Green Garage/Trade Plates - Ireland v UK

Silvera

I recently came across information on the procedure for getting Trade Plates in the UK.
Compare this to the same procedure in Ireland.

UK -
- Once you have trade insurance you can apply for Trade Plates.
- They are issued to you for an initial six-month 'trial' period.
- After the first six-months, you go to your local Motor Tax Office and prove that you have been a trading in cars for the previous six months (e.g. reciepts, etc).
- You are then issued Trade Plates permanently.

Ireland -
- You must have trade insurance.
- You must have a business premises or..
- You must have planning permission pending for said premises.
- You must be VAT registered (i.e. business turnover over c.€35k)
- Trade Plates rights might be withdrawn if you are in arrears with council rates.


The logic in the UK seems to be that the authorities want all traders to be compliant with the law, so they make it relatively straightforward for traders to get Trade Plates.

Heathen

hello all, im just curious..

what is the story with green garage plates...
are they to excuse tax / insurance / reg.. ?
or what...

any info on this would be great.. just wanna have it straight in my head.

thanks

bazz26

My understanding is that they make the car in question legal to drive on the road for tax purposes even if the tax disk is out of date while the car is in the hands of a registered dealer/trader.

Dealer probably pays €xxxx amount in road tax a year for the privilage.

Silvera

Trade Plates (silver/white digits on green background, officially known as 'Trade Licences') allow a dealer to drive an unregistered vehicle (subject to some conditions) and untaxed vehicles for the purposes of delivery, testing of vehicles, or when with a customer on a test drive.

An insurance disc is not required to be displayed when using a Trade Plate.

The plates are renewed annually and cost c.€250, or c.€50 for motocycle trade plate.

knifey_spoonie

The conditions are

It can only be used from Mon to Sat during businss hours

If you need to use it outside these hours you must get the local super intendents premission

A valid NCT must applie to the car (gradai rarly know that one)

Silvera

I wonder has the Mon-Sat rule been altered due the the amount of car sales outlets now opening on Sundays ?

If not, Superintendents/Revenue must be getting a lot of requests to use plates outside 'normal' hours !!

Ratchet

do you have to have garage trade insurance to apply for the plates?

Silvera

To my knowledge - Yes.

There are strict conditions to getting Trade Plates in Ireland, unlike the UK (see my other thread 'Trade Plates - Ireland v UK').

Heathen

Thanks for the info lads very helpfull
just needed to have an idea of how that whole area operated.

thanks again
Macker