Licence - motor salvage operator

Vehicle crime is cited as one of the largest single categories of recorded crime. The Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 has, therefore, been introduced to reduce the rising tide of vehicle crime by reducing the opportunities to dispose of stolen vehicles. Motor salvage operators are now required to:

Register with the Council in whose area they are operating
Maintain appropriate records of all vehicle purchases and disposals
Carry out full identification checks of vendors and purchasers; and
Allow the police (and other investigators) the right of entry to the premises and the right of search. (A warrant is not required where the police require entry to a registered premise).

The motor salvage operator will not be able to carry out their business unless they have registered with the Council. It is an offence to operate a motor salvage business that has not been registered. Summary conviction of this offence may lead to a fine of up to £5000.

For the purposes of the Act a person is deemed to be carrying on a business as a motor salvage operator if they carry out a business, which consists:

wholly or partly in the recovery for re-use or sale of salvageable parts from motor vehicles and the subsequent sale or other disposal for scrap of the remainder of the vehicles concerned
wholly or mainly in the purchase of written-off vehicles and their subsequent repair and re-sale
wholly or mainly in the sale or purchase of motor vehicles which are to be the subject (whether immediately or on subsequent re-sale) of any of the activities in the first and second points
wholly or mainly in activities falling within the second and third points

Period Of Registration

Registration of a motor salvage operation is valid for 3 years commencing from the date that the entry was made in the Council's "Register of Motor Salvage Operators". If a motor salvage operator wishes to continue in the uninterrupted functioning of its motor salvage activities, a valid application must be submitted for the renewal of the registration to the Council prior to cessation of the existing registration period. An operator is deemed to have ceased to be registered if they have not made an application of their existing registration.

Determination Of Registration

In deciding whether to approve registration, the Council must be satisfied that the applicant is a 'fit and proper' person, taking into account:

Details of any undischarged bankruptcy of the applicant or any directors or partners of the applicant business; and
Information provided by the police (which must be disclosed to the applicant).

Click here to view Public Registers