Rules on long term bike storage in UK
 

I hope to travel from Australia to Uk and then leave bike in Uk for 12 months and then ship to USA for rest of RTW
Are there restrictions preventing me leaving aust reg vehicle in UK for 12 months?

You don't need a carnet and I don't think they stamp it into your passport so I don't see any problem.

Press release 24: DVLA clamps down on overseas registered vehicles

Release Date: 03/08/2006
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) announced today it is clamping down on foreign registered vehicles that flout the UK registration and licensing laws, with enforcement measures that include wheel clamping and impounding foreign registered vehicles that don’t comply with UK laws.
Leaflets and windscreen warning notices will be placed on offending vehicles and persistent offenders may find their vehicle wheel clamped and impounded and, if unclaimed, disposed of by crushing.

Vehicles that are properly registered and taxed in their home countries and brought into the UK temporarily are usually exempt from UK registration and licensing, and may be used in the UK for up to six months in any twelve month period.
After that they must be registered and licensed with DVLA. Keepers must register and license their vehicle immediately they become resident in this country.
DVLA has been working closely with relevant organisations to help explain the UK registration and licensing rules to ensure these drivers fully understand what is required.

Transport Minister, Stephen Ladyman said: "This is good news for all law-abiding motorists. Cracking down on foreign vehicles whose keepers fail to abide by UK registration and licensing laws will improve road safety and free up valuable police resources."

DVLA is taking the lead and the Republic of Ireland, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden have agreed to allow enforcement action to be taken in the UK on non-compliant vehicles registered in their countries. Information will be shared with the EU Commission and other member states and as a result the initiative may be extended to include vehicles from other countries."

Ends.

Well thats what they try to do , but as with all things the practice of it is a little vague . Provided your Vehicle is all legal in your own Country and you have a reasonable excuse for being in the UK, if stopped you may be ok.
What the essence of the directive is to stop un road worthy vehicles staying in the UK without an annual MOT( ministry of transport road worthiness certificate)
Hope this helps

As noted in the post above, the legal limit to keep a foreign registered bike in the UK is 6 months. I kept a bike with foreign plates longer than this without any problems.

In practical terms it is extremely difficult for the DVLA or local authorities to keep track of this as, assuming you arrive either via ferry or eurotunnel, there is no record of when your bike arrived.

Provided you have a green card and the vehicle is roadworthy you are unlikely to face any major issues if you are stopped. If you park it on the road I would keep it covered to minimise the risk that anyone notices it has been there for more than six months.

The other option is to take it over to France and leave it there for a while to keep under the six month limit.

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Forgot to mention you are welcome to keep your bike in my garage for the winter , if you need somewhere ... I am in the Midlands near M6 J3

I think you'll find the same sort of restrictions in France as well.

But I agree that in practical terms it's unlikely to be a problem.

And the reverse situation is prevalent, although I have heard of similar enforcement "ideas" by the French authorities concerning the keeping of foreign registered vehicles there; nevertheless, there are lots of UK registered cars etc based in France, with out of date RFL discs on the windscreen.
And to think that we are all part of a common market called the EU.

I would think that an AUS reg bike could easily be "lost" in Britain for years, never mind just one year, especially in any of the cities.

Hiya

I think the six month in any twelve is some sort of EU ruling, so applies to EU vehicles only? But how they would enforce in reality is more relevant. The UK DVLA just sit by the roadside in Spain for instance pulling the ExPats in UK registered vehicles, but I would think can only do anything about no MOT or tax. Proving you havn't popped back into France for an hour two months ago is surely impossible?!

Stupid rules!!!

Thanks so much for your responses and offer to store...reciprocated if you come to melbourne!
Seems like there isn't an issue to worry ablut

Geoff

what about a south american registered bike?
 

hi all,

Thanks for your advices!

I am planning to croos with an argentinian registered bike, do you know if could storage the bike for 6 months or as it is not european I could not do it?

thanks all for your help!!!

Storage is not a problem. What 'they' are trying to stop is people using a vehicle (as in day to day use, even week to week) that has been in use for longer than 6 months. So using the vehicle as a tourist for up to 6 months .. then putting it in storage (off street) until you come back is fine .. just don't say in the one spot using it too long (6+ months). Oh .. don't come back too soon .. legal probably 6 months minimum, practically within the memory of the local police.

It all depends if the DVLA systems have been updated to record foreign vehicles and the ANPR vehicles can detect a foreign plate. If so, they can ping when you pass a Police car and you will get pulled once the 6 months is up.

That said, when was the last time you saw a foreign car get stopped entering the UK from the ferry.

Personally I would be more concerned to make sure I had insurance as without it you will get your bike seized immediately.

If any of you guys need storage, please feel free to contact me.

WW

I've had my Australian registered bike in and out off the UK over the last three and a bit years. There was one gap of 18 months between trips where it stayed stored in the UK. No issues have been raised so far either when I'm riding in the country, which is only for short periods, or when I leave and re-enter. Also at one stage I had to get police involved when bike was stolen and they never queried during that as to why an Australian bike was there. Don't think you'll have an issue.

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