Purchasing A Vehicle
Driving A Vehicle On The Road Without A Licence
A vehicle driven, parked or even left unused on a public road must be licensed. If you use or keep your vehicle unlicensed on a public road you could be fined £1000 or five times the annual rate of duty, whichever is the greater. You are likely to be reported to DVLNI by the PSNI, Traffic Wardens or Road Transport and Licensing Division (RTLD) or your vehicle could be wheelclamped.
There are two separate offences:
- Not displaying a current licence disc and
- Using or keeping a vehicle on a public road without a current Vehicle Excise Licence.
There are only three exceptions – an unlicensed vehicle, provided it is insured, can be driven, by the shortest route, to and from the Vehicle Inspection Centre for a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC), a pre-arranged compulsory test generally known as an MOT test, or for a Motorcycle Single Approval Test (MSVA).
How Can I Find Out About Previous Keepers
Details of the previous keepers are given on the Registration Certificate V5C(NI). If you are the current registered keeper you may request the information held on DVLNI’s records about former keepers by writing to
DVLNI
County Hall
Coleraine
BT51 3TA
quoting the Registration mark of the vehicle you wish to check and giving the reason for your request. A fee is payable for this service of £2.50 for the name of the last registered keeper or £5.00 for the full ownership history of the vehicle.
