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Licence - Motor Salvage Operator

One of the largest single categories of recorded crime is vehicle crime. The Vehicle (Crimes) Act 2001 and the Motor Salvage Operators Regulations 2002 have been introduced to make it more difficult for criminals to dispose of stolen vehicles.

 

Motor salvage operators are 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  right of search. A warrant is not required where police require entry to a registered   premises.    

Motor salvage operators are not permitted to carry out their business unless they have registered with the local 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 not exceeding level 5 (currently £5,000) on the standard scale.

 

Definition Of A Motor Salvage Operator

 

A person shall be carrying on business as a motor salvage operator if he carries on business that consists:
  

a) 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;

b) Wholly or mainly in the purchase of written-off vehicles and their subsequent repair and re-sale;

c) Wholly or mainly in the sale or purchase of motor vehicles which are to be the subject (whether immediately or on a subsequent re-sale) of any of the activities mentioned in (a) or (b); or

d) Wholly or mainly in activities falling within paragraphs (b) and (c)

 

 

The Council's role

In response to the introduction of the Vehicle (Crimes) Act 2001, the Environmental Health Section maintains a register of all businesses carrying out motor salvage operations within the County Borough. Details kept on the register are:
         

• the full name of the motor salvage operator, the name of all the directors if the business is undertaken by a corporate body, or the names of all the partners if the business is undertaken by a partnership;
• the address of the operator's usual place of residence, or that for each partner where the operator is a partnership;
• the registered or principal office address if the operator is a corporate body, and
• the address of each place in the Borough which is occupied by the motor salvage operation wholly, mainly or partly for the purpose for carrying the business activity.

If you would like to view the register please contact us using the details below.

Apply Online - Application to register as a motor salvage operator

Apply Online - Application to change a registration as motor salvage operator