Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001

Supplementary provisions and offences

26 Rights to enter and inspect premises: Part 2

(1) A constable or an authorised person may at any reasonable time enter and inspect premises for the time being entered in the register as premises which are occupied by a person carrying on business as a registration plate supplier wholly or partly for the purposes of his business so far as it consists in selling registration plates.

(2) A constable or an authorised person may at any reasonable time—

(a) require production of, and inspect, any registration plates kept at premises falling within subsection (1); and

(b) require production of, inspect and take copies of or extracts from any records which the person carrying on business as a registration plate supplier is required to keep at such premises by virtue of this Part.

(3) Subsection (4) applies where, on an application made by a constable or an authorised person, a justice of the peace is satisfied that admission to premises specified in the application is reasonably required in order to secure compliance with the provisions of this Part, or to ascertain whether those provisions are being complied with.

(4) The justice may issue a warrant authorising a constable or (as the case may be) an authorised person to enter and inspect the premises concerned.

(5) A constable or an authorised person—

(a) shall not be entitled to use force to enter premises in the exercise of his powers under subsection (1); but

(b) may, if necessary, use reasonable force in the exercise of his powers under a warrant issued under subsection (4).

(6) A constable or an authorised person in seeking to enter any premises in the exercise of his powers under subsection (1), and an authorised person in seeking to enter any premises in the exercise of his powers under a warrant issued under subsection (4), shall, if required by or on behalf of the owner or occupier or person in charge of the premises, produce evidence of his identity, and of his authority for entering, before doing so.

(7) Any person who obstructs an authorised person in the exercise of his powers under subsection (1) or (2) or under a warrant issued under subsection (4) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(8) In this section “an authorised person” means a person authorised for the purposes of this section by a local authority in respect of premises situated in the area of the local authority.

27 Notification requirements: Part 2

(1) A person applying to be registered in the register shall give notice to the Secretary of State of any changes affecting in a material particular the accuracy of the information which he has provided in connection with his application.

(2) A registered person shall give notice to the Secretary of State of any changes affecting his entry in the register within 28 days of the changes occurring; and the Secretary of State shall amend the register accordingly.

(3) A registered person who is not carrying on business as a registration plate supplier shall give notice to the Secretary of State of that fact within 28 days of the beginning of the period in which he is not carrying on business while registered.

(4) A person who fails to give notice to the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(5) In proceedings for an offence under subsection (4) it shall be a defence for the accused to show that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence.

28 Offences relating to counterfeit registration plates

(1) A person who sells a plate or other device which is not a registration plate as a registration plate knowing that it is not a registration plate or being reckless as to whether it is a registration plate shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who—

(a) supplies a plate, device or other object to a person who is carrying on a business which consists wholly or partly in activities which are unlawful by virtue of subsection (1); and

(b) knows or reasonably suspects that the plate, device or other object will be used for the purposes of that other person’s unlawful activities;

shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) or (2) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

29 Offence of supplying plates etc. to unregistered persons

(1) A person who—

(a) supplies a plate, device or other object to an unregistered person (other than an exempt person) who is carrying on a business which consists wholly or partly in selling registration plates; and

(b) knows or reasonably suspects that the plate, device or other object will be used for the purposes of that other person’s business (or part of his business) as a registration plate or as part of a registration plate;

shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.