Driving On US Plates?
Discussion
Cuban said:
Anyone here driven their imported Corvette in the UK on the US plates and for how long?
Not planning to do so, but just wondered what others had done and for how long
prior to the SVA test?
My second 2003 C5 Z06 I drove about 4 months on the Texas plates before getting it registered.............as long as you have the title and insure the car here on the VIN number then to my mind you are entitled to drive it......how is it different to all the Polish registered cars you see driving here?Not planning to do so, but just wondered what others had done and for how long
prior to the SVA test?
I have been driving my Dodge Ram SRT-10 for the last 6 weeks on an American plate.........and this one has no link to the truck......
your only officially allowed to drive home from the docks and then to SVA centre, not running about using it in-between for a number of weeks like VHR 
though i guess trips for modifying for a SVA is also allowed
we went through this about 6 months ago on the viper forum with a imported viper, when a guy got stopped by the police running US plates (his car had been in the country 3 weeks) and then had to make a court appearance to explain why he was driving the car unregistered showing US plates. I guess it all comes down to the police need an address to send any driving/speeding offences to
doubt there's a time limit from landing at the docks to a SVA, bet you could garage it for a couple of years then SVA, of course not driving it in between
though i guess trips for modifying for a SVA is also allowed we went through this about 6 months ago on the viper forum with a imported viper, when a guy got stopped by the police running US plates (his car had been in the country 3 weeks) and then had to make a court appearance to explain why he was driving the car unregistered showing US plates. I guess it all comes down to the police need an address to send any driving/speeding offences to
doubt there's a time limit from landing at the docks to a SVA, bet you could garage it for a couple of years then SVA, of course not driving it in between
Edited by Viper on Saturday 5th January 15:15
The rules are that you are only allowed one trip to the SVA station and one trip to the MOT station if you are permanently importing the car. Officially you are even supposed to have it trailered home from the port before the trip for SVA. The rules for visitors are just that
Sad but true.
All that said I took the realistic option and drove home from the port but restricted driving to the bare minimum on both my imports.
10.1 How do I register and license my vehicle if imported to stay permanently in the EC?
(a) On import
When your vehicle has been admitted free of duty and tax under the relief in Section 5, or when all duty and tax has been paid at importation, we will give you:
a Customs clearance Form C&E 386 or C&E 388 and
the appropriate PI notice and SVA leaflet issued by the Department for Transport (DfT) which set out the legal requirements which you must satisfy before you register the vehicle.
You must go without delay to the nearest Local Office (LO) of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to get your vehicle registered and licensed. Take along the clearance form we give you as the LO may ask you for it. Please note - the only circumstances in which you can drive your vehicle before these formalities are completed is to and from a pre-arranged SVA/MoT test. You will find contact numbers in your phone book under 'Driving and Vehicles'.
Sad but true.
All that said I took the realistic option and drove home from the port but restricted driving to the bare minimum on both my imports.
10.1 How do I register and license my vehicle if imported to stay permanently in the EC?
(a) On import
When your vehicle has been admitted free of duty and tax under the relief in Section 5, or when all duty and tax has been paid at importation, we will give you:
a Customs clearance Form C&E 386 or C&E 388 and
the appropriate PI notice and SVA leaflet issued by the Department for Transport (DfT) which set out the legal requirements which you must satisfy before you register the vehicle.
You must go without delay to the nearest Local Office (LO) of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to get your vehicle registered and licensed. Take along the clearance form we give you as the LO may ask you for it. Please note - the only circumstances in which you can drive your vehicle before these formalities are completed is to and from a pre-arranged SVA/MoT test. You will find contact numbers in your phone book under 'Driving and Vehicles'.
Edited by Dee Gee on Saturday 5th January 21:29
Dee Gee said:
The rules are that you are only allowed one trip to the SVA station and one trip to the MOT station if you are permanently importing the car. Officially you are even supposed to have it trailered home from the port before the trip for SVA. The rules for visitors are just that
Sad but true.
All that said I took the realistic option and drove home from the port but restricted driving to the bare minimum on both my imports.
,Sad but true.
All that said I took the realistic option and drove home from the port but restricted driving to the bare minimum on both my imports.
,
,
Dave, Spot on again.
Just your trip home from the docks, and the trip to the SVA / MOT
All insured on the VIN, not the US plates.
a few minutes of surfing and this popped up, pretty clear to me:
You will be allowed to travel (within the UK) to and from the test centres for the prearranged appointment without the vehicle having been registered and licensed and, if SVA necessary, to and from a pre-arranged appointment at 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 when driven to and from the test location. Otherwise, driving or keeping an unregistered vehicle on a public road is an offence.
You will be allowed to travel (within the UK) to and from the test centres for the prearranged appointment without the vehicle having been registered and licensed and, if SVA necessary, to and from a pre-arranged appointment at 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 when driven to and from the test location. Otherwise, driving or keeping an unregistered vehicle on a public road is an offence.
Edited by Viper on Saturday 5th January 21:48
mitch_ said:
That seems strange Viper. As far as I was aware, as long as the vehicle is correctly registered in the country of origin you can use it for a period of 6 months as a visitor. I may however be wrong.
Mitch
thats sounds to me like a forgeiner(polish worker) coming here for 6 months with his car, after 6 months it would have to be UK registeredMitch
no doubt you would have to have proven residence out of the UK to get away with that
Viper said:
mitch_ said:
That seems strange Viper. As far as I was aware, as long as the vehicle is correctly registered in the country of origin you can use it for a period of 6 months as a visitor. I may however be wrong.
Mitch
thats sounds to me like a forgeiner(polish worker) coming here for 6 months with his car, after 6 months it would have to be UK registeredMitch
no doubt you would have to have proven residence out of the UK to get away with that
Viper said:
maybe if the vette was registered under your name in Texas you may have a better case?
its all about tracing the car to someone to blame if all go's wrong
Understand that but how is it different to trace the owner of a non EU car from an EU car? There isn't an EU DVLA is there?its all about tracing the car to someone to blame if all go's wrong
I looked into this when I first had my C6 here but basically ignored it anyway as seemed the same as most of our motoring laws which are designed to get the generally law abiding and let the rest carry on as an underclass. I agree with VHR that insurance should be the most important criteria but it is not the case.
From memory the determining factor is residency. You can only drive a non UK car here if you are normally a legal resident in the country the car was brought from and have the car correctly registered there.
You are I think allowed to drive to an MOT. Best to get on friendly terms with an MOT station and if stopped they will vouch that you were on your way !!
An alternative might be to buy borrow some trade plates and drive around with those.
David
From memory the determining factor is residency. You can only drive a non UK car here if you are normally a legal resident in the country the car was brought from and have the car correctly registered there.
You are I think allowed to drive to an MOT. Best to get on friendly terms with an MOT station and if stopped they will vouch that you were on your way !!
An alternative might be to buy borrow some trade plates and drive around with those.
David
If you import a Corvette from the States there is a good chance it will arrive without plates.
Plates or tags as they called here do not stay with the car.
In some states, NJ for one, non return of the plates when disposing of a car will get your licence revoked.
This is of course with regard to buying and importing not importing a car you owned in the states. Although if you do not renew your US car insurance they want the plates, so either way you are going to need dealer plates, temp plates (if they exist in UK) or a flatbed.
Plates or tags as they called here do not stay with the car.
In some states, NJ for one, non return of the plates when disposing of a car will get your licence revoked.
This is of course with regard to buying and importing not importing a car you owned in the states. Although if you do not renew your US car insurance they want the plates, so either way you are going to need dealer plates, temp plates (if they exist in UK) or a flatbed.
Buy a set of US plates corresponding to your state of origin on e-bay etc.
I have a set of New hampshire, and North Carolina that look like they were new yesterday, and use for that port to home etc.
You may get stopped, but most certainly will if you have none, at least thats been my experience.
I have a set of New hampshire, and North Carolina that look like they were new yesterday, and use for that port to home etc.
You may get stopped, but most certainly will if you have none, at least thats been my experience.
With the polish boys, the car is in their name on a foreign address, however if they are permanent over here some have clamped recently.
How the Arabs get away with this, in Kensington there are loads of Saudi plates on Bentleys and Mercs.
Us plates as you have just bought the car and don’t have it in your name on a USA address then that’s why you only have a short time to register it ?
Sam
How the Arabs get away with this, in Kensington there are loads of Saudi plates on Bentleys and Mercs.
Us plates as you have just bought the car and don’t have it in your name on a USA address then that’s why you only have a short time to register it ?
Sam
Could also make you arrestable for 'Perverting the Course of justice' camera's and APNR need an address to collect there cash.
Driver of the Viper had the case dropped, but he was silly as his car was UK registered and had the new plates in the boot BIB thought this very suspicious so stuck him on for the above.
Not sure you would get much more than a warning or a VDRS but if you get stopped by a Traffic Cop you may get some serious grief as it will look like you are trying to make the most of an unregistered vehicle on the road.
After all a visiting pole would have a Polish plate a visiting American would have a US plate, if you had been abroad for some time then you are entitled, enquirys would/could be made overseas as to who was the owner for serious offences.
I worked with traffic, they would impound the car.
Just my 10 cents............but you are taking a chance, good job there are not many Trafpols about these days.
Driver of the Viper had the case dropped, but he was silly as his car was UK registered and had the new plates in the boot BIB thought this very suspicious so stuck him on for the above.
Not sure you would get much more than a warning or a VDRS but if you get stopped by a Traffic Cop you may get some serious grief as it will look like you are trying to make the most of an unregistered vehicle on the road.
After all a visiting pole would have a Polish plate a visiting American would have a US plate, if you had been abroad for some time then you are entitled, enquirys would/could be made overseas as to who was the owner for serious offences.
I worked with traffic, they would impound the car.
Just my 10 cents............but you are taking a chance, good job there are not many Trafpols about these days.
In the early 80's, I brought two cars back with "Saudi" plates (well actually copies!) and drove for 12 months, parked anywhere etc without gaining tickets, but I had been officially non-resident, and had a Saudi driving licence. I did not then receive any paperwork from HM Customs having told them that I was only in the UK for a few months.
Everytime I have picked up a car from the docks and driven home (with US plates), I have been stopped by Gwents finest, no other force was interested!, but without consequence.
Everytime I have picked up a car from the docks and driven home (with US plates), I have been stopped by Gwents finest, no other force was interested!, but without consequence.
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