David Lock

Was watching soime traffic cop programme last night. Pulling over cars for spot checks. One copper kept asking drivers if they were carrying their licence with them. He said it was an offence not to have your licence AND paper counterpart with you when driving. In fact he just asked them to produce it within 8 (?) days at a police station. But I didn't know it was an offence?? I hardly ever take my licence with me and wouldn't dream of taking paper counterpart, even if I could find it Am I just totally out of date and the only one who didn't know this? dl

paul-s

i have my license in my wallet anyway but dunno where the counterpart is. im sure its not an offence hence why you get 7 days to produce at a police station. the guy was probably being an a1 ****

OllyK

News to me as well - think they are just trying to soften people up for compulsory ID cards

OllyK

http://www.police999.com/traffic/dvla1.html - point 3 kind of suggests that you don't need your licence

thundertiger

i managed to hire a car without the counterpart in ireland
the bloke at hertz just asked me if i had any points etc and what they were for.

he couldnt get through to the dvla, which is what they are supposed to do, and he let me drive away.

top bloke

i didnt think you had to legally carry it though.

suppose you are just driving about in a pair of speedo's???

Leslie

Its only an offence if you can't produce it later at your nominated police station. Always was like that.

Les

David Lock

Yep - that's exactly what I thought until I heard this copper on TV. Can't think he would get it wrong especially as he was a traffic cop. Oh well. Anyone else see the programme?

And I would have thought that keeping the paper part separate from your card licence was the sensible thing to do. dl

jowl

You should be arrested for wearing Speedo's then

Markus

As far as I'm aware, in the UK, you are not required by law to carry your licence (be it a one part paper only licence, or a two part, ID card and paper licence) at all times, but you must be able to produce it (and I think any other associated docs, eg; MOT certificate if you have one, V5, proof of insurance, etc) within seven days at a police station if requested to do so by a police officer.

I never used to carry my licence in the UK (seem to recall something somewhere saying that if you were asked for it and had it on you, not to produce it at side of the road, not sure why though, can anyone enlighten me?), and never had a problem when I got pulled over, simply got a producer and turned up at the station with it and other bits and bobs and there was no problem at all.

Over here it's a legal requirement that you have your licence on you whenever you're driving and there is some fine/points if you don't have it on you and you are stopped.

black scoobs

if you show them at the side of the road it saves them paper work later on ,as it has to be logged when a producer is given .

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I had a smash back in February. Coppers atended the scene and ask to see my license. Told them I did not have it, so they gave me a producer.

They were totally fine with that :shrug:

Brendan Hughes

Been here before. IIRC Strictly, the law says you must carry your licence and it's an offence not to. However, it says if you can produce it at a station within X days, you won't be charged with that offence. Or thereabouts.

David Lock

Thanks Brendan - that makes sense in the programme context, bit of a jobsworth copper then and wanting to avoid paperwork as said above. Bit like smoking dope these days An offence but you won't get charged for the odd puff.

===========

As for keeping the plastic and counterpart licence separate the advantage is that you have some reference point if you lose one or the other and can't be arsed to keep a photocopy!

SCOsazOBY

copper most probably showing off for the cameras!

i never carry my paper part as if i lose it i dont know my driver number

Dr Hu

I think its for 2 reasons it is generally advised not to carry your license

1) If the cops stop you for an offence, and ask to see your license, they read on the back thet you have previous 'form' they may be biased in their opinions/outcome of the stop.(i.e you may have been let off with a warning, until they read on your license you drive like a **** all the time)

2) If you are stopped for a serious offence the police officer can at his discretion take your license therefore you no longer hold a valid license - if you do not produce you may be able to drive away from the stop and carry on driving until a court date/ban

of course i may be talking ballcocks, but pretty sure I have seen these reasons written somewhere

john_s

iTrader: (1)

As above, it is an offence not to produce your licence when "lawfully required" (s. 164 (6) RTA 1998), but it is a valid defense to show that you produced your licence within 7 days(s. 164(8)(a).

Dr Hu's comments above seem to be generally considered the way to play things.

John.

SWRTWannabe

One option if you are asked for your licence and don't have it is to point out that your faith in the British legal system means that you don't feel it is safe to carry around such documentation.

On the other hand, upsetting the police officer with comments like that might not be the best course of action.....

Leslie

With the old book type of licence the copper was not allowed to look in the back of it to see whether you had any previous convictions for the reason Dr Hu said. I was stopped once near Brands Hatch on my 'bike and the copper did look in the back. I told him he should not have done that and he handed it back and told me to carry on with no further problems from him. I bet the system is still just the same with the later style licences.

Les