Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995

2 Obligation to hold operator’s licence

(1) Subject to subsection (2) and section 4, no person shall use a goods vehicle on a road for the carriage of goods—

(a) for hire or reward, or

(b) for or in connection with any trade or business carried on by him,

except under a licence issued under this Act; and in this Act such a licence is referred to as an “operator’s licence”.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to—

(a) the use of a small goods vehicle within the meaning given in Schedule 1;

(b) the use of a goods vehicle for international carriage by a haulier established in a member State other than the United Kingdom and not established in the United Kingdom;

(c) the use of a goods vehicle for international carriage by a haulier established in Northern Ireland and not established in Great Britain; or

(d) the use of a vehicle of any class specified in regulations.

(3) In subsection (2)(b) and (c) “established”, “haulier” and “international carriage” have the same meaning as in [O.J. No. L95.] Community Council Regulation (EEC) No.881/92 dated 26 March 1992 concerning access to the market in the carriage of goods by road within the Community to or from the territory of a member State or passing across the territory of one or more member States.

(4) It is hereby declared that, for the purposes of this Act, the performance by a local or public authority of their functions constitutes the carrying on of a business.

(5) A person who uses a vehicle in contravention of this section is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.