Can I drive it home from the port without plates?

[JimboRX-7]

Has the law changed recently regarding this?  I was going to pick up my RX-7 tomorrow morning from Southampton, but I\'ve just read in the booklet (August 2003)  \'How to import a vehicle into great britain\':

"After arrival the only circumstances in which you can drive the vehicle before completing these formalities are to and from a pre-arranged SVA and / or MOT test and to and from a garage for remedial work.....   To avoid difficulties, importers are advised by DVLA to transport rather than drive their vehicles from the port of entry to home or first destination..."

Sounds a bit contradictory.  Says the only circumstances you can are for MOT and SVA and then goes on to say \'advised\' to transport it home?

Any of the commercial importers here got any advice before I try to search for a trailer for tomorrow morning?

TIA
James

[JimboRX-7]

I guess I\'ll book it in for an MOT tomorrow, and then drive it home for the \'remedial work\'

[mraraju]

its prolly to late to reply, but when i got mine i was allowed to drive it home without any number plates. only stipulation is that you must have insurance. The police control the port so they are the ones that let me out of the gates. If it was illegal he should have stopped me b4 i got out the ports. No one seems to know the regulation to this anyway.

[JimboRX-7]

I phoned the DVLA first thing this morning.  They said the law has been changed and you definitely cannot drive the car home.

I booked the car in for an MOT and drove it their instead, which is legal.

Their was security going in and out the port, but I don\'t think they were police.

Didn\'t get stopped driving the car home.  The staff at the port joked there was something wrong with it because they didn\'t have trouble starting it !

Car seemed very healthy on the drive back, so I can now sleep again

[mraraju]

when did the law change??

i drove it back about 3 or 4 weeks ago. at bristol port it was definately the police which controlled the gate, there were also several police cars nearby.

raj

[JimboRX-7]

August or earlier.  They really should make it more obvious that you can no longer drive it home.

There were lots of cars being driven out of Southampton with no plates.  I doubt they\'re gonna stop you leaving the port to check where you\'re taking it.  The problem may arise on the journey \'home\' if you get pulled and you\'ve not got an MOT or SVA booked.

[jetpilot]

I have driven a few cars home from the docks without number plates, southampton to bournemouth, not a short distance either. In the SVA booklet it states, you will be allowed to travel (within Great Britain) to and from the test station (including accredited test laboratories for any required ESVA tests) without the vehicle having been registered and licensed, and if necessary to and from a garage or other place where modifications are done to enable compliance with the requirements. You are responsible for ensuring that you have insurance cover and that the vehicle complies with the requirements of the road vehicles lighting regulations. I translate this to mean, if you are taking it home, i dont reckon you will get away with it, unless you can sweet talk the copper that you are carrying out the mods for sva (dubious one though), i have always covered myself by booking in for a MOT, alhtough, the MOT is still not carrying out any mods for the sva, but at least it looks like you are taking it seriously not just driving it home. If you want to be really safe, book it in for an MOT and also to have a fog light fitted even if you dont, if you know what i mean.

[jetpilot]

I have driven a few cars home from the docks without number plates, southampton to bournemouth, not a short distance either. In the SVA booklet it states, you will be allowed to travel (within Great Britain) to and from the test station (including accredited test laboratories for any required ESVA tests) without the vehicle having been registered and licensed, and if necessary to and from a garage or other place where modifications are done to enable compliance with the requirements. You are responsible for ensuring that you have insurance cover and that the vehicle complies with the requirements of the road vehicles lighting regulations. I translate this to mean, if you are taking it home, i dont reckon you will get away with it, unless you can sweet talk the copper that you are carrying out the mods for sva (dubious one though), i have always covered myself by booking in for a MOT, alhtough, the MOT is still not carrying out any mods for the sva, but at least it looks like you are taking it seriously not just driving it home. If you want to be really safe, book it in for an MOT and also to have a fog light fitted even if you dont, if you know what i mean.