Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 section 21

Registration of vehicles

Section 21 sets out how and when the Secretary of State must register a vehicle that has not previously been registered, including the power to charge a registration fee and make provision for refunds of that fee.

• When a vehicle licence or nil licence is first issued for an unregistered vehicle, the Secretary of State must automatically register the vehicle without the keeper needing to submit a separate registration application.
• Where a motor dealer furnishes vehicle particulars to the Secretary of State under section 24 before a vehicle licence is first issued, the Secretary of State must register the vehicle upon receiving those particulars.
• The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring payment of a prescribed fee before a vehicle is registered, effectively allowing a registration charge in specified circumstances.
• Regulations may also provide for full or partial refund of the registration fee, including conditions that must be met, how the refund amount is calculated, and different refund amounts for different circumstances.