Road Traffic Act 1988

173 Forgery of documents, etc. E+W+S

(1) A person who, with intent to deceive—

(a) forges, alters or uses a document or other thing to which this section applies, or

(b) lends to, or allows to be used by, any other person a document or other thing to which this section applies, or

(c) makes or has in his possession any document or other thing so closely resembling a document or other thing to which this section applies as to be calculated to deceive,

is guilty of an offence.

(2) This section applies to the following documents and other things—

(a) any licence under any Part of this Act [F1 or in the case of a licence to drive any counterpart of such licence,]

(aa) any counterpart of a [F2 Northern Ireland licence or] Community licence,

(b) any test certificate, goods vehicle test certificate, plating certificate, certificate of conformity or Minister’s approval certificate (within the meaning of Part II of this Act),

(c) any certificate required as a condition of any exception prescribed under section 14 of this Act,

[F3 (cc) any seal required by regulations made under section 41 of this Act with respect to speed limiters,]

(d) [F4 any plate containing particulars required to be marked on a vehicle by regulations under section 41 of this Act] or containing other particulars required to be marked on a goods vehicle by sections 54 to 58 of this Act or regulations under those sections,

[F5 (dd) any document evidencing the appointment of an examiner under section 66A of this Act,]

(e) any records required to be kept by virtue of section 74 of this Act,

(f) any document which, in pursuance of section 89(3) F6 . . .of this Act, is issued as evidence of the result of a test of competence to drive,

[(ff) any certificate provided for by regulations under section 97(3 F7 A) of this Act relating to the completion of a training course for motor cyclists,]

(g) any [F8 certificate under section 133A or any] badge or certificate prescribed by regulations made by virtue of section 135 of this Act,

(h) any certificate of insurance or certificate of security under Part VI of this Act,

(j) any document produced as evidence of insurance in pursuance of Regulation 6 of the M1 Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) (No. 2) Regulations 1973,

(k) any document issued under regulations made by the Secretary of State in pursuance of his power under section 165(2)(a) of this Act to prescribe evidence which may be produced in lieu of a certificate of insurance or a certificate of security, F9 . . .

(l) any international road haulage permit. [F10 and

(m) a certificate of the kind referred to in section 34B(1) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.]

(3) In the application of this section to England and Wales “forges” means makes a false document or other thing in order that it may be used as genuine.

[F11 (4) In this section “counterpart”, [F12 “Community licence” and “Northern Ireland licence”] have the same meanings as in Part III of this Act]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words inserted by S.I. 1990/144, regs. 2(1), 3, Sch. 1 para. 11(a)

F2 Words in s. 173(2)(aa) inserted (11.10.2004) by Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (c. 32), ss. 91(1), 94, Sch. 5 para. 29(a); S.I. 2004/2624, art. 2(2)(b)

F3 S. 173(2)(cc) inserted (1.4.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 73(2); S.I. 1992/421, art. 2, Sch.

F4 Words in s. 173(2)(d) substituted (1.4.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, 84, Sch. 4 para. 73(3); S.I. 1992/421, art. 2, Sch.

F5 S. 173(2)(dd) inserted (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 73(4); S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch.

F6 Words in s. 173(2)(f) repealed (1.4.1991) by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), ss. 7, 16, Sch. 3 para. 22, Sch. 6

F7 S. 173(2)(ff) inserted (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 73(5); S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch.

F8 Words in s. 173(2)(g) inserted (9.9.1996) by 1993 c. 31, s. 6, Sch. para. 9; S.I. 1996/1980, art. 2

F9 Word in s. 173(2)(k) repealed (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 83, Sch 8; S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch.

F10 S. 173(2)(m) and preceding word added (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 73(6); S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch.

F11 S. 173(4) substituted (23.7.1996 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.1.1996) by S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 2, Sch. 1 para. 32(3)

F12 Words in s. 173(4) substituted (11.10.2004) by Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (c. 32), ss. 91(1), 94, Sch. 5 para. 29(b); S.I. 2004/2624, art. 2(2)(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 173 applied with modifications by S.I. 1987/1378, reg. 25(3) (as amended by S.I. 1990/842, reg. 9)

C2 S. 173 applied (with modifications) (12.11.1999) by S.I. 1999/2864, reg. 80(5)(f)

Marginal Citations

M1 S.I. 1973/2143.