Insurance disc for new car.

DMcL1971

I bought a brand new car last week. I gave the garage my old car as part of their scrappage deal. My intention is to transfer my insurance onto the new car as soon as I get it. However it has just occurred to me that I probably should have taken the insurance disc off my old car so that I can place it on my new car.

Am I correct, do I just move the old disc from the old car to the new car or are the insurance company going to send me a new disc?

vistaphotos

- Congratulations again on your new i20. Taking the disc from the old car and placing it on the new one is a stop-gap indication that you have some form of insurance. However since the disc includes the car registration the insurance company will also need to provide you with a new disc for the new car. That disc will not be issued until you contact the insurance company about transferring the insurance to the new car and you can't do that until you get the registration number of the new car.

- I'd be interested to hear how you get on with taxing it also. In theory with the registration number + last six digits of the chassis number you should be able to tax at www.motortax.ie but I don't think it's been updated with all new 161 cars. Back to queuing at the motor tax office I guess :-)

colm_mcm

You cannot display the disc from the old car on the new car. That wouldn't be legal.
Just don't have anything in there.
Depending on when your insurance is up for renewal, the company will want the old disc back.
Even if you get pulled over (unlikely in a 161 reg) they'd give you a few weeks to produce the disc.

DMcL1971

It looks like I'll have to go back to the garage to get my insurance disc, hopefully they still have my old car.

So am I correct in thinking that the procedure should be.
Get the old insurance disc back from the garage.
Wait for the registration number for the new car.
When I have the new registration number, inform the insurance company.
They will transfer the insurance to the new car and issue a new disc.
Return the old disc to the insurance company.
Collect the new car.
Drive with no insurance disc displayed while waiting on the new disc.
Arrange the road tax.

While driving the new car, I would be insured though not be displaying a valid insurance disc. I would also be driving without tax for a few days. Though technically both of these are illegal presumably I would be OK providing I could prove the car was brand new and all the paperwork had been submitted.

Neilw

It's no big deal, ring insurance company with new reg number. Disc should arrive in a couple of days (mine did).
After roughly 24hrs from registration you can tax it online with the last 6 digits of the vin, print receipt and drive on until tax disc arrives.

I collected a car last Tuesday and had an insurance disc and car taxed by Thursday.

DMcL1971

That's great news Neilw. I'm glad it went quick and easy. Hopefully I won't have any problems either.

Neilw

DMcL1971 wrote: »

That's great news Neilw. I'm glad it went quick and easy. Hopefully I won't have any problems either.

The only holdup could be the new disc arriving, I'm with axa who are very quick about sending documents.
Depending on insurance company, you could also call to a local branch and collect the new cert/disc.

bazz26

Get the dealer to ring you with the reg number as soon as he has the car registered. That way you can notify the insurance company and they issue the new disk quickly.

vistaphotos

All good suggestions above. Here's the way it went for me over the past few days:
- Friday: Reg number provided by dealer. Contacted insurance company to request transfer of insurance on Saturday.
- Saturday: Collected car (stuck the old insurance disc in the window since I had it)
- Monday: Tried taxing online via www.motortax.ie using the reg + last 6 digits of the chassis number. Advised to wait 24hrs before trying again.
- Tuesday: Taxed online successfully via www.motortax.ie. Waiting on updated insurance disc & tax disc to arrive in the post over the next few days hopefully. Would probably have gone a little more quickly if done during the week like Neilw above.

DMcL1971

Sounds like thing should go pretty easily.

bazz26

Do not stick the old insurance disc in the window of your new car. The reason you need an insurance disc in the window of your car is to show that the car is insured. Putting an insurance disc with the registration of your old car in the window of your new car doesn't prove that the new car is insured, so it's useless and probably asks more questions than it would answer if stopped at a checkpoint.

slimjimmc

bazz26 wrote: »

Do not stick the old insurance disc in the window of your new car. The reason you need an insurance disc in the window of your car is to show that the car is insured. Putting an insurance disc with the registration of your old car in the window of your new car doesn't prove that the new car is insured, so it's useless and probably asks more questions than it would answer if stopped at a checkpoint.

Agreed, you're technically displaying a false document and there's no need to do it as you're not required by law to display an insurance disc in the first 10 days after a policy is authenticated i.e. after transferring the policy to a new reg or taking out a new policy.

Neilw

bazz26 wrote: »

Do not stick the old insurance disc in the window of your new car. The reason you need an insurance disc in the window of your car is to show that the car is insured. Putting an insurance disc with the registration of your old car in the window of your new car doesn't prove that the new car is insured, so it's useless and probably asks more questions than it would answer if stopped at a checkpoint.

It may not have the new car reg number but it does have your policy number and expiry date, both of which are useful.
I'd prefer to have it in the window instead of nothing at all.

bazz26

Neilw wrote: »

It may not have the new car reg number but it does have your policy number and expiry date, both of which are useful.
I'd prefer to have it in the window instead of nothing at all.

Makes no real difference though, might as well carry it in the glove box if just needed for reference. The reason the car's reg is on the disc is to link it the policy.

vistaphotos

slimjimmc wrote: »

Agreed, you're technically displaying a false document and there's no need to do it as you're not required by law to display an insurance disc in the first 10 days after a policy is authenticated i.e. after transferring the policy to a new reg or taking out a new policy.

- Interesting information, all new to me thanks. I guess it makes sense since it takes time for a disc to be printed and sent to you.
- I guess the relevant bits of the regulations are as below (short summary at http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Your-Vehicle/Your-Vehicle-/Road-Worthiness--Related-Offences/Insurance/ and link to regulations http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1984/si/355/made/en/print)

5. (1) When a vehicle is used in a public place the insurance disc for the vehicle shall be carried on the vehicle at all times after the expiry of 10 days from the date of authentication of the certificate of insurance.

6. No person shall, either by writing, drawing or in any other matter alter, deface, mutilate or add anything to any insurance disc for any vehicle, nor shall any person exhibit upon any vehicle any insurance disc which has been altered, defaced, mutilated or added to as aforesaid, or upon which the figures or particulars have become illegible or the colour has become altered by fading or otherwise, not shall any person exhibit any colourable imitation of any insurance disc or any insurance disc which has been issued in respect of another vehicle or any insurance disc which has become void nor shall any figures or letters, design or ornamentation be placed near to an insurance disc in such a manner as to render it more difficult to read nor shall anything be exhibited at or near the insurance disc, in such a manner as to render it more difficult to observe an insurance disc on a vehicle when in motion.

vistaphotos

All the bits & pieces arrived in the post today so here's how it went for me:
- Friday: Reg number provided by dealer. Contacted insurance company to request transfer of insurance on Saturday.
- Saturday: Collected car.
- Monday: Tried taxing online via www.motortax.ie using the reg + last 6 digits of the chassis number. Advised to wait 24hrs before trying again.
- Tuesday: Taxed online successfully.
- Wednesday: Updated insurance disc arrived in the post.
- Friday: New tax disc arrived in the post. Registration cert also arrived in the post.