Road Traffic Act 1960

66 Obligatory test certificates

(1) A person who uses on a road at any time, or causes or permits to be so used, a motor vehicle to which this section applies, and as respects which no test certificate has been issued within the appropriate period before the said time, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, or in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.

(2) The motor vehicles to which this section applies at any time are those first registered under the Vehicles (Excise) Act, 1949, or the Roads Act, 1920, not less than ten years before that time:

Provided that this section shall not apply to public service vehicles adapted to carry eight or more passengers or to vehicles of such classes or descriptions as may be prescribed, and the Minister may by order made by statutory instrument provide that this section shall apply only to vehicles for the time being registered as aforesaid with such councils as may be specified in the order.

(3) The Minister may by order made by statutory instrument direct that the last foregoing subsection shall have effect with the substitution, for ten years, of such shorter period as may be specified in the order.

An order under this subsection shall not have effect unless approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

(4) The Minister may by regulations exempt from subsection (1) of this section the use of vehicles for such purposes as may be prescribed.

(5) The Minister may by regulations exempt from subsection (1) of this section the use of vehicles in any such area as may be prescribed.

(6) The Minister may by regulations provide that where application is made for a licence under the Vehicles (Excise) Act, 1949, for a vehicle to which this section applies, the licence shall not be granted except after either—

(a) the production of such evidence as may be prescribed of the granting of an effective test certificate or (if it is so prescribed) the production of such a certificate, or

(b) the making of such a declaration as may be prescribed that the vehicle is not intended to be used during the period for which the licence is to be in force except for a purpose prescribed under subsection (4), or in an area prescribed under subsection (5), of this section.

In paragraph (a) of this subsection " effective test certificate " means, in relation to an application for a licence for a vehicle, a test certificate relating to the vehicle and issued within the appropriate period before the date from which the licence is to be in force.

(7) In this section " appropriate period " means a period of twelve months or such shorter period as may be prescribed.

(8) For the purpose of spreading the work of issuing certificates in contemplation of a change in the length of the appropriate period, the regulations changing the length of that period may be made so as to come into operation on different days as respects vehicles first registered under either of the enactments mentioned in subsection (2) of this section at different times.

(9) Where within the appropriate period after the issue of a test certificate, but not earlier than one month before the end of that period, a further test certificate is issued as respects the same vehicle, the further certificate shall be treated for the purposes of this section as if issued at the end of the said appropriate period.

(10) In this section "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister.

(11) Any power conferred by this section to make an order shall include power, exercisable in like manner and subject to the like provisions, to vary or revoke the order.