reminder from dvla

From memory, less than two weeks.

Yes, as long as you have the document reference number from the front of the registration document.

Chris

mine usually get to me three weeks before, at which stage you can't use the reference number !!! Once you have the letter you can renew two weeks before the end of the old one. You can of course buy a tax disc using the number off the v5. BUT if you know you are going to be away you can buy your tax disc several months in advance at a local tax office or (I would guess) direct from DVLA Another alternative that I have used is to just cash in the old disc and buy another straight away, this is also useful to move renewal to a more convenient time of year.

Thanks! How do you cash it in? Might be useful for me so I can move it one move before expiry so I am before any price increases. Do you just go to the post office to do this and they credit you back for what you haven't used?

you have to send the disc back to dvla, you get paid back for every full month left, they take the posting date as proof of when it goes back, so get or download a form V14 and send it back on the last day of the month and go straight into a post office and buy a new disc starting at the beginning of the new month, you can do this two days before the end of the month or more if it is a weekend.

If you only have a 6 month tax disc then they don't give you back the 10 percent premium they charge for the 6 month disc (which is why I always get a year disc even if I only need a couple of months use)

I have to go to the Post Office every week anyway to get my mam's pension so I take the opportunity to buy two PO Savings Stamps (£5 each) for myself as a way of saving up for my car tax and spreading the cost, so I've never renewed online. How does it work, in the sense that I have to produce my insurance document and MOT certificate at the PO counter - can't wave them at the computer screen and expect the machine at the other end to read them, can I? :o)

You don't need to tell "them"; "they" already know!

In fact, you can check your own insurance status online if you feel the need:

Chris

Ah, cheers Chris.

They seem to have improved that. I got a reminder on the 11th of Feb, renewed online immediately and was surprised that it let me. This is a big improvement as a reminder's no damned good if you have to put it on one side until you forget it!

Well, my flabber is gasted by that improvement, I had not tried in recent times having messed about for a good few minutes till I found out the two week before rule in the small print (a couple of years ago)

I just checked the confirmatory email, it was 11th of March not Feb, so even further from the end of the month!

Application made on: 11/03/2010 14:37:34 Tax Disc Period: 12 months Tax Disc Duty: £0.00

I suppose this might only apply to "historic vehicles" but it seems unlikely.