Newbie question..

jayok

I'm new to two-wheels and I've a question re road tax and insurance discs. Do both need to be visible on the bike? If so where do you put them?

Sorry if this is an obvious question!

Thanks.

thehomeofDob

By law your tax disc must be displayed on your bike at all times. However most Guardai are fine with it being your pocket, same with insurance.

Lilliput69

by Law tax must be displayed at all times the bike is parked on a public rd.

Insurance for bikes is a different story, u don't get an insurance disc like u do with cars, just stick the cert in with ur licence and carry it

Paparazzo

Yeah, it's better to carry your insurance cert and licence, if you're stopped the guard will be nice to you!
I had a tax disk holder stolen once, it only had a month left on it though. but other than that, never any problems. Actually, even at tax checkpoints i was always waved through without them even looking

J-blk

As others said, most Gardai are fine with you not having it on the bike, as long as you have it on you - I've been stopped at tax checkpoints a couple of times, disc never on the bike itself and it has never been an issue when I take it out of my pocket and show it to them...

Steffano2002

Lilliput69 wrote: »

Insurance for bikes is a different story, u don't get an insurance disc like u do with cars, just stick the cert in with ur licence and carry it

You do with Adelaide Insurance!

I carry my License, Tax Disc and Insurance Cert in my wallet. Never had a problem and I've been stopped many a time!

Del2005

If you want you can just attach a holder to your keys, tax is on display when your on the bike.

But as others have said, the Gardai aren't worried about display of tax disc on motorbikes. Once you have it on you they are generally fine.

faceman

best to carry your insurance cert with you even if you display your tax on your bike. Nothing worse than being asked to produce it at a garda station if the need arises. (e.g. after an accident etc)

Rainman1

As above, you are not legally obliged to carry your insurance documents, but as has being said, it's probably a good idea. A problem with keeping the tax disc on your person and not on your bike, is that if the bike is parked in a public place, an over zealous Guard or traffic warden can issue a fine, you have to pay this fine, regardless on whether or not you can produce your tax at a later date as it is an offense not to have it displayed when parked in a public area (same as cars). As was pointed out, tax discs are very attractive for robbing scumbags, the solution - Photocopy (in colour) or scan/print your tax disc and put that on the bike, I have been doing this for years and have had five totally useless photocopies nicked off the bike in that time.

Duzzie

Rainman1 wrote: »

As above, you are not legally obliged to carry your insurance documents, but as has being said, it's probably a good idea. A problem with keeping the tax disc on your person and not on your bike, is that if the bike is parked in a public place, an over zealous Guard or traffic warden can issue a fine, you have to pay this fine, regardless on whether or not you can produce your tax at a later date as it is an offense not to have it displayed when parked in a public area (same as cars). As was pointed out, tax discs are very attractive for robbing scumbags, the solution - Photocopy (in colour) or scan/print your tax disc and put that on the bike, I have been doing this for years and have had five totally useless photocopies nicked off the bike in that time.

Stricly speaking, if you put a color copy of a tax disc on your bike, you can be done for counterfeiting an official document. The gards could prosecute you for it and you could be in more trouble than if you didnt have tax displayed at all.

Rainman1

Duzzie wrote: »

Stricly speaking, if you put a color copy of a tax disc on your bike, you can be done for counterfeiting an official document. The gards could prosecute you for it and you could be in more trouble than if you didnt have tax displayed at all.

That's quite true and I always declare this at checkpoints, producing the genuine disc which I keep in my wallet. So far, I have only been complimented by the Garda on it being a good idea, the point of the photocopy is that with a decent machine, the copy is undetectable, unless you hold it up to the light to check the watermark. I would love to turn up in court if some officious git tried to apply the letter of the law on this, any judge will fire this out as a waste of court time, which is exactly what it would be, but to be honest I think the Garda have a lot more on their plate than worry about the technicalities of copying an official document, it's also not counterfeit, as the disc is being displayed on the vehicle that it was issued for.

Duzzie

Rainman1 wrote: »

That's quite true and I always declare this at checkpoints, producing the genuine disc which I keep in my wallet. So far, I have only been complimented by the Garda on it being a good idea, the point of the photocopy is that with a decent machine, the copy is undetectable, unless you hold it up to the light to check the watermark. I would love to turn up in court if some officious git tried to apply the letter of the law on this, any judge will fire this out as a waste of court time, which is exactly what it would be, but to be honest I think the Garda have a lot more on their plate than worry about the technicalities of copying an official document, it's also not counterfeit, as the disc is being displayed on the vehicle that it was issued for.

I'm afraid which ever way you do it leaves you open to some over officious "pocket hitler" trying to apply the letter of the law. Personally I keep my tax disc in my pocket and have never had a problem. I have been stopped at checkpoints and have generally just been waved through. Only on one occasion was I asked where my tax disc was. I told the guard that it was in my pocket and started to get my licence out. She imediatly told me that was fine and that I didnt have to show her and she waved me through.

I have seen advise form a guard that if you do put a copy of your tax disc on your bike, you should clearly mark it as a copy so as to make it clear that you are not trying to pass off a copy as the original. I have seen lads saying that they keep a color copy of their licence in their pocket so that the original doesnt get ruined. Again the guard said that if you follow the letter of the law, this is counterfieting too and you "could" be prosecuted for it.

I'm afraid that the only way of being 100% sure of not having to deal with an overly officious person who'd give you grief is to display the original tax disc and run the risk of it being stolen. Fortunately most guards understand the reality of the situation and the fact that tax discs are regularly stolen from bikes and have no problems with tax discs being kept in the pocket. In the 6 years that I have been biking in Ireland, I have never had a problem with keeping my tax disc in my pocket but i'm just waiting for my turn to come across a pocket hilter who will give me grief

The only downside to keeping the tax disc in my pocket that I have come accross is that I have nothing on the back of my bike to "fall" over my number plate.

Rainman1

Duzzie wrote: »

If you do put a copy of your tax disc on your bike, you should clearly mark it as a copy so as to make it clear that you are not trying to pass off a copy as the original.

That's a great idea, there can be no argument then, that you're trying to do anything illegal in terms of deception or counterfeiting, it will also probably deter the scumbags from taking it, as a tax disc with "Copy" plastered over it will be useless to them. I actually put my disc on the fairing screen, car style, to make it easier for them, otherwise they end up damaging the bike by trying to rip the tax holder off the bike, a sad reflection of the times we live in I know, but that's the reality of biking, I have to take more extreme measures to secure the bike when parked, but that another discussion.