The Trailer Registration Regulations 2018

Breaches of specified regulations

19.—(1) It is an offence for a person to contravene or fail to comply with—

(a) regulation 7(5) (prohibition on using an expired registration document on a journey to or through a Convention territory);

(b) regulation 8(5)(b), 9(6)(b) or 10(1)(b) or a requirement made under regulation 8(1)(c) or 14(3) (duty to destroy or surrender a registration document if required);

(c) regulation 8(2) (duty to notify the Secretary of State of inaccuracies);

(d) regulation 9(1) (duty to notify the Secretary of State in relation to registration documents);

(e) regulation 10(1)(a) (duty to notify the Secretary of State of the disposal of a trailer);

(f) regulation 12(1) (duty to produce a registration document if required);

(g) regulation 16(1) (duty to fix a registration plate on a registered trailer); or

(h) regulation 16(3) (prohibition on displaying an unassigned registration mark on a trailer).

(2) In any proceedings for an offence of contravening or failing to comply with—

(a) regulation 7(5), 16(1) or 16(3), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that they were unaware and could not reasonably have been expected to be aware that the trailer would be so used;

(b) regulation 7(5), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that they held a reasonable belief that the registration document for the trailer was valid at the time of the alleged offence;

(c) regulation 8(5)(b), 9(6)(b) or 10(1)(b) or a requirement made under regulation 8(1)(c) or 14(3), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that the registration document was not in their control at the time when they became aware of the requirement to destroy or surrender it or at any later time;

(d) regulation 8(2), 9(1) or 10(1)(a), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that there was no reasonable opportunity, before the time of the alleged offence, to make the required notification to the Secretary of State;

(e) regulation 8(2), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that there were reasonable grounds for believing, or that it was reasonable to expect, that the particulars recorded in the register or shown on the registration document were accurate;

(f) regulation 12(1) or 16(1), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that there were reasonable grounds for believing, or that it was reasonable to expect, that the trailer was not registered; or

(g) regulation 16(3), it is a defence for the defendant to prove that there were reasonable grounds for believing, or that it was reasonable to expect, that the mark displayed on the fixed plate was assigned to the trailer at the time of the alleged offence.