Driving test, N plates?

wishmaster200

JUST WONDERING I PASSED MY TEST TODAY BUT MY APPOINTMENT FOR THE NDLS CENTER IS NOT UNTIL THE 24/7/14 TO APPLY FOR A LICENCE, I PROB WONT GET LICENCE TILL FIRST WEEK OFF AUGUST OR MORE WILL THIS PUT ME IN THE SAME BRACKET AS THE N PLATES???

Tokarev

You don't have to shout man

Paco Rodriguez

No you will not have to have N plates. Once you pay at the ndls centre you are a full licence driver.
The receipt acts as your licence until you get your physical licence.

Plus you can go in anytime to the ndls and dont really have to have an appointment.

Congrats!!

wishmaster200

Paco Rodriguez wrote: »

No you will not have to have N plates. Once you pay at the ndls centre you are a full licence driver.
The receipt acts as your licence until you get your physical licence.

cheers paco

finnharpsboy

only applies to anyone who passes test from August 1st

challengemaster

finnharpsboy wrote: »

only applies to anyone who passes test from August 1st

Wrong.

Anyone that has a license issue date from 1st August onwards. Passing a test only earns you a certificate of competency, you don't have a full license at that point.

finnharpsboy

challengemaster wrote: »

Wrong.

Anyone that has a license issue date from 1st August onwards. Passing a test only earns you a certificate of competency, you don't have a full license at that point.

yeah your right, i was going by this http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-news/newly-qualified-drivers-must-show-n-plate-for-two-years-or-face-fine-30410936.html

Nate--IRL--

Paco Rodriguez wrote: »

No you will not have to have N plates. Once you pay at the ndls centre you are a full licence driver.
The receipt acts as your licence until you get your physical licence.

Plus you can go in anytime to the ndls and dont really have to have an appointment.

Congrats!!

This is not true. I paid for my licence on the 30th of May, but my licence was only issued on the 5th of June (and received on the 10th) Also the Receipt specifically stated it is not to be used in place of an actual licence.

Technically I was still a learner until the 5th of June. While a Guard would understand and accept this, with regard the new Law with N plates I'd say it would not be overlooked. The date of issue is the date printed on the licence, and would be the only date that matters.

Nate

Nate--IRL--

wishmaster200 wrote: »

JUST WONDERING I PASSED MY TEST TODAY BUT MY APPOINTMENT FOR THE NDLS CENTER IS NOT UNTIL THE 24/7/14 TO APPLY FOR A LICENCE, I PROB WONT GET LICENCE TILL FIRST WEEK OFF AUGUST OR MORE WILL THIS PUT ME IN THE SAME BRACKET AS THE N PLATES???

Go up the NDLS first thing (I mean 8:45am) in the morning and don't leave until they give you an appointment that day.That's what I did the day after my test. Don't wait for the booked appointment. Go now.

Nate

i57dwun4yb1pt8

gocarr

challengemaster wrote: »

Anyone that has a license issue date from 1st August onwards. Passing a test only earns you a certificate of competency, you don't have a full license at that point.

Sorry to jump in, but I can't work out how to post a new topic and you seem to know your stuff...

I want to borrow a friend's mini-van that is not insured. My car is insured with AXA and I am allowed to drive anyone's car (with their permission). It does not state in the T&C's of my insurance that the borrowed vehicle needs to be insured independently. Do you know if this is the case? Also, I used AIB to broker my insurance and they don't insure vans. Does this mean I cannot borrow a van? I don't see the difference since my licence allows this. I have been emailing back and forth with AIB/AXA, but they won't give me a firm answer and it takes them 2 weeks to reply every time.

Appreciate any advice!

ProudDUB

Your drivers license and your cars insurance are two totally different things. Just because you have a license that qualifies you to drive a variety of vehicles, it doesn't automatically follow that your car insurance will always cover you to drive all those vehicles. You are only covered to drive what ever class of vehicle that are stipulated in your insurance policy. So if your policy states, cars only, then no, you can't drive your mates van and be covered by your own policy.

Get a copy of the terms and conditions of your policy to see what it says. That is what you need to go by. No one here can tell you for sure what the terms and conditions say. Why don't you give them a ring, if they are that slow to reply to emails?

There is a "New Thread" tab in the upper left part of the main forum. You click on that to start a new topic of you own. I think that you have to have a certain number of posts before you can start new threads. So you probably can't see that tab, until you reach the required number of posts.

COYL

Paco Rodriguez wrote: »

No you will not have to have N plates. Once you pay at the ndls centre you are a full licence driver.

Is this 100% correct?

I dont have an actual appointment until 29 July and am desperate to avoid the N plate nonsense if at all possible..

Nate--IRL--

COYL wrote: »

Is this 100% correct?

I dont have an actual appointment until 29 July and am desperate to avoid the N plate nonsense if at all possible..

No it's not at all correct, get down to the NDLS centre on Monday as early as possible ( and I mean early, before it opens) and get a walk in appointment for later that day.

Nate

wishmaster200

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

Go up the NDLS first thing (I mean 8:45am) in the morning and don't leave until they give you an appointment that day.That's what I did the day after my test. Don't wait for the booked appointment. Go now.

Nate

thanks nate very helpful

COYL

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

No it's not at all correct, get down to the NDLS centre on Monday as early as possible ( and I mean early, before it opens) and get a walk in appointment for later that day.

Nate

Actually went this morning, Saturday 12 July, to NDLS in Santry.

Was about thirty people ahead of me when I arrived approx 15 mins pre opening time.

At 9am the doors opened and staff asked for all those with online appointments to come forward...that reduce the queue, by now about 50 people strong, by around ten bodies.

From that moment here is how it worked out...each remaining person went to the reception desk and was advised of the time that they would be seen..this allowed people to leave and reappear at the advised time. An excellent system imo.

As I neared the top of this 'walk in' queue, a member of staff approached me and asked had I everything in order, all relevant paper work and documentation. I had this all in order and was promptly ushered through into a booth and dealt with.

All in all I was less than half an hour there..

Was told my licence would be with me in around 8 days or so and that it would be back dated to todays date.

So overall, so far, an excellent process imo. Albeit I got a bit of luck as I was dealt with without having to go away and return, but even had I been given atime to drop back i could not complain about that service and system.

Just ensure all your paperwork is present and correct, and btw, all staff were pleasant and polite.

A good days work for myself.

challengemaster

gocarr wrote: »

Sorry to jump in, but I can't work out how to post a new topic and you seem to know your stuff...

I want to borrow a friend's mini-van that is not insured. My car is insured with AXA and I am allowed to drive anyone's car (with their permission). It does not state in the T&C's of my insurance that the borrowed vehicle needs to be insured independently. Do you know if this is the case? Also, I used AIB to broker my insurance and they don't insure vans. Does this mean I cannot borrow a van? I don't see the difference since my licence allows this. I have been emailing back and forth with AIB/AXA, but they won't give me a firm answer and it takes them 2 weeks to reply every time.

Appreciate any advice!

Completely forgot I even posted in this thread, so only seeing this now.

This is what's on Axa's website regards driving other cars

Most of our customers (aged over 25 years and with a full licence) have automatic third party cover to drive someone else’s car. The easiest way to see if you are covered is to check your certificate of insurance.
When you’ve been with us for 3 years with comprehensive cover, we will upgrade your third party “driving of other cars” to comprehensive driving of other cars, at no extra cost.

However, after a little digging, here's access to all the versions of Axa policy documents (the same as you'd have received a paper version of with your certificate of insurance)

http://www.axa.ie/download/axa-insurance-downloads/

1b Driving other cars
This cover will also apply if you are driving any other car which your certificate
of insurance covers you to drive. If you are covered to drive other cars, it will
be shown in section 5(b) of your certificate of insurance.
This cover only applies if:
¡ you do not own the car or you have not hired the car under a
hire-purchase agreement;
¡ it is shown that this cover applies under section 5(b) of your certificate
of insurance;
¡ you have the owner’s permission to drive the car; and
¡ the vehicle is being used within the ‘limits for use’ shown in your current
certificate of motor insurance.
This cover applies to damage or injury happening in Ireland and the UK only.
This extension applies only to private passenger vehicles. It does not include
vans, car-vans, jeeps with no seats in the back or vans adapted to carry
passengers.

So that answers that for you!

For clarification though, based on those terms - the vehicle does NOT need to be independently insured. This is the same for Liberty, potentially other insurers also. You were correct in that assumption.

If in doubt - check the policy documentation. It may be long and boring to try and read through, but sure enough the answer is in there somewhere. I'd advise calling rather than email for quicker responses, but unless it's not covered in there or is confusing somehow, there's no real reason to call the insurance company for clarification, as you could just be talking to people in a call centre without any real understanding of the policy details. Policy booklet is always the first port of call

mdolly123

No the date you passed your test is recognised as you being fully qualified, doesn't matter about NDLS appointment

Witcher

mdolly123 wrote: »

No the date you passed your test is recognised as you being fully qualified, doesn't matter about NDLS appointment

You're not fully qualified until the pink licence is in your hand.

If the issue date on that licence is after 1st August 2014, you need N plates.

Vologda69

Blay wrote: »

You're not fully qualified until the pink licence is in your hand.

If the issue date on that licence is after 1st August 2014, you need N plates.

+1

dkelly17

Hi,

I want to the NDLS last week in Dublin to get my licence. At the counter I expressed relief that I had gotten an appointment prior to the 1st August, and would not need to get an N plate. The man advised me that the relevant date is the date you passed the test. He said that a new Certificate of Competency would issue for successful driving test applicants after August 1st, which would clearly indicate that post Aug 1st passers were to be N drivers. If that is the case, the legislation is ambiguous. I had construed it as date of licence receipt, and didn't take the chance in any event.

TheChizler

Wouldn't make sense if it was the date you passed the test. Imagine a year from now you're stopped driving without N plates, your licence issue date is after the 1st of August but you passed the test prior to this, how is the Garda supposed to know if this is correct or not? All they have is the date written on the license.

miss no stars

Is it done as some sort of endorsement on the license in the same way as it shows up on a learner's permit that they must be accompanied for 2 years from date of issue? Would seem like a simple way to do it.

dkelly17

I'll let you all know when I get my licence. I applied Monday the 28th so they would only have had four working days to issue it before august 1st. Should have it tomorrow or Monday I reckon. So much conflicting information on this point! Glad to have the licence even if I need a N plate it isn't the end of the universe.

Jellybeans909

Hi, sorry to jump in but I was wondering if anyone can help me. I passed my theory test and had an appointment in the NDLS centre where they told me I needed an eye report examination. So they set me another appointment and I went and got the eye report done, but unfortunately we had a death in the close family and I actually missed my appointment to go back to the NDLS centre. do i have to book online all over again?? The next available date isn't until the very end of August when I was planning to go to England to visit an old friend

Big C

Anybody help ????
Wife passed her driving test today, we have one car, I have full licence 10yrs. Do we remove the n plates when I drive and put them back when she at the wheel ?????

HurtLocker

Big C wrote: »

Anybody help ????
Wife passed her driving test today, we have one car, I have full licence 10yrs. Do we remove the n plates when I drive and put them back when she at the wheel ?????

You should probably but it's no real hassle if you keep them on. N drivers can drive unaccompanied so unlike L plates unaccompanied they wont raise any suspicion of law breaking to the gards. You'll want your full with at all times though especially the morning after a night out. N drivers alcohol limit is 0.02 compared to 0.05 for you.

STEEL COMET

dkelly17 wrote: »

I'll let you all know when I get my licence. I applied Monday the 28th so they would only have had four working days to issue it before august 1st. Should have it tomorrow or Monday I reckon. So much conflicting information on this point! Glad to have the licence even if I need a N plate it isn't the end of the universe.

Any sign of the licence? I am in the same boat as you. I applied on the 30th of July and was told like you I would not fall under the new laws with n plates. Today I got my licence and the issued date is the 8th of August.

Ants in your Pants

Hi Steel Comet
Check the back of your license 10. Valid from. 11. Valid to. I applied for mine on the 28th and was told I would not need N plates in the NDLS centre, but the front issue date says the 6th on mine. But I think it's what the back of the card says, mine says the 28th the day I applied. So I imagine valid from and to is the main area to look. It is a bit confusing!!! I hope I'm right

HurtLocker

TheChizler wrote: »

Wouldn't make sense if it was the date you passed the test. Imagine a year from now you're stopped driving without N plates, your licence issue date is after the 1st of August but you passed the test prior to this, how is the Garda supposed to know if this is correct or not? All they have is the date written on the license.

Could be a code on the back of the licence similar to the codes for first licence or glasses required etc. to let the gards know if the driver is affected by the regulations

Witcher

The act states that the issue date is the important one;

Road Traffic Act 2014, Part 2, 3 (1);

For the purposes of this Act, a person who is the holder of a first driving licence is a novice driver for the period of 2 years from the date of its issue.

Ants in your Pants

When I applied in the NDLS on the 28th of July the girl said to me that I got in before the changes. I said to her that it was a very grey area online about it, so I didn't know if I needed N plates and her reply was well how could it be, you've applied today July 28th, that's the date that will be on your license. And on the back it says valid from 28/07/2014... Surely if it says that it's valid in July that I don't need N plates??

TheChizler

HurtLocker wrote: »

Could be a code on the back of the licence similar to the codes for first licence or glasses required etc. to let the gards know if the driver is affected by the regulations

My point was it wasn't going to have the test date on it. Now it turns out that it has the valid from date which makes sense.

miss no stars

If I had one listed as valid from before August but issued during or after August, I wouldn't put plates up because there's a fairly strong argument that the license was valid before the restrictions came into place. If I was stopped and then told by a Garda that I had to have N plates up, I'd say "Sorry Guard, genuinely thought that it was referring to the date when it was valid from, I'll go get a set right away" and put up the plates. It'd be hard to get any kind of conviction from you when there hasn't been any sort of press release with a little picture of a license and the relevant date circled.

Ants in your Pants

Yes thanks for that bit of advice there. Think that is what I will do...

SteM

miss no stars wrote: »

If I had one listed as valid from before August but issued during or after August, I wouldn't put plates up because there's a fairly strong argument that the license was valid before the restrictions came into place. If I was stopped and then told by a Garda that I had to have N plates up, I'd say "Sorry Guard, genuinely thought that it was referring to the date when it was valid from, I'll go get a set right away" and put up the plates. It'd be hard to get any kind of conviction from you when there hasn't been any sort of press release with a little picture of a license and the relevant date circled.

I don't think they'll care what you're understand is when it comes handing out points tbh. Depends on what you're stopped for I suppose.

ProudDUB

SteM wrote: »

I don't think they'll care what you're understand is when it comes handing out points tbh. Depends on what you're stopped for I suppose.

Yep. Depends on the mood of the Guard too. The "oh sorry Guard, I didn't know" excuse just doesn't wash with a lot of them now. As a motorist, it is your responsibility to know what you need to do/pay/display in order to drive legally on the roads. No one is going to do it for you. (Which sounds very high horse-y of me I know, but am just offering up a Guards possible point of view.)

The fact that a pesonalized press release about the new N plates wasn't delivered by hand to the front door of a newly qualified driver, won't cut the mustard, especially as there are loads of ads on the telly about the N plates too.

miss no stars

SteM wrote: »

I don't think they'll care what you're understand is when it comes handing out points tbh. Depends on what you're stopped for I suppose.

I think that given the numbers of learners driving unaccompanied as well as a genuine source of confusion - including being explicitly told at the NDLS that it's the "valid from" date that determines it - they certainly won't be handing out points.

SteM

miss no stars wrote: »

I think that given the numbers of learners driving unaccompanied as well as a genuine source of confusion - including being explicitly told at the NDLS that it's the "valid from" date that determines it - they certainly won't be handing out points.

Don't know what the amount of learners driving unaccompanied has to do with N plates?

If you're stopped for a certain reason like driving while under the influence then you're obviously going to be handed points. The alcohol level you're allowed in your system depends on whether you're an N plate driver or not so it is very important that people clear this issue up for themselves - not just continue to drive while 'confused' about the situation.

miss no stars

SteM wrote: »

Don't know what the amount of learners driving unaccompanied has to do with N plates?

If you're stopped for a certain reason like driving while under the influence then you're obviously going to be handed points. The alcohol level you're allowed in your system depends on whether you're an N plate driver or not so it is very important that people clear this issue up for themselves - not just continue to drive while 'confused' about the situation.

It's related to it because if they can't be arsed dealing with people who legally shouldn't even be on the road, they'll hardly be quick to hand out points to someone for not having N plates up when their license is valid from a time before the N plates became a requirement, but whose license was slow to be issued through no fault of their own. They passed their test and their license is valid from a date before the cut off.

I hadn't considered the blood alcohol issue because tbh it would never occur to me to drive with any alcohol in my system. But it's one that if you were under the normal limit, your license validity from was before the cut off and you hadn't done anything wrong, the gardai would probably know better than to risk challenging that in court. Especially as it applies to such a small number of drivers.

The Singing Beard

challengemaster wrote: »

Wrong.

Anyone that has a license issue date from 1st August onwards. Passing a test only earns you a certificate of competency, you don't have a full license at that point.

So someone who passes their test in say, May and because of an administrative fvck up, the papers are lost and the license isn't issued until August, the person then has to wear N Plates.

Typical Ireland.

SteM

miss no stars wrote: »

It's related to it because if they can't be arsed dealing with people who legally shouldn't even be on the road, they'll hardly be quick to hand out points to someone for not having N plates up when their license is valid from a time before the N plates became a requirement, but whose license was slow to be issued through no fault of their own. They passed their test and their license is valid from a date before the cut off.

I hadn't considered the blood alcohol issue because tbh it would never occur to me to drive with any alcohol in my system. But it's one that if you were under the normal limit, your license validity from was before the cut off and you hadn't done anything wrong, the gardai would probably know better than to risk challenging that in court. Especially as it applies to such a small number of drivers.

The Gardai don't have the resources to enforce the L plate law but if an L plate driver is pulled over for a specific issue like speeding then them having an L plate makes a huge difference. It'll be the same with an N plate.

You should probably consider all aspects of the new N plate system (like the lower penalty point limit and lower blood alcohol level - both very important issues) before you suggest that people just shrug their shoulders and plead ignorance if they're pulled over. Surely drivers that are unsure would be better off clarifying the situation either way?

miss no stars

SteM wrote: »

The Gardai don't have the resources to enforce the L plate law but if an L plate driver is pulled over for a specific issue like speeding then them having an L plate makes a huge difference. It'll be the same with an N plate.

You should probably consider all aspects of the new N plate system (like the lower penalty point limit and lower blood alcohol level - both very important issues) before you suggest that people just shrug their shoulders and plead ignorance if they're pulled over. Surely drivers that are unsure would be better off clarifying the situation either way?

1. If they're drinking and driving, fcuk them. They deserve whatever comes to them and honestly, they aren't the type of people who'll actually be trying to figure out the finer points of it.

2. It's not pleading ignorance, it's pleading being misinformed. The NDLS have told people in no uncertain terms that the relevant date is the "valid from" date. The RSA have declined to be clear about this issue so asking at the driver licensing facility and being told "you're fine, you're in before the requirements" means that I would take that at face value. If I were subsequently told "no, they had it wrong" by a member of AGS, I would apologise and put up the plates. Crime of the century.

Ants in your Pants

Yes I agree miss no stars. My license was issued on the 06/08/2014 which was 10 days after I applied for my license. But the back of my license says valid from 28/07/2014 the date I applied. This only affects a small amount of people who applied for their license just before the changes came in on 1st of August, and is a grey area that no one can really give answers for!!

Witcher

Ants in your Pants wrote: »

Yes I agree miss no stars. My license was issued on the 06/08/2014 which was 10 days after I applied for my license. But the back of my license says valid from 28/07/2014 the date I applied. This only affects a small amount of people who applied for their license just before the changes came in on 1st of August, and is a grey area that no one can really give answers for!!

It's not a grey area, it's in black and white in the RTA 2014, look at the top of this page.

People are putting too much faith in NDLS, just because someone is behind a desk doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. Know the legislation yourself.

I've gun licences and have had Gardai tell me I could do things that would be highly illegal. That ammo limits 'don't matter' for instance. That's the type of thing you go to jail for several years for, so NDLS giving out info that might get you a few penalty points is minor in comparison.

People don't know their arse from their elbow in a lot of cases.

Ants in your Pants

Ok what if I have first full license issued in May so no need for N plates, but then I lose it and have to apply for another one in August and then the new issue date will be August. So now I need N plates??

Witcher

Ants in your Pants wrote: »

Ok what if I have first full license issued in May but then I lose it and have to apply for another one in August and then the new issue date will be August!!!

The issue date will still be the same, it's just a reprint of the licence you were given originally.

If it was any other way then lads that have licences 20 years that have a licence reissued would look like they need to have the plates up.

The legislation doesn't lie...read it.

Ants in your Pants

The NDLS online has a breakdown of the license and on the back 10 reads 'issued from' (my date is 28/07/2014) the front 4a reads 'date of issue' (my date 06/08/2014) would this mean date of print??
So you see I have 2 issue dates on my license, that's the grey area for me....

(Sorry not able to put the link up as new to Boards)

Witcher

Back of the licence says 'valid from' not issued from.

Ants in your Pants

No the NDLS has online breakdown and it's issued from

Witcher

I've an actual licence and it says valid from/to.


Actually now that I look at the NDLS site it does say 'First issued from' in section 10 on the back so that appears to be the date you focus on.


My own licence has 'valid from' in sec. 10, they've obviously changed the layout for this system.

There's obviously a bit of confusion between people who have the old layout with 'valid from' and the new drivers who have 'issued from'. The old ones like my own only have one issue date on the front.