do you HAVE to keep your documents on you
 

what is the truth.........should you always carry your driving documents with you whenever you drive. ? .insurance certificate, v5, MOT and driving license ?

dan

just your driving licence card i believe........even though i dont.

That is all I carry:thumb:

I don't think you need to no. As the police issue Producers for that reason I'd say.....as you dont need to carry them.

taken from a driving laws site

Do I have to carry my licence with me at all times when driving/riding?
No, but it is strongly recommended. The Police are entitled to ask to see your licence at any time and if you do not have it immediately, you will be ordered to produce it to a Police Station within 7 days. Failing to produce within that period of time is another offence, even if you do actually hold a licence.

looks like im mistaken :)

From 21 February 1952 you don't have to carry any documents with you, even when driving. :)

Prior to that date you had to carry and produce when requested a National Registration ID card.

Shaun

+1 u dont need to carry anything as its all on there computer but it is advisable to carry sum form of id so they no it is u who is driving the car and not someone else giving ure details

Technically you don't need to carry anything, HOWEVER you are committing an offence if you do not produce your driving licence (both photo card and paper counterpart if applicable), MOT certificate (if applicable) and insurance certificate/cover note to an officer requesting it if stopped whilst driving on road/public place..... However you have a statutory defence (as it were) of producing at a police station within seven days (till midnight) of the request. All docs should be originals (no copies/faxes).

Simon

If anyone is interested, it IS a legal requirement to carry your driving license, V5 document and insurance certificate when driving in Europe especially France as the French police can (and do) fine you on the spot for not having them.:razz:

Just more random trivia floating around in this head o' mine that I thought I would share with you good folks:lol1:

+1

However i'm sure the Scoobynet members know otherwise looking at the above comments.

I got stopped by the police whilst driving my van the other night.
Had no id or anything on me , he just asked my name and address , checked if it matched up to the van and then let me on my way.
The reason for being stopped beleive it or not was " driving a van late at night" and he said "criminals use vans" !! :wonder:.

so to sum up you dont need to carry anything with you.

This.


I was stopped the other evening. The first time for ten years and I was driving my girlfriends Corsa. It was late and was driving quicky, certainly well in excess of the speed limit (which was 40mpg but the straight clear road has excellent visibility and 20+ metre verges. He asked if it was my car and I said: "no, it's Emma's" indicating to the passenger seat. He asked if I was insured, which I am and then asked if Id been drinking, which I hadnt (he did get quite close for the last question). With that I was on my way: no producer, no 'checking my driving licence' and no rectification notice for the defective headlamp (which really had failed on the journey - a push on the connector sorted this though, after he was back in his car).

Im still in-shock now...

So if I break the speed limit and I get stopped by the Police and not prosecuted for it, then that's fine?

Legally you do have to carry your docs when you drive however any cop that would prosecute someone for this would be a tool.

I'm sure others will be one with their expert opinions.;)

no you dont , but if you get pulled over , u might end up with a producer which makes it inconvienant to go to police station . Never leave documents in the car . I only carry my driving licence with me .

Speeding and carrying a bit of paper with you are two completely different things.
Ive never heard of any law in this country stating you have to carry anything with you. - If it is a law like you say it might as well not be there as its clearly not enforced.

I got randomly stopped last week in London (S.44 of the Terrorism act part scared me a little at first)

All I had on me was the card part of my licence and they didn't ask for anything else although I was actually driving someone else's car.

I got stopped by plod a few weeks ago as my passegers (young lads from work) ' seemed to be taking an interest in the police car'

Didn't have any docs so plod went on the radio, checked if I had a licence and let me on my way.

http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-61886

See post 6......... Lord Goddard basically said you don't need to carry ID or proof of who you are or any other documents and this is the defense you use if stopped and don't have the docs to hand..........hence the "producer".

Plod can still arrest you if you fail to give a name and address they don't like LOL.

The law was changed in 2005 (I think) to allow for the introduction of ID cards but Goddard still applicable IMHO.

Shaun

Double post !

Edited post #9 to clarify matters