Driving a Northern Reg car when I am from the South

lmahoney79

My partner is from the North and drives a northern reg car. I am from Dublin and have a full Irish license. He has been able to put me on his insurance up north in case i ever need to drive it while he is down south. Today, I was driving the car and was stopped by Customs Gardai and given a warning because I have a Irish license driving a northern car. I was genuinely shocked by this.....is this true? Can i now no longer drive his car??

TheNog

Is the car registered to an address in the North or South?

lmahoney79

The North

TheNog

Then there is no need for you to worry. There is nothing the Customs or Gardai can do so long as the car is registered up North.

By the way are you still living in the Republic?

lmahoney79

yeah i am living down south with an address down here, the car is registered to an address up North.......So was she spouting aload of crap?!

TheNog

lmahoney79 wrote: »

yeah i am living down south with an address down here, the car is registered to an address up North.......So was she spouting aload of crap?!

First off Customs would need to prove the car was being kept and used in the South on a regular basis which is pretty much impossible unless you live in a rural area and are seen regularly driving it around your area. The only agency who would see this is the Gardai as Customs tend to move from area to area and therefore have no local knowledge.

What warning did you get? to get it registered in the South?

lmahoney79

No she just said that in future my partner should only be driving it, not me. But it made us think about what would happen if i was driving it and had a knock, even though i am on his insurance, would it be null and void or could i be done for driving it in the first place?

TheNog

lmahoney79 wrote: »

No she just said that in future my partner should only be driving it, not me. But it made us think about what would happen if i was driving it and had a knock, even though i am on his insurance, would it be null and void or could i be done for driving it in the first place?

Customs has no legal basis for saying that to you.

Insurance wise you are covered to drive the car where ever you wish. Just to check though, you do have a full Irish licence. Its not well known in this country that a provisional licence from another country cannot drive on Irish roads.

lmahoney79

yep have full irish licence and have done for 8 years

PanhardPL

TheNog wrote: »

Customs has no legal basis for saying that to you.

Insurance wise you are covered to drive the car where ever you wish. Just to check though, you do have a full Irish licence. Its not well known in this country that a provisional licence from another country cannot drive on Irish roads.

I think you may need to check with Customs and get their views on the matter.Take a situation where somebody doing a TOR, and one of the conditions being that the vehicle cannot be sold within a 12 month period and the only persons allowed drive during that period would be the owner or any other member of the family who would have moved to this country with the person doing the TOR.
The same would apply to a person resident here driving a non Irish registered vehicle.

colm_c

TheNog wrote: »

First off Customs would need to prove the car was being kept and used in the South on a regular basis which is pretty much impossible unless you live in a rural area and are seen regularly driving it around your area. The only agency who would see this is the Gardai as Customs tend to move from area to area and therefore have no local knowledge.

I know of several areas that have been targeted recently, where the customs note every vehicle leaving for work between 7-10am over a period of 6 weeks. Anyone with non-irish plates who was in 90% of their photos got the car lifted. I know 10+ cars lifted in two areas beside me.

lmahoney79

well thats not the problem, the car is not left down here.

Del2005

It is illegal for a resident of the Republic to drive any foreign reg vehicle here. Unless it's within the 24 hours of import.

See post 15 of this thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055273510&highlight=irish+resident+forgien

Edit,
Found revenue link.

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/vrt2.html

1. Introduction

This leaflet outlines the circumstances in which a foreign registered motor vehicle may be brought into the Republic of Ireland (the State) on a temporary basis.

The circumstances in which a foreign registered vehicle may be brought into the State vary depending on whether the vehicle is intended for private or commercial use.
Private Use
2. What Conditions Apply

Any imported vehicle which is owned by or registered in the name of a non-resident person is not required to be registered in Ireland subject to the following conditions:

* The vehicle must have been acquired with all the appropriate taxes paid and these must not have been exempted or refunded in any way. The standard registration plates in use in the domestic market of a country are normally accepted as evidence of this.
* The vehicle may not in any circumstances be driven by a State resident.
* The vehicle may not be disposed of or hired out in the State or lent to a State resident.
* The period of time that the vehicle is in the State does not exceed 12 months.
* The 12 months time limit will not apply where a person is on a task of definite duration in the State.

lmahoney79

Ah, thanks for that........I guess what she told me was true then! Better stop driving his car!

SDTimeout

Honey, this case seems a little strange and maybe all the info has not come out.

you live in the South

your partner lives in the north and has a northern car and visits you on occasions?

you cannot legally drive his car but on an occasion that you do,you would be very unlucky to be stopped by Customs. However they would be unlikely to harass you if they believed you that it was a rare occasion that you drove the car, though they would mention to you that it was illegal. this illegality applies even if he took ill while driving and you were driving him to a doctor.(far fetched I know ,but that is the case)

lmahoney79

well i was driving today because my partner had drank last night and thought it would be safer so thats why she just let us go with a warning. And yes, i live in south, he lives up north as i have already stated.......Oh and why call me Honey??

TwoLegged

lmahoney79 wrote: »

Ah, thanks for that........I guess what she told me was true then! Better stop driving his car!

Except when you are in the north.

It's all a ridiculous load of bureaucracy. We're in the EU and supposed to be able to move freely, plus the whole aim since the Good Friday agreement has been to make cross-border co-operation easier ... which doesn't sit well with a situation where you can drive your bf's car in Dublin if he's from Dundalk, but not if he's from Newry. A bit of joined-up thinking needed here from our beloved leaders.

dobsdave

lmahoney79 wrote: »

.......Oh and why call me Honey??

Something to do with your username?

Bearcat

I'd leave the driving to your partner. Customs I'd say noted the car and is as such marked or noted in their system. As you know they have draconian powers so essentailly they can pull the pin on you.

Del2005

lmahoney79 wrote: »

well i was driving today because my partner had drank last night and thought it would be safer so thats why she just let us go with a warning. And yes, i live in south, he lives up north as i have already stated.......Oh and why call me Honey??

The worst thing is now that they have a record of you being stopped and warned not to drive the car. If they stop you driving again there is a very good chance they will take it off you wherever you are at any time of the day or night. At least you can still drive it up North.

Del2005

TwoLegged wrote: »

Except when you are in the north.

It's all a ridiculous load of bureaucracy. We're in the EU and supposed to be able to move freely, plus the whole aim since the Good Friday agreement has been to make cross-border co-operation easier ... which doesn't sit well with a situation where you can drive your bf's car in Dublin if he's from Dundalk, but not if he's from Newry. A bit of joined-up thinking needed here from our beloved leaders.

That's for a whole other thread about VRT and all the rest of the stuff that goes with it. We have to follow the laws of the land we live in, if you don't agree get onto your local TD.

dingding

I am in the same situation with my Brother who lives in Belfast. I can not drive his car when he is visiting me in the South as per the info above.

I would not recommend the OP driving the car down south.

Also why do you think the customs when they stop you would not be giving you correct information.

lmahoney79

I guess i was just questioning it because i was able to getting insurance up North for driving it down here and assumed they wouldnt do that if it was illegal......I guess i was wrong!

Guy:Incognito

TwoLegged wrote: »

Except when you are in the north.

It's all a ridiculous load of bureaucracy. We're in the EU and supposed to be able to move freely, plus the whole aim since the Good Friday agreement has been to make cross-border co-operation easier ... which doesn't sit well with a situation where you can drive your bf's car in Dublin if he's from Dundalk, but not if he's from Newry. A bit of joined-up thinking needed here from our beloved leaders.

Well see the problem is that Dundalk and Newry are in 2 different countries, regardless of what way you look at it or how close they are. Having seperate rules for northern cars than for cars registered in other countries wouldnt work. Firstly, its a foregin country the same as any other, despite what some people seem to think. All that woudl happen would be that a huge amount of peopel would be drivign around in northern reg vehicles .

Aside from vrt there are other issues relating too traceability in hit and runs etc and things like motor tax and testing. Why would anyone bother paying uk or roi motor tax or havign their cars tested if they didnt have to?

lmahoney79 wrote: »

I guess i was just questioning it because i was able to getting insurance up North for driving it down here and assumed they wouldnt do that if it was illegal......I guess i was wrong!

Insurance companies dont really care what you get up to once they have your money. It's your issue whethe ryou break laws or the terms of the contract,

djmc

Just wondering if you moved in with him in the north and got a uk licence at his address could you then work and drive his car in the south