The Vehicle register in the United Kingdom is a database of motor vehicles. It is a legal requirement in the UK for most types of motor vehicle to be registered if they are to be used on the public road. (See Car Registrations in the British Isles by Peter Robson ISBN: 1-872686-30-3)
All new and imported vehicles are required to be entered onto the register which is administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Great Britain and by Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland.
Registered vehicles are provided with a unique registration number which has to be displayed on the vehicle on specified registration plates.
On the register, along with the vehicle details (make, model, engine capacity, colour, VIN, etc.) are recorded the details of the current keeper of the vehicle (name, address). The current keeper is issued with a registration document known as a V5C, which displays the registration details of the vehicle. Each time any of the registration details change, if the vehicle keeper is changed, or any of the vehicle details are changed, for example, the DVLA/DVLNI has to be notified, and a new document is issued.
A vehicle first registration fee has to be paid to enter a vehicle onto the register for the first time.
Database uses
The database is available to the law enforcement authorities for activities such as:
- Vehicle legality checks such as: current safety certification, motor insurance and vehicle licence
- Police traffic law enforcement
- Automated camera enforcement of certain traffic laws
Details from the database are also available, for a fee, to anyone having a good reason to require them.
See also
- Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) - the UK duty, or tax, payable to be allowed to use a motor vehicle on a public road
- Vehicle licence - the UK licence issued for a motor vehicle in return for the appropriate VED having been paid
- Vehicle registration plate
- U.S. and Canadian license plates
External links
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