Yellow Reg's in ROI no longer legal?

md99

Is it true that they are bringing in a law whereby those with British cars who have paid their VRT MUST change to the ROI licence plates or face penalty points?

I thought that this was to be in place by this month, but on the roads today I saw plenty yellow reg's around.

What's the story?

bazz26

md99 wrote:

Is it true that they are bringing in a law whereby those with British cars who have paid their VRT MUST change to the ROI licence plates or face penalty points?

I thought that this was to be in place by this month, but on the roads today I saw plenty yellow reg's around.

What's the story?

You have to pay the VRT on the imported car within 24/48 hours of entering the country with it, you can then tax it and will be issued Irish plates. Not sure if there is points involved but customers have been known to impound the car if the VRT is not paid.

bazz26

md99 wrote:

I thought that this was to be in place by this month, but on the roads today I saw plenty yellow reg's around.

Most of these could simply be tourists or visitors, after all it is still the holiday season.

Owen

A person on holidays is entitled to drive for 6 months in Ireland on their UK/Polish/German plates.

Wishbone Ash

I think the OP may be referring to motorists who have a ROI registration but displayed on yellow plates. There are loads of them in Donegal.

md99

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I think the OP may be referring to motorists who have a ROI registration but displayed on yellow plates. There are loads of them in Donegal.

That is what I am referring to - those who did in fact pay their VRT, but never bothered to change their plates. This can carry numerous 'advantages'

However, a friend of mine told me of a new law coming into place this month whereby those with a permanent ROI address displaying yellow plates can be prosecuted by penalty points. Have I been bluffed?

colm_mcm

I think the OP is talking about displaying the UK reg number as opposed to the ROI number. Colour of the plates isn't really the issue.

Guy:Incognito

Surely if they'vepaid VRT the Englaish plates are not longer valid? Does it not get deregistered?

colm_mcm

The Gardai aren't gonna know that!

md99

colm_mcm wrote:

I think the OP is talking about displaying the UK reg number as opposed to the ROI number. Colour of the plates isn't really the issue.

Yes, thank you.

md99

A few reasons the British reg's can be preferable:

Physically, they're more attractive looking for the car - in my opinion anyway!

They don't display the year as the Irish ones do - so, that can be your little secret.

They're often overlooked by traffic wardens for tickets and the like.

My question is: Are they becoming disallowed in the ROI? Has nobody else heard of this?

Wishbone Ash

Sorry md99, I thought you were referring to those who display their new ROI registration but put it on a yellow plate. What's that all about?

Owen

That's about stupidity Wishbone

Wishbone Ash

md99 wrote:

My question is: Are they becoming disallowed in the ROI? Has nobody else heard of this?

Well if the car has been reregistered, it would be illegal as it would be travelling on false plates.

md99

I'm in Waterford and I've actually never seen it! But it's like every 3rd car down here is one with a yellow reg. For example someone I know bought a 92 BMW 316 from the North a year and a half ago, since then she has done it up and it looks spectacular - had I not been told the year prior I'd suspect it to be an 02 or 01! Anyway, she hasn't changed her plates since... like many down here.

ballooba

My bor had his car on English plates for a few months after coming back from UK. Reason was that the finance was in the UK.

He had documents to show to customs. They tried to impound the car one day but the documents he had meant that they couldn't. Could that be that he had paid VRt but the car was still registered in the UK?

galwaytt

the law is very simple and straightforward on this whole issue........

You must clear the car/pay VRT by close of business 1 working day after the car arrives in the country. So, import it Mon, VRT it by Tues eve. Or, as is more likely, import it Sat/Sun, VRT it by close of business Monday.

Once that is done, you are legally required to have your new Irish Reg plates attached to the car inside 3 days.

The law on plates is dead simple, and any NCT office will clarify it with regard to shape/colour/size - and no, you can't have yellow ones. In fact, you could NEVER have yellow ones here in ROI......

Seth Brundle

galwaytt wrote:

The law on plates is dead simple, and any NCT office will clarify it with regard to shape/colour/size - and no, you can't have yellow ones. In fact, you could NEVER have yellow ones here in ROI......

http://www.revenue.ie/leaflets/carplate.pdf

Guy:Incognito

colm_mcm wrote:

The Gardai aren't gonna know that!

I know that but at that stage it runs abit deeper than vrt avoidance. Is it a criminal offence to drive around with no plates (or false plates as this would be). Surely theres also insurance issues etc.

md99 wrote:

They don't display the year as the Irish ones do - so, that can be your little secret.

It's hardly a secret when everyone knows that the letters corresponed to the 6 month period the car was registered in, it's not difficult to know th eyear.

Plus why would it bother people for others to know the year of the car? The only time it's nessecary to even discuss it is when selling it and it's not like the guy buying it isnt going to know what year it is.

E@gle.

i bought a car from the uk recently i got the vrt paid. They tell you you new irish reg and its up to you to get a plate made with new reg on it. and you have to get it done within 3 days

md99

I see, so basically it is required by law, I know that now, from my experience it seems that those I know of (and that's many people in my area) are just not bothering to replace their plates...

md99

Stekelly wrote:

Plus why would it bother people for others to know the year of the car? The only time it's nessecary to even discuss it is when selling it and it's not like the guy buying it isnt going to know what year it is.

Ahh, hello... some people are f**kin vain??

Guy:Incognito

Yes but just because the actual year is replaced with a letter representing the year, nothing changes, people still know the year from looking at the reg.

Geek Nose

Stekelly wrote:

Yes but just because the actual year is replaced with a letter representing the year, nothing changes, people still know the year from looking at the reg.

I still don't think he gets it, dude. He thinks it's a "little secret" just because it's a letter (which represents a specific year!)....even though it's as clear as daylight. I don't think he'll ever work in cryptography, lol.

seamus

md99, nothing has changed. It's still illegal to drive around on a UK reg unless you're a UK visitor.

What you're referring to is probably a "crackdown" (I use this term in the lightest sense, given the track record of enforcement) on Irish residents (national and non-national) driving around in foreign registered vehicles. Gardai can stop you randomly and seize your vehicle at the road side.

Personally, when I see UK plates, I think "tosser". But that's just me.

Mitch Connor

Geek Nose wrote:

I still don't think he gets it, dude. He thinks it's a "little secret" just because it's a letter (which represents a specific year!)....even though it's as clear as daylight. I don't think he'll ever work in cryptography, lol.

its obviously gonna be a lot more likely that someone will be able to decode that 99 - X - XXXX refers to a car reg'd in 99, then someone being able to decode what year a letter in the reg plate refers to - personally i have no idea about english reg plates or what letter means which year.

Wishbone Ash

Stekelly wrote:

Yes but just because the actual year is replaced with a letter representing the year, nothing changes, people still know the year from looking at the reg.

In standard prefix/suffix letter plates it is relatively easy (or the newer types) but it is difficult to put a year to non-standard UK plates, (e.g. 100 MPH) as they tend to transfer between vehicles.

NI plates are also more difficult to put a year to as they run from 1 to 9999.

Wishbone Ash

seamus wrote:

Personally, when I see UK plates, I think "tosser". But that's just me.

Or even T05SER

testicle

md99 wrote:

They don't display the year as the Irish ones do - so, that can be your little secret.

Since '02 they do plainly, previous to that it was a letter which corresponded to the year. Not very hard to work out.

Unless of coure you're talking about Northern registered cars, which are a different kettle of fish.

Gatster

Personally, when I see UK plates, I think "tosser". But that's just me.

So anyone from the UK in Ireland, be it holiday or otherwise is a TO55ER? Nice and balanced comment that, well done.

seamus

Gatster wrote:

So anyone from the UK in Ireland, be it holiday or otherwise is a TO55ER? Nice and balanced comment that, well done.

I'm not going to apologise for what pops into my head. Unfortunately it's a minority of lawbreaking Irish and Nordies that cause UK holidaymakers to be universally despised by Irish road users.