N.I. registered car in ROI

no_ismyfavoriteword · 31-12-2023 4:26pm #1

It seems like every 2nd young lad here is driving an English reg Lexus/Audi/BMW etc. I've seen plenty around owned by locals for the last number of years and they still display N plates and have a tax disc holder with an insurance disk, almost always with Axa, but obviously no tax or test disks (whether or not they have UK road tax or an MOT, I don't know)

I'm currently insured on my IE-reg car with Axa and I've went online and got quotes for UK regs, and it will quote as normal.

If I were to buy a UK reg car and somehow avoid Garda attention, and I was insured on it, how could I tax it or MOT it? I haven't got anybody in the North that has an address I could use. Could I hold onto the V5C and not put the car into my name, and then would I be able to MOT it up north just be presenting the V5C, without it actually having my name on it?

Buddy Bubs · 31-12-2023 4:28pm

Where do you live? I haven't seen many around in years

no_ismyfavoriteword · 31-12-2023 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554213#Comment_121554213

I'm in Carlow. Plenty of german cars going around with N plates etc still on UK reg, same cars been down here for years

elperello · 31-12-2023 4:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058329004/n-i-registered-car-in-roi

It's not AGS you need to worry about.

If you meet a multi agency checkpoint Revenue will take your car on the spot.

Charles Babbage · 31-12-2023 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554355#Comment_121554355

Or indeed they may come around and take your car at any time.

cml387 · 31-12-2023 5:23pm

There is an old German registerd VW Golf around here for ages. Customs are more interested in loss of revenue to the state and a beaten up Golf does not constitute much of a loss.

Hungry Burger · 31-12-2023 5:32pm

I used to live in the UK and would often come home and drive on the English reg, the guards don’t care and will often wave you on at checkpoints etc. It’s a bit of a grey area legally because before brexit Irish and UK companies would insure each other’s licenses in both jurisdictions so technically, once you had an English address to give to a UK insurance company, you could legally drive here 365 days of the year on a UK plate, some insurance companies had a limit on “european” driving days, but mine didn’t. I don’t know if this has changed since Brexit or not though.

I suspect most are purely chancers who bought a UK spec car for cheap and are simply driving illegally. You can check if a car is MOT’d, taxed and insured on a UK gov website, so next time you see one pop the details in and see.

CramCycle · 31-12-2023 5:39pm

Plenty round my neck of the woods and nowhere near the border counties. Every 3rd house seems to have two cars but one with UK plates. It's not just young lads, plenty of mamai and daddy's at it. I do feel like a mug but I know I'd be caught immediately. I'd be doubtful any are MOTd or insured around me, was surprised when you said about the young lads sticking the single disk up, almost highlights what they are at.

Xander10 · 31-12-2023 5:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554590#Comment_121554590

Likewise. I thought there was a short timeframe that you needed to pay VRT and re-reg?

Hungry Burger · 31-12-2023 5:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554590#Comment_121554590

If they have a relative or know someone in the north then it’s easy to get the insurance, so could easily be all taxed and MOT’d, they are just lying about their real address. Probably a lot of that going on as well.

31-12-2023 5:45pm

There's thousands of them around Limerick every December, but that's a different cause.

CramCycle · 31-12-2023 5:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554613#Comment_121554613

LOL, there are a few who would have relatives in the UK and are compliant in regards all of the above but around here not all of them and certainly a reasonable portion wouldn't be taxed, MOTd or insured.

no_ismyfavoriteword · 31-12-2023 7:33pm

I can't speak for everybody doing it but the few who I know personally that have them, they are insured on them with Irish insurers (?)

A relative of mine insured a tractor on a UK registration number and was told they'd have to get it changed and call with the new Irish reg once it's changed over within 30 days. 30 days came and went, followed up with FBD to make sure they were still covered, FBD said they are insuring them on x tractor and charging them the premium for it, and that the reg was between him and AGS/Revenue.

I might give Axa a call and see, when I try a UK reg on their website, it quotes but it says to change it over within 30 days, I wonder if they are strict on this, this would explain why so many are insured. If I could get insured on it, that's the main thing. As well as that, if I were to buy one and get the V5C, I wouldn't be able to put it into my own name but from what I've found, if I present the car in the North for an MOT, it won't matter if it isn't my name on the logbook as long as I have the book with me. That's insurance and test sorted, I wouldn't have a way to tax it but being out of motor tax on it isn't the most serious offence going. I might see about buying one in the North and keeping it for 6 months ish and then VRTing it. I could trade the Audi I've got now for a 3 year newer 320D M-Sport for the same money, and then save up the VRT and get it changed over in time.

User1998 · 31-12-2023 7:57pm

In my experience I was always told the insurance policy would be cancelled if I didn’t provide an Irish reg within 30 days.

Insurance companies are supposed to notify Revenue if you continue with the UK reg

NIMAN · 31-12-2023 8:17pm

There's still loads of NI and UK cars around the border areas. Loads here in Inishowen.

I know a few people who own and drive them, yet live in Ireland. Have been for many years. Not sure how they tax and insure them, assume they are faking some northern address.

They do go into a panic when Customs throw up the odd checkpoint, but they seem to be few and far between these days. But walk into any irish housing estate around the border, and it'll be packed with northern regs.

Charles Babbage · 31-12-2023 8:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121554613#Comment_121554613

However, falsehoods about your place of residence are not appreciated by insurance companies and then this becomes an issue for the Gardaí.

onrail · 31-12-2023 8:44pm

Yeah I brought an NI reg car south of the border when moving, and any insurance company I contacted would only insure for 30 days. We had it rereged to the south within 15.

zg3409 · 31-12-2023 9:03pm

These are all chancers and possibly not insured. Insurance get real interested in the details if you put a claim in. Where is car parked overnight, NI or ROI. Where were you going at time of accident, from where to where and why. Customs stop mammies dropping kids to school and it's hard to explain ROI to ROI.

Sure lots get away with it, but lots are stopped and sized, even L plate drivers unaccompanied.

My brother drove a german reg for a few months and a garda living on his street gave him a hint, and he took it.

Charles Babbage · 31-12-2023 9:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121555203#Comment_121555203

the best stunt they had back in the recession was a checkpoint near the welfare office. They stopped NI reg cars and asked you if you lived in the north or the south, if you said north they cancelled the welfare and had you pay it back, if you said south then they seized the yoke.

N.I. registered car in ROI

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