was that if car was untaxed for more than 3 months, they won't send letter reminder about NCT with appintment automatically, and therefore owner will have to contact them directly to get an appointment. That's at least how it used to work.
Now it was changes, letters are not sent anymore, and surely first part of that FAQ question was edited, while they forgot to edit the quoted part.

But in reality, it doesn't make any difference either for booking NCT or for testing the car, whether it has valid tax or not.

Edit: Legislation here

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/si/0395.html

Go down to 3. (2) (C)

Unfortunately this legislation doesn't apply anymore since 2002.

20. The Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations, 1999 ( S.I. No. 395 of 1999 ), the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations, 2000 ( S.I. No. 368 of 2000 ), the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations, 2001 ( S.I. No. 32 of 2001 ) and the Road Traffic (National Car Test) (No 2) Regulations, 2001 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2001 ) are hereby revoked with effect from 1 January 2002.

The most currecnt NCT legislation is this one:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0567.html
with few further (irrelevant here) amendments.

Quotation from the above:

(5) This Regulation does not apply to a vehicle—


(a) first registered prior to 1 January 1980,


(b) which is used solely on an off-shore island,


(c) on the day on which a test certificate in respect of the vehicle had been refused, or


(d) which is owned or operated by the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces.

So as you were right about the second part (that vehicle can be driven after it failed the test for the rest of the day, but it can't be driven legally to the test centre for the test, if it doesn't have a valid test.

So generally OP can't drive a car legally to the test centre no matter what he does.
Towing is the only legal option, and I assume cheaper than buying a tax, which wouldn't solve a problem of vehicle legality on the road because of lack of NCT.

Capt'n Midnight

aujopimur wrote: »

it's up to the owner to arrange insurance cover.

My insurance on my other car would cover me driving someone else's car with their permission.

It will not cover me driving this car even though I am the owner.

Yes I can transfer insurance but it's €40 each swap over, like I said it would be cheaper to transfer ownership a week each side of the NCT.

Do insurance companies do cover for day / week on a second car ?