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Road Traffic Act 1988

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Changes to legislation:

Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 144 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 11 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. Help about Changes to Legislation

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 144:

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144 Exceptions from requirement of third-party insurance F1... .E+W+S

F2(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2(1A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2(1B). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)Section 143 does not apply—

(a)to a vehicle owned—

(i)by the council of a county or county district in England and Wales [F3the Broads Authority], the Common Council of the City of London, the council of a London borough [F4 a National Park authority], the Inner London Education Authority, [F5a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004,] [F6the London Fire Commissioner,] F7... [F8, a joint authority F9... established by Part 4 of the Local Government Act 1985, an economic prosperity board established under section 88 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 [F10, a combined authority established under section 103 of that Act or a combined county authority established under section 9(1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023],]

(ii)by a [F11council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 in Scotland [F12or the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service] , or]

(iii)by a joint board or committee in England or Wales, or joint committee in Scotland, which is so constituted as to include among its members representatives of any such council,

at a time when the vehicle is being driven under the owner’s control,

(b)to a vehicle owned by [F13a local policing body or] a police authority [F14or the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police district], at a time when it is being driven under the owner’s control, or to a vehicle at a time when it is being driven for police purposes by or under the direction of a constable, [F15by a member of a police and crime commissioner's staff (within the meaning of Part 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011), by a member of the staff of the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (within the meaning of that Part of that Act), by a member of the civilian staff of a police force (within the meaning of that Part of that Act), by a member of the civilian staff of the metropolitan police force (within the meaning of that Part of that Act), by a person employed by the Common Council of the City of London [F16in its capacity as a police authority,] [F16by a police volunteer designated under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002,]] or by a person employed by a police authority, F14..., or

F17(ba). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c)to a vehicle at a time when it is being driven on a journey to or from any place undertaken for salvage purposes pursuant to Part IX of the [F18Merchant Shipping Act 1995],

F19(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F20(da)to a vehicle owned by a health service body, as defined in section 60(7) of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 F21...[F22or by a Local Health Board established under section 11 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006], at a time when the vehicle is being driven under the owner’s control.

(db)to an ambulance owned by a National Health Service trust established under [F23section 25 of the National Health Service Act 2006, section 18 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006] or the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, at a time when a vehicle is being driven under the owner’s control]

[F24(dc) to an ambulance owned by an NHS foundation trust, at a time when the vehicle is being driven under the owner’s control, ]

(e)to a vehicle which is made available by the Secretary of State [F25or the Welsh Ministers] to any person, body or local authority in pursuance of [F26section 12 or 80 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or section 10 or 38 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006,] at a time when it is being used in accordance with the terms on which it is so made available,

(f)to a vehicle which is made available by the Secretary of State to any local authority, education authority or voluntary organisation in Scotland in pursuance of section 15 or 16 of the M1National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 at a time when it is being used in accordance with the terms on which it is so made available.

[F27(g) to a vehicle owned by [F28the Care Quality Commission], at a time when the vehicle is being driven under the owner’s control]

Textual Amendments

F4Words in s. 144(2)(a)(i) inserted (23.11.1995) by 1995 c. 25, S. 78, Sch. 10, para.29 (with ss. 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7); S.I. 1995/2950, art. 2

F5Words in s. 144(2)(a)(i) inserted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 3.4.2017 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 1 para. 59; S.I. 2017/399, reg. 2, Sch. para. 38

F6Words in s. 144(2)(a)(i) substituted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 1.4.2018 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), ss. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 2 para. 84; S.I. 2018/227, reg. 4(c)

F7Words in s. 144(2)(a)(i) omitted (26.5.2015) by virtue of Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(7), Sch. 13 para. 6(23); S.I. 2015/994, art. 6(g)

F11Words in s. 144(2)(a)(ii) substituted (S.) (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 159(8); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4

F14Words in s. 144(2)(b) repealed (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 61, Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/1648,art. 2, Sch.

F16Words in s. 144(2)(b) inserted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 15.12.2017 in so far as not already in force ) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 12 para. 8; S.I. 2017/1139, reg. 2(k) (as amended by S.I. 2017/1162, reg. 2)

F18Words in s. 144(2)(c) substituted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2) Sch. 13 para. 85 (with s. 312(1))

F19S. 144(2)(d) repealed (28.3.2009 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), ss. 378(2), 383, Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3 (with transitional provisions in {S.I. 2009/1059})

F21Words in s. 144(2)(da) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), s. 306(4), Sch. 5 para. 46; S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1S. 144 excluded (23.6.1999) by S.I. 1999/1736, art. 8(1)(b)(2)(b)

C2S. 144(2)(a) extended by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1) s. 57(7), Sch. 13 para. 20 (as amended by Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988 (c. 54, SIF 107:1), s. 4, Sch. 3 para. 30)

S. 144(2)(a) amended (1.4.1995) by S.I. 1995/401, art. 18, Sch. para. 6

Marginal Citations

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