Caught without Driving licence

Hixfunk

Not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes.....

"A. Yes. Since 1 January 2003 it is an offence for any person to drive without being in a position to produce their licence on request from a Garda. It is also an offence to fail to submit a licence within 10 days to a Garda station where so requested. At present penalty points do not apply to this offence. In the meantime it will be an offence under the Road Traffic Acts attracting a maximum fine on conviction of €800."

Quote from penalty points website.
Does anyone know what the fine is for this offence??

layke

If there is a Guard out there sad enough to prosicute on that charge make sure you complain & complain & complain about it. Stupid really, you forget your license one day and bam €800.

DukeDredd

I really really wish they would make it possible to get your drivers licence in credit card size so that it could be carried around in your wallet. My licence looks like a tattered old piece of toilet paper!

Mr. Presentable

Friend of mine recently caught without a licence went to court. Turns out that since she started driving 15 years ago, she has never had one :eek:

Garda didn't turn up so case thrown out :eek:

She has one now

IrishRover

Hixfunk wrote:

Not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes.....

"A. Yes. Since 1 January 2003 it is an offence for any person to drive without being in a position to produce their licence on request from a Garda. It is also an offence to fail to submit a licence within 10 days to a Garda station where so requested. At present penalty points do not apply to this offence. In the meantime it will be an offence under the Road Traffic Acts attracting a maximum fine on conviction of €800."

Quote from penalty points website.
Does anyone know what the fine is for this offence??

I take it you have one, but just didn't have it on you at the time you were asked for it? This has happened to me and other people I know and still we were given the 14 days or whatever it is to produce it at a garda station of our choosing. I have never understood why they changed this in 2003. What was the problem with this system? I could not understand how it was reasonable to enforce it. I guess most guards agree because in my experience they still give you the time to produce it at a garda station just like before. Why do we allow our government get away with bringing in a draconian law like this - especially as Duke Dredd says we weren't issued with credit card style licences and have to carry around our pink bog roll style ones with sellotape holding them together :rolleyes:

Again, would be nice if one of the resident coppers could give their input here...

cormie

Again the law is confusing.

to produce their licence on request from a Garda. It is also an offence to fail to submit a licence within 10 days to a Garda station where so requested

There's nothing about having to produce it straight away and then it goes on to say about the 10 days, which implies that it's ok if you produce it 10 days after you have been requested to.

Seth Brundle

I believe the 2004 Act states that it must be with you wenever you are driving. I am too lazy to check it in irishstatutebook.ie!

Anan1

layke wrote:

If there is a Guard out there sad enough to prosicute on that charge make sure you complain & complain & complain about it. Stupid really, you forget your license one day and bam €800.

Complain about what? It's the law that you must carry your license, so you really have no grounds for whining if you're stopped without it.

Squirrel

IrishRover wrote:

especially as Duke Dredd says we weren't issued with credit card style licences and have to carry around our pink bog roll style ones with sellotape holding them together :rolleyes:

Or green ones.

I always leave mine on my shelf beside my wallet, and generally when I'm going out in the car I need my wallet so grab both. Works most of the time.

Keith C

Anan1 wrote:

Complain about what? It's the law that you must carry your license, so you really have no grounds for whining if you're stopped without it.

My car was being serviced & I had left my licence in it, I was driving my sisters car for one day, if i had been stopped & explained to the garda the situation, you expect the garda to work the letter of the law :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Big Balls

Why not just leave it in the sun visor?

Anan1

Keith C wrote:

My car was being serviced & I had left my licence in it, I was driving my sisters car for one day, if i had been stopped & explained to the garda the situation, you expect the garda to work the letter of the law :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Actually, yes. You don't seem to understand the concept of a law. If you break the law and get caught then pay up. If you don't like the law then talk to your local TD.

Quello Serio

Big Balls wrote:

Why not just leave it in the sun visor?

Because you might drive more than one car, or also ride a motorbike. Crdeit card size would be the only realistic option.

JohnCleary

I just crumple mine up in my wallet. It's there, not ripped, just doesnt look all that fresh. If a Garda questions if its a real or fake, well, thats their tough sh1te to go check it out

C_Breeze

yeah as bigballs said... can i actually just ask why people dont just leave it in their cars ?????

Owen

I drive lots of different cars each day, my 2 bikes, and I never have my insurance disk or license in the car. I keep them in a folder I normally have with me, and I produce when requested. On the odd rare occasion when I don't have it with me, the Gardaí are understanding enough to allow me to produce at my local station.

IrishRover

Anan1 wrote:

Actually, yes. You don't seem to understand the concept of a law. If you break the law and get caught then pay up. If you don't like the law then talk to your local TD.

Ah c'mon seriously, you don't really think that things are really that black and white and that all laws should be rigidly enforced and adhered to on pain of death type thing? And do you really think that if you don't like a law you just have a work in your local TDs ear and he just goes "ah grand so, I'll change that for you, just give me a pen and some tippex".

Apparently there's still a law in the UK that any Welshman found within the city of Cheshire after sunset may be shot with a crossbow. Why isn't this being strictly enforced?

Anan1

IrishRover wrote:

Ah c'mon seriously, you don't really think that things are really that black and white and that all laws should be rigidly enforced and adhered to on pain of death type thing?

Of course not. I've been stopped a few times without my license and there's never been a problem. The point I'm making is that if I did get done for it I'd be in no position to complain - I knew the law, and I broke it.

IrishRover wrote:

And do you really think that if you don't like a law you just have a work in your local TDs ear and he just goes "ah grand so, I'll change that for you, just give me a pen and some tippex".

Again, you're missing my point. The Guards don't make laws, they are paid to enforce them. If someone doesn't like a particular law, there is no point in criticizing the Guards for enforcing it. Our TDs make the laws, based in part on public opinion. Talk to them.

IrishRover wrote:

Apparently there's still a law in the UK that any Welshman found within the city of Cheshire after sunset may be shot with a crossbow. Why isn't this being strictly enforced?

I've never heard of that law. Sounds like fun.;)

eth0_

ned78 wrote:

I drive lots of different cars each day, my 2 bikes, and I never have my insurance disk or license in the car. I keep them in a folder I normally have with me, and I produce when requested. On the odd rare occasion when I don't have it with me, the Gardaí are understanding enough to allow me to produce at my local station.

You're breaking the law, and It seems rather pedantic to keep your insurance disc filed away...why do you do it?

"The insurance disc shall be carried in a conspicuous position on the windscreen of the vehicle in such manner that it shall be both visible and readily accessible for inspection and be so located that it does not obscure the vision of the driver while the vehicle is being driven or in the case of a vehicle not fitted with a windscreen in a conspicuous position on the near side of the vehicle."

miju

Big Balls wrote:

Why not just leave it in the sun visor?

I used to do that till my car got broken into and it got nicked along with my CD's , don't bring it with me since getting my new one and if i'm ever asked for the license i'll just produce it within 10 days though with that said how many people on here have been asked for their license when they're displaying up to date tax / insurance / nct etc

cormie

I have Miju;) Probably because I'm a young male and drive a banger. When he saw I had a full license and heard Enya being played he let me go.

Hixfunk

Sorry about starting the big debate.........

No I didn't have mine with me as my previous licence was stolen when my car was broken into (tucked nicely into the visor), and the hassle with reporting it stolen and trying to get a new one was painful to say the least. Was almost comical when the Garda I reported it stolen to said I should have kept it on my person, and not in the car....

Anyway, this "offence" seems to be debatable as the Garda who asked to see mine a couple of days ago said all I had to do was turn up at my local station to display. Seems fair enough......I think if I had been fined I would have had to go into a quiet field and contemplate our wonderful traffic laws. I pay €800 for not having a "big brotheresque" form of ID, while a convicted drink driver can hold national office..........

blastman

What difference does it make whether you produce it there and then or a couple of days later anyway? My own feeling is that it shouldn't have been made compulsory to carry it until a credit card licence was introduced.

MercMad

Isn't it obvious that if the Law states you HAVE to carry it...............that you should !!

Whats the problem, put it in your wallet !! Fold it in half and leave it there. The amount of times you are likely to be asked for it is minimal so it'll still look good for years. Mine does and i've been carrying it this way for years !

The reason you HAVE to is so a gaurd can positively identify a driver............and that in my book...........nowdays is a GOOD THING !

I also happen to agree that it should be at the descretion of the Gardai to give you 10 days to produce it or not. there are plenty of characters driving around today with no licence or insurance and this way this problem can be cut down and true offenders prosecuted !

AB03

Have to agree with Blastman there...

But on topic:
I was in this situation and totally forgot to produce within 10 days.
Needless to say, the gaurd who stopped me was a serious ****er. I had my mother in the car and was bringing her home from the hospital. Stopped for no reason whatsoever (well, alloys usually do it for most young people like me), my mother was giving the guard loads of it, she'd never seen this kind of thing happen before.

But anyway, I got a summons in the post a few months later and went to court over it.
I brought all docs with me, insurance policy, tax renewal form (paid of course), licence, registration etc...
The guard never bothered to show up and another guard from same station had to cover (even tho he was there on unrelated business).
Judge took one look at me + papers and case was struck out in about 3 seconds flat.

Guard probably took issue because my mother was giving him stick ("This is bloody ridiculous!" type stuff, not full on *abuse* like).

Bue he didnt even have the decency to turn up, the judge even remarked on it,
"If he cant be bothered to show up and this young man has all relevant documents then I cant see any reason not to close this case".

MercMad

I think you'll find that he did YOU the favour by not showing up !

Happens all the time.........................bet you learned your lesson !

miju

MercMad wrote:

The reason you HAVE to is so a gaurd can positively identify a driver............and that in my book...........nowdays is a GOOD THING !

that's my reasoning as well that's why i keep my garda ID thingy as idetification should the need arise in the visor now at least if that get's nicked i wont really care compared to my license again

elven

It took them long enough to get round to it (the credit card license) in the UK, but they eventually did. It's prolly going to take another 10 years here, though.

What's even better is in Holland, your drivers' license, is your ID card, is your passport too, and it's just a credit card type thingy. Now that's handy.