50% of motorists unaware of imminent tax disc end

A new survey has revealed that half of all motorists have no idea that in six weeks, traditional tax discs will be eliminated. From October 1st, paper tax discs will be abolished, with the system moving online instead and replaced with electronic records. For all drivers, including those with personalised plates, it’s important to know the legislation surrounding car ownership so fines and fees can be avoided.

Websitemoney, a comparison site, conducted the poll on drivers and found that 50 per cent had no idea changes were imminent. Almost one third said they wouldn’t even bother to research the new rules, whilst 6 per cent thought the new changes weren’t coming into effect until 2015. Meanwhile, one third said they’d do nothing until they had official correspondence from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Editor in chief at the comparison site, Hannah Maundrell, explained, “Changes to the vehicle tax system are no bad thing and we fully welcome the introduction of direct debit payments, particularly for consumers who may be struggling to keep up with the soaring cost of driving. It will also help to eliminate the problem of people who genuinely forget to renew their tax and end up being stung with a hefty fine. However, I suspect the new system may experience some teething problems so drivers really need to make sure theyre on top of their game.”

After 93 years of having paper discs, the move to a digital system has been created to provide drivers with more flexible ways of paying. In addition, with number plate recognition systems and digital records, it’s hoped that the numbers of people evading paying tax will fall. Overall predictions have suggested that £10m could be saved annually for the taxpayer. Noteworthy changes are that tax will no longer be transferred when selling a car. Instead, any full months will be refunded to the seller. The seller also has to inform the DVLA about the change of ownership; otherwise they face a £1,000 fine. In addition, vehicle tax, parking fines and speeding tickets will correspond to a vehicle and not the driver, so if a change of ownership hasn’t been informed, sellers could bear the brunt of their mistake.

One popular change is that tax can be paid by direct debit, with people choosing to pay monthly, twice a year, or the full amount. However, those not choosing the annual option will incur a 5 per cent surcharge, though this is less than the current 10 per cent surcharge for six month payments.

Important DVLA information

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, or DVLA, sees all aspects of personalised number plates across the UK. Created in 1965, above all, the DVLA is integral in controlling passenger vehicles. From managing drivers and road tax, the DVLA protects our roads. As one of the highest profile government agencies today, our roads may look different without them. In short, we work with them daily. However, it is important to note that we do not affiliate with them.

DVLA is a registered trademark of the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. Click4Reg is not affiliated to the DVLA or DVLA Personalised Registrations. Click4Reg is a recognised reseller of DVLA registrations

Number plate law

As responsible agents, we prioritise following the law. It is now mandatory for customers to provide a V948 certificate issued by the DVLA before purchasing a number plate to verify their entitlement. These are valuable assets and essential features of cars that criminals can duplicate to create a false identity, which is a common practice among them. Therefore, we advise visitors to exercise extra caution when obtaining cherished registrations.

Number plates must be road-legal and readable. It’s essential to keep the positioning and spacing of the characters the same. They Must use reflective materials with black characters on a white background for the front plate. Also for the rear plates, they must have black characters on a yellow background. They cannot have patterns.

A number plate must measure 524mm x 112mm and can display up to 7 digits. Standard 4×4 rear plates measure 285mm x 203mm and with a standard front plate. Larger vehicles such as Jaguars and Porsches require a larger rear plate measuring 533mm x 152mm. But still use the stock front plate size.