Someone driving with a lapsed licence, what happens if caught?

Col200sx

Was chatting to a friend about the new drivers licences, and only then after looking at his did he realise its been lapsed for the last 3weeks.

The fact that its a bank holiday, more Gardai, checkpoints etc, he's dreading driving in case.

As there's no reminder, and its a 10 year thing, I'm sure a lot forget about renewing it easily enough.

So then, what's the situation with a lapsed licence if pulled by Gardai?

Cabaal

Won't be good, he shouldn't drive until he has a valid license again

mloc123

I believe if you have held a licence in the correct category and it was not revoked that it isn't a huge issue, this might be a mix of rumour and anecdote.

CiniO

Most likely a fine.
What's most important, most insurance companies don't invalidate your cover if your licence is expired, so there shouldn't be too much problems if there is an accident.

ProudDUB

Best case scenario, he is waved on and told to apply for a renewal as soon as possible.

Fair to middling case scenario, a fine and told to bring proof to a Garda station within 10 days, that he has applied for a renewal of his license.

Worst case scenario, the above, a summons and his car is seized. That may seem an extreme reaction given that it has only been expired for a couple of weeks. But the Gardai regularly post pix on their twitter account of cars that they have seized due to the driver having no license or tax or insurance or NCT etc etc. It does happen.

Col200sx

Thanks for the answers folks.

Was pure chance he looked at it because we were talking about them, had we not been, he doesn't know when he would've spotted it was expired.

So if he applies first thing Tuesday morning, is he considered to have a licence even though there's a waiting time for the new one to be issued?

coylemj

I have been driving for almost 40 years and have never been asked to produce my driving licence. I'd be stopped a few times a year at checkpoints, most recently outside a small town in Co. Tipp. on a Sunday two weeks ago. They look at the paperwork on my windscreen and then wave me on without talking a word to me.

650Ginge

Pretty sure the requirement is that you have an entitlement to drive and that has not been revoked. Not having a valid license is an offence but a minor one.

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

I have been driving for almost 40 years and have never been asked to produce my driving licence. I'd be stopped a few times a year at checkpoints, most recently outside a small town in Co. Tipp. on a Sunday two weeks ago. They look at the paperwork on my windscreen and then wave me on without talking a word to me.

Heh see how things can be different.
In 15 years I've been driving, I was asked for my licence at least 100 times.
Could have been 200 I suppose.

mickdw

Driving since 1995 and Ive been asked for licence twice I think.

djimi

I think my license was out of date for about 6 months before I realised. I was in my glovebox for about three years and I doubt I actually looked at it since the day I put it in there.

Technically you can get points for not having a valid license on your person (I imagine having an expired license is the same as not having one on you at all), but honestly it would take a real grumpy Garda to pull you up for it being a short while expired, considering renewing your license is basically just a tax to buy a newer piece of paper (or plastic as it is now).

ironclaw

Maybe I'm missing something but I can't see any reference to it being a penalty point offence:

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Licensed%20Drivers/Penalty%20Points%20Chart1.pdf

Road Traffic Act 1961 (I'm sure there is newer, but its the one that comes to mind) says:

"A person shall not drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place unless he holds a driving licence for the time being having effect and licensing him to drive the vehicle."

So, it comes down to whether the license is the piece of paper or the record in the Dept. of Transport. If it was me, carry the expired one and renew immediately. You have no been disqualified so you are still licensed, the paper is just out of date so to speak.

O.A.P

They sent me out a reminder last month that mine was out on the 17th of this month.
I got the new plastic one in the post on Tuesday, only valid for 5 years because I have a C license
They did send out a reminder though.

djimi

ironclaw wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something but I can't see any reference to it being a penalty point offence:

Maybe Im wrong, but I had thought that it was a points offense to be found to be driving while not in possession of your license.

Col200sx

O.A.P wrote: »

They sent me out a reminder last month that mine was out on the 17th of this month.
I got the new plastic one in the post on Tuesday, only valid for 5 years because I have a C license
They did send out a reminder though.

I thought they didn't send out reminders???

Mind ya the address I was living at the time is on my licence, so its not my current residence.

Does that mean a reminder will be sent to that old address on expiration?

bop1977

djimi wrote: »

Maybe Im wrong, but I had thought that it was a points offense to be found to be driving while not in possession of your license.

I think that's refers to the actual piece of paper licence and not, not having a valid licence.

ardmacha

Having a licence expired a week or two, while entitled to hold one, is not a major problem. Just renew it

yawhat!

I've been driving on the provisional for two years. Went through one or two checkpoints and just check the tax and insurance. You'll be grand.

power pants

got stopped many a time when my licence expired and kept forgetting to send off for it to be renewed. Just said to each garda that I had sent it off and was waiting on it back. Nobody every batted an eye lid

Zoney

Drive with L plates (and accompanying driver) but at checkpoint it's just the windscreen discs checked - neither of us asked for licence.

No doubt it's possible to be asked for a licence all the same!

O.A.P

Col200sx wrote: »

I thought they didn't send out reminders???

Mind ya the address I was living at the time is on my licence, so its not my current residence.

Does that mean a reminder will be sent to that old address on expiration?

I can only speak for me, but yeah I got a reminder

No Pants

djimi wrote: »

I was in my glovebox for about three years

Did you lock yourself in?

Del2005

djimi wrote: »

I think my license was out of date for about 6 months before I realised. I was in my glovebox for about three years and I doubt I actually looked at it since the day I put it in there.

Technically you can get points for not having a valid license on your person (I imagine having an expired license is the same as not having one on you at all), but honestly it would take a real grumpy Garda to pull you up for it being a short while expired, considering renewing your license is basically just a tax to buy a newer piece of paper (or plastic as it is now).

No. Not having a licence is a serious offence. Having an expired licence is a minor offence. There is a time limit after which your endorsements aren't valid, so after IIRC 10 years you loose any entitlement you don't renew.

wotzgoingon

coylemj wrote: »

I have been driving for almost 40 years and have never been asked to produce my driving licence. I'd be stopped a few times a year at checkpoints, most recently outside a small town in Co. Tipp. on a Sunday two weeks ago. They look at the paperwork on my windscreen and then wave me on without talking a word to me.

Every time I'm stopped I'm asked for licence.

Nonoperational

CiniO wrote: »

Heh see how things can be different.
In 15 years I've been driving, I was asked for my licence at least 100 times.
Could have been 200 I suppose.

You must look extremely dodgy!

johndoc

CiniO wrote: »

Heh see how things can be different.
In 15 years I've been driving, I was asked for my licence at least 100 times.
Could have been 200 I suppose.

100 times? Over 6 times per year?
Piss off.

2013LEO

Col200sx wrote: »

Was chatting to a friend about the new drivers licences, and only then after looking at his did he realise its been lapsed for the last 3weeks.

The fact that its a bank holiday, more Gardai, checkpoints etc, he's dreading driving in case.

As there's no reminder, and its a 10 year thing, I'm sure a lot forget about renewing it easily enough.

So then, what's the situation with a lapsed licence if pulled by Gardai?

Your friend can renew up to 2pm today (Saturday) but it will be very busy in the centres so he should go in as early as possible. I got a reminder too, it was sent to the address on the licence.

http://www.ndls.ie/en/about-us/where-are-the-new-ndls-centres.html

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driver_licensing/renewing_a_full_driving_licence.html

RustyNut

From personal experiance having being summonsed after meeting the wrong guard while my licence was out of date the judge fined me €10 and told me it would be cheeper to buy a diary in the future.

fatherted1969

Got a reminder in post yesterday that my licence is expiring in three weeks

Del2005

RustyNut wrote: »

From personal experiance having being summonsed after meeting the wrong guard while my licence was out of date the judge fined me €10 and told me it would be cheeper to buy a diary in the future.

A diary for 10 years after you get your licence! I know must judges seem to live in cloud cuckoo land, but telling you to buy a diary that hasn't been printed and then keep it for 10 years to remember to renew your licence is crazy. I really hope that the judge at least said something to the Garda about wasting everyone's time and our tax money on such a stupid case, cause if he thought it wasn't stupid you'd have gotten a bigger fine.