REGISTERING YOUR MACHINE

INTRODUCTION.

Remember the Club can only advise that a retention of registration is valid or that an age related plate is issued. The DVLA at all times retain the right to refuse an application.

First you need to check with your Vehicle Registration Office (VRO). The address can be found in the telephone book under " Transport, Department of" in the phone book or ring the DVLA Customer Enquiry unit.

Your machine should fit into one of three categories for registering your machine, if it does not then it will probably be issued with a "Q" mark. This should only happen in exceptional circumstances as this mark signifies a machine of unknown origin.

YOU HAVE A MACHINE WITH A REGISTRATION MARK BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE DVLA COMPUTER RECORD AND YOU HAVE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.

If you have any pre 1985 documentation with your motorcycle, such as dealer receipts, MOT certificates, Tax Discs or a photo of you as a callow youth sitting on the machine, then you stand a good chance of retaining the original number.

You will need a form V765 and a form V55/5 from the VRO. Click on the plug to go to the notes for retention of original registration marks.

The machine should be substantially complete although it doesn't need to be restored and you don't need to be taxing it for the road.

YOU DON'T KNOW THE ORIGINAL REGISTRATION OR YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION WITH THE MACHINE.

Do you know the original registration mark?

If you do then click on the plug to go to the original registration records to see whether the records are still in existence. If they do then write to the place where they are held and obtain a certified copy of the record. If you do that then you may be able to retain the number. You will require a dating certificate from the Club's Machine Dating Officer. He will need to know, in full, both the engine and frame numbers. The cost is £5 for Club members (quote your membership number which is on your card or on the bottom right-hand side of the label used on the envelope with your Star) and a stamped addressed envelope. Then send it to:-

If you don't know the number or you don't have any documentation then you will have to apply for an age related number which is allocated by the DVLA. Click on the plug to go to the age related notes. You will need to obtain a machine dating certificate from the Club's Machine Dating Officer. (see note above)

The machine should be ready for taxing so take it to be MOT'd using the frame number and take or send all the documentation down to the VRO. You machine may be inspected so make sure that the frame number is visible. Some of the Bantam ones, in particular, are very faint so bear this in mind before you get the frame painted with twenty coats of filler paint as it would be a pity to scrape it all off again to prove that they exist.

It does not matter if the machine has had an engine change provided that it is of the same generic type e.g. Bantam in a Bantam frame. Problems can occur with bitsa machines such as TriBsa's although the DVLA may issue an age related number if the original frame number exists.

The recent change in the DVLA's rules means that machines which were given "A" suffix registrations can now transfer to an age related number, these were usually allocated as a result of a number transfer. Remember though some Licensing Authorities issued "A" suffix plates in 1963 as part of normal registration procedures. If your machine has one of these plates then check with the Librarian who has lists of when registration series were issued.

Also machines which were imported and received the registration of the year, such as the imports of Saudi A65's in 1980 which received "V" and "W" suffix plates, can now revert to an appropriate age related plate. New imports will be eligible for an age related plate with a machine dating certificate.

Vehicles comprising genuine period components of the same specification, all over 25 years old, will be assigned an age related registration mark. The authenticity of the components must be confirmed by the appropriate vehicle enthusiasts club. Request leaflet INF26 "Registration of rebuilt or radically altered vehicles and kit cars" dated Feb 1998 from the VRO or direct from the DVLA.

Those machines currently issued with "Q" plate are currently not eligible to transfer to an age related registration mark, unless the "Q" plate was issued because of lack of evidence relating to the age of the vehicle. This usually happened when a vehicle was reimported and no documentation was available. If you have a machine with a "Q" plate then contact the Librarian.

TRANSFERABILITY OF THESE PLATES

These plates are now non-transferable so it will not be possible to transfer them to your car or any other vehicle. It is however still possible to replace the age related plate if you find sufficient documentation for the retention of the original registration mark.

THE MACHINE IS ON THE DVLA RECORD BUT IS NOT SHOWING ITS ORIGINAL NUMBER WHICH IS ALSO ON THE COMPUTER.

In the unlikely event of this happening then you will have to write to VCS, DVLA, Swansea who will check whether the machine can be reissued with the original registration. If so a new V5 will be issued. You should not have to go through the retention procedure.

DVLA WEB SITE The DVLA web site is:- www.open.gov.uk/dvla/welcome.htm

CLICK ON PLUG TO GO BACK TO INTRODUCTION

CLICK ON PLUG TO GO TO EXISTING REGISTRATION RECORDS

CLICK ON PLUG TO GO TO RETENTION NOTES

CLICK ON PLUG TO GO TO AGE RELATED NOTES

©BSAOC 2000