Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Persons who become resident in Northern Ireland

55.—(1) A person who becomes resident in Northern Ireland who is—

(a) the holder of a relevant permit; and

(b) is not disqualified for holding, or obtaining a licence in Northern Ireland,

shall, during the period of one year after he becomes so resident, be treated for the purposes of Article 3 of the Order as the holder of a licence authorising him to drive all classes of small vehicle which he is authorised to drive by that permit.

(2) The following enactments relating to licences or licence holders shall apply in relation to relevant permits or the holders of such permits (as the case may be) subject to modifications in accordance with the following provisions—

(a) Article 169(1) of the Order (production of licence to court) shall apply as if the reference to a licence were a reference to a relevant permit, but with the omission of the words “for the purpose of endorsement”;

(b) Article 197(3) of the Order (production of licence) shall apply as if the references to a licence were references to a relevant permit, but with the omission of sub-paragraph (b) and the words “for the purpose of endorsement” where they occur;

(c) Article 194(9) of the Order (duty of a court when it orders a disqualification to be removed) shall apply in relation to the holder of a relevant permit as if for the words “endorsed on the licence” onwards there were substituted the words “notified to the Department”;

(d) Article 197(8) of the Order (powers and duties of a court when it orders a disqualification or an endorsement) shall apply in relation to the holder of a relevant permit as if for the words “shall also on the production of the licence” onwards there were substituted the words “shall also on the production of the permit retain it and forward it to the Department which shall keep the permit until the disqualification has expired or been removed or the person entitled to the permit leaves Northern Ireland and in any case has made a demand in writing for its return to him”;

(e) Article 180(2), (3) and (4) of the Order (which authorise a police constable to require the production of a licence)(1) shall apply as if the references to a driving licence or licence were references to a relevant permit; and

(f) Article 174(2) of the Order (forgery of documents, etc.)(2) shall apply as if the reference to a licence were a reference to a relevant permit.

(3) In this regulation “relevant permit” means—

(i) a “domestic driving permit”,

(ii) a “Convention driving permit”, or

(iii) a “British Forces (BFG) driving licence”,

within the meaning of Article 3(7) of the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) Order (Northern Ireland) 1990(3) which is—

(a) for the time being valid for the purposes for which it was issued; and

(b) is not a domestic driving permit or a British Forces (BFG) driving licence in respect of which any order made, or having effect as if made, by the Department is for the time being in force under Article 2(b) of that Order.

(4) In this regulation, “permit” means a “Convention driving permit”, a “domestic driving permit” or a “British Forces (BFG) driving licence” as defined in Article 3(7) of the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) Order (Northern Ireland) 1990 not being a domestic driving permit or a British Forces (BFG) driving licence in the case of which any order made, or having effect as if made, by the Department is for the time being in force under Article 2(b) of the said Order.

(1)

Article 180 was amended by S.R. 1996 No. 426 Schedule 1 paragraph 23

(2)

Article 174 was amended by S.R. 1996 No. 426 Schedule 1 paragraph 22

(3)

S.R. 1990 No. 190 as amended by S.R. 1996 No. 426 Schedule 2 paragraph 2