Hi,
Double jeapardy. You can be fined for not having a tax disc AND simultaneousy fined for not displaying the disc that you haven't got. Something like prosectuting a burglar for breaking into a house, and prosecting him for going equipped.
But my experience (as a DVLA VED enforcer) has been that the police will deal with non-display by a £10 fixed penalty ticket. On the other hand, its 25 years since I left that job.
More recently, but still a long time ago, my son was stopped while driving a car without a disc. He was the OWNER, but I was the REGISTERED KEEPER. It was me that was prosecuted for KEEPING an untaxed car on the road. My defence was that the car was taxed shortly before he was stopped, but the disc had not yet been attached to the windscreen. My trial lasted an hour and a half. Eventually the PC declared that my son had shown him his insurance cover note. Ooops? No way! My son had a policy specific to that car. I had a trader's policy covering me for any vehicle that I was licenced to drive, and that was the certificate used to tax his car. NOT GUILTY, and the magistrates said they would not pursue the matter of FAILURE TO DISPLAY (after seven months?)
I understand that the PO now record the TIME that you tax your car.
I believe there is now a three day period of grace after your disc expires, but I don't know if that allows you to drive your car, or just take your time declaring SORN.
Heaven help us if HMR&C adopt the same attitude as DVLA. Who let them become that powerful?
602