During Tuesday’s Parliamentary Question time, it was confirmed by Rachel Maclean MP that there is no legal requirement for vehicles that are used off road to be registered. In 1994, the DVLA introduced a voluntary scheme to
register ‘off-road’ motorcycles. That scheme was extended to 1996 to include all mechanically propelled vehicles which are used off-road.

Questions had been asked of the Department of Transport of the potential merits of making the DVLA’s off-road registration scheme mandatory for off-road motorcycles and whether the scheme could be rolled out at no cost to the user but Ms Maclean confirmed there were no plans to make the registration of off-road vehicles used only for off-road mandatory.

In 2007, a Private Members Bill introduced by Graham Stringer MP to make provision for the establishment of a compulsory registration scheme for off-road vehicles was subsequently withdrawn and the ACU was a leading force in lobbying against the proposed Bill.

ACU Chairman Roy Humphrey commented, ‘As we gradually get back to normal after the last year or so, the confirmation that there are no plans to make the registration of off-road vehicles mandatory is welcomed. We do have the threat of illegal off-road riding that plights the image of our sport but disciplinary action in the form of a licence suspension is taken
against anyone notified by local police forces to the ACU for riding illegally off-road’.