Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

Authorisation to drive in Northern Ireland N.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 (b) or (c)—

(i) the date on which he attains the age of 45 years, or

(ii) the expiry of the period of 5 years beginning with the relevant date, whichever is the later,]

(b) where his age at the relevant date exceeds 45 but not 65 years—

(i) the date on which he attains the age of 66 years, or

(ii) the expiry of the period of 5 years beginning with the relevant date,

whichever is the earlier, and

(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.

F1 SR 2002/374