(1)If a vehicle registered under this Act is unlicensed, the person in whose name the vehicle is registered is guilty of an offence.
(2)For the purposes of this section a vehicle is unlicensed if no vehicle licence or trade licence is in force for or in respect of the vehicle.
(3)Subsection (1) does not apply to a vehicle if—
(a)it is an exempt vehicle in respect of which regulations under this Act require a nil licence to be in force and a nil licence is in force in respect of the vehicle, or
(b)it is an exempt vehicle that is not one in respect of which regulations under this Act require a nil licence to be in force.
(4)Where a vehicle for which a vehicle licence is in force is transferred by the holder of the licence to another person, the licence is to be treated for the purposes of subsection (2) as no longer in force unless it is delivered to the other person with the vehicle.
(5)Where—
(a)an application is made for a vehicle licence for any period, and
(b)a temporary licence is issued pursuant to the application,
subsection (4) does not apply to the licence applied for if, on a transfer of the vehicle during the currency of the temporary licence, the temporary licence is delivered with the vehicle to the transferee.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 31A excluded (27.11.2003) by The Finance Act 2002, Section 19 (Appointed Days etc.) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/3086), {art. 3}