Road Tax, How Far In Advance Can You Display?

[TigerFish]

I've tried googling but can't seem to find a definitive answer. If I buy my car tax online say 3 weeks before my tax runs out (as I did last month), how early can I put the new disc in the car? I seem to recall in the past that you were not allowed to put it in early at all, but having now forgotten to put the new one in and still showing the

old one, I could fall foul of not displaying a valid disc I assume!

What's the score??

[Parthiban]

Honestly don't know but I always thought you could put it straight on the car, at the end of the day it only has an expiry date on it meaning it's valid now right?

[TigerFish]

Honestly don't know but I always thought you could put it straight on the car, at the end of the day it only has an expiry date on it meaning it's valid now right?

That's what I am hoping, but I cannot find any info on it one way or the other :(

[Redsteve]

Hi there.

If you are using the form from DVLA to tax your car then you can tax it two weeks before your current tax disc expires and it will run from when your current one runs out at the end of the month. You can display the new disc as soon as you get it as you must have already had a valid disc to be able to buy the new disc two weeks early.

If you buy your new disc before the two weeks (like on the 10th of the month) then the disc will be backdated to the beginning of the current month.

If your car has no valid tax disc and you want it to start at the beginning of the next month then you can only buy the disc two days before the beginning of the month, I am almost certain you can display and drive on this new disc as soon as you get it.

Hope this helps.

Redsteve.

[TigerFish]

Just found that on the V10 form it says

B When to apply

If your vehicle is taxed

You can apply from the 5th day of the month in which your current tax

disc runs out. Your new tax disc will come into force on the first day of

the next month and you should not display it on your vehicle until then.

If you are going to be abroad when your current tax disc runs out, you can

make your application up to two calendar months before your current tax

disc runs out. If you apply by post, you must send a letter explaining why

you are applying early.

If your vehicle is not taxed or has a SORN

If you apply in the last two working days of a month, the tax disc can start

on the first day of the next month. If you apply before then, your tax disc will

be backdated to the start of the current month. (Saturday is classed as a

working day at Post Office® branches.)

So I guess you cannot put it on as soon as it arrives. Seems daft to me.

[Parthiban]

So I guess you cannot put it on as soon as it arrives. Seems daft to me.

Yeah it really is, to get the new one early you need to have a valid one already, so it makes no sense.

[ManicMark]

Why not display both, As the only time it would be a problem is if you are away & your car is parked on the public highway, when you returned you would just remove the out of date one. simples no ( probably find that is some how illegal though).