Statutory Instruments
2021 No. 1043
Road Traffic
The Trailer Registration (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Made 14th September 2021
Laid before Parliament 20th September 2021
Coming into force 1st November 2021

The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 13(1) and (2), 14(1), 15(3) and (4), 17(1), 22(1) and 25(1) of the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018.
2018 c.19.
In accordance with section 23(1) of that Act, the Secretary of State has consulted such persons as the Secretary of State thought fit before making these Regulations.

Citation, commencement, extent and application
1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Trailer Registration (Amendment) Regulations 2021 and come into force on 1st November 2021.
(2) These Regulations extend and apply to the United Kingdom.

Amendment of the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018
2. (1) The Trailer Registration Regulations 2018 are amended as follows.
S.I. 2018/1203.
(2) In regulation 4(2)(d) (applications for registration)—
(a) in sub-paragraph (v), omit “and”;
(b) in sub-paragraph (vi), for “trailer.” substitute “trailer; and”;
(c) after sub-paragraph (vi), insert “(vii) the trailer type or a description of the trailer’s physical construction, characteristics or intended use.”.
(3) After regulation 4(7), insert—

“(8) In paragraph (1), “trailer” does not include a trailer that is a mechanically propelled vehicle.”.

(4) In regulation 9(3) (renewal of registration documents), for “one calendar year” substitute “six months”.
(5) For regulation 13(4)(c)(i) (location of trailer inspections), substitute—

“(i) Great Britain, at a place that appears suitable to the Secretary of State for the purpose; or”.

(6) In regulation 14(4) (requests for further inspections), for “paragraph (3) and” to the end, substitute “paragraph (3).”.
(7) The amendment in the Schedule has effect.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Vere
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Transport
14th September 2021

SCHEDULE AMENDMENT OF PRESCRIBED FONT
Regulation 2(7)
1. In Schedule 2 (display of registration marks)—
(a) for paragraph 1(2) substitute—

“(2) The registration mark must be displayed—
(a) in the following prescribed font—
or
(b) in a style which is substantially similar to that prescribed font, so that each character is—
(i) easily distinguishable, and
(ii) not formed in a way described in sub-paragraph (10), or in a manner which is similar to any of those ways.”;

(b) after paragraph 1(8), insert—

“(9) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2), a character shall not be treated as being in a style which is not substantially similar to the prescribed font merely by virtue of the fact that it has, or does not have, serifs.
(10) The ways of forming characters referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(b) are their formation—
(a) in italic script;
(b) using a font, other than italic script, in which the characters are not vertical;
(c) using a font in which the curvature or alignment of the lines of the stroke is substantially different from the prescribed font;
(d) using multiple strokes;
(e) using a broken stroke; or
(f) in such a way as to make a character or more than one character appear like a different character or characters.”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
This instrument amends the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1203) to—
(a) add the trailer type to the particulars to be provided for new registrations;
(b) clarify that a mechanically propelled vehicle cannot be registered as a trailer;
(c) reduce the period for applying for a renewed trailer registration document from one year to six months before the expiry of an existing document;
(d) permit trailer inspections in Great Britain to take place at any suitable location (instead of only at particular testing facilities);
(e) remove the £39.00 fee for a further inspection of a trailer;
(f) clarify the prescribed font that the trailer registration mark is to be displayed in but allow for the same slight variance in character design that is permitted in other vehicle registration marks.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen. An explanatory memorandum has been published alongside this instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk.