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Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981
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Changes to legislation:
Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, Section 15A is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 12 December 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Article 15A:
- Sch. 1 Pt. 1 words inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 18(2)
- Instrument amended by 1994 c. 22 s. 63 Sch.3 para 17
- Instrument rev. in Pt. by 1994 c. 22 s. 65 Sch.5 Pt II
- art. 5(2ZA)-(2ZD) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 16(2)(a)
- art. 5(4A) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 16(2)(b)
- art. 5A inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(2)
- art. 13(1)(c)(ia) words repealed by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I.) Sch. 5 para. 4(a)(ii) Sch. 8 Pt. 5
- art. 13B-13C inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(3)
- art. 15A(5)(6) repealed by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I.) Sch. 5 para. 7 Sch. 8 Pt. 5
- art. 15ZA inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 18(1)(c)
- art. 19D(1ZA) (1ZB) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(4)(b)
- art. 19AB 19AC substituted for art. 19A 19B by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(3)
- art. 174(2A)(da) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(5)(a)(i)
- art. 174(2AB) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(5)(b)
- art. 177(1)(ba) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(b)
- art. 177(1A) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(c)
- art. 177(3)(4) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(b)
- art.198 am. (prosp.) by 1997 c. 16 s.18 Sch.3 paras.8(2) 9
- art.198 am. (prosp.) by 1997 c. 16 s.18 Sch.3 paras.8(2) 9
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Order associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Order (including any effects on those provisions):
- Sch. 1 Pt. 1 words inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 18(2)
- art. 5(2ZA)-(2ZD) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 16(2)(a)
- art. 5(4A) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 16(2)(b)
- art. 5A inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(2)
- art. 13(1)(c)(ia) words repealed by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I.) Sch. 5 para. 4(a)(ii) Sch. 8 Pt. 5
- art. 13B-13C inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(3)
- art. 15ZA inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 18(1)(c)
- art. 19D(1ZA) (1ZB) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(4)(b)
- art. 19AB 19AC substituted for art. 19A 19B by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(3)
- art. 174(2A)(da) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(5)(a)(i)
- art. 174(2AB) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 17(5)(b)
- art. 177(1)(ba) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(b)
- art. 177(1A) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(c)
- art. 177(3)(4) inserted by 2016 c. 11 (N.I.) s. 19(4)(b)
- art.198 am. (prosp.) by 1997 c. 16 s.18 Sch.3 paras.8(2) 9
- art.198 am. (prosp.) by 1997 c. 16 s.18 Sch.3 paras.8(2) 9
Authorisation to drive in Northern IrelandN.I.
15A.—(1) A Community licence holder may drive, and a person may cause or permit a Community licence holder to drive, in Northern Ireland, a motor vehicle of any class, which—
(a)he is authorised by his Community licence to drive, and
(b)he is not disqualified for holding or obtaining a licence under this Part to drive,
notwithstanding that he is not the holder of a licence under this Part.
(2) Paragraphs (3) and (4) apply to a Community licence holder who is normally resident in Northern Ireland.
(3) In a case where the Community licence holder is authorised by his Community licence to drive motor vehicles of classes other than any prescribed class of goods vehicle or any prescribed class of passenger-carrying vehicle, he shall cease to be authorised by virtue of paragraph (1) to drive in Northern Ireland any such classes of motor vehicle from—
(a)the date on which he attains the age of 70 years, or
(b)the expiry of the period of 3 years beginning with the relevant date,
whichever is the later.
(4) In a case where the Community licence holder is authorised by his Community licence to drive any prescribed class of goods vehicle or any prescribed class of passenger-carrying vehicle, he shall cease to be authorised by virtue of paragraph (1) to drive in Northern Ireland any such class of vehicle from—
[F1(a)except in a case falling within sub-paragraph [F2(c)] —
(i)the date on which he attains the age of [F366 years] , or
(ii)the expiry of the period of 5 years beginning with the relevant date, whichever is the [F4earlier] ,]
F5(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(c)where his age at the relevant date exceeds 65 years, the expiry of one year beginning with that date.
(5) A Community licence holder—
(a)to whom a counterpart of his Community licence is issued under Article 15B, and
(b)who is authorised by virtue of paragraph (1) to drive in Northern Ireland motor vehicles of certain classes only,
may drive, in Northern Ireland, motor vehicles of all other classes subject to the same conditions as if he were authorised by a provisional licence to drive motor vehicles of those classes.
(6) Paragraphs (3) and (4) of Article 14 shall apply in relation to paragraph (5) as they apply in relation to paragraph (2) of that Article.
(7) For the purposes of this Part and Part V a Community licence shall not be treated as authorising a person to drive a vehicle of any class if it is not for the time being valid for that purpose in the EEA State in respect of which it was issued.
(8) In this Article “relevant date”, in relation to a Community licence holder who is normally resident in Northern Ireland, means—
(a)in the case where he first became so resident on or before 1st January 1997, that date, and
(b)in any other case, the date on which he first became so resident.
F1SR 2002/374
F2Word in art. 15A(4)(a) substituted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/170), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(a)(i)
F3Words in art. 15A(4)(a) substituted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/170), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(a)(ii)
F4Word in art. 15A(4)(a) substituted (19.1.2013) by The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/170), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(a)(ii)
F5Art. 15A(4)(b) omitted (19.1.2013) by virtue of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/170), regs. 1(1), 2(5)(b)
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