Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 section 59

Regulations: offences

Section 59 sets out the criminal offences and penalties that apply when a person breaches regulations made under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.

• Breaching most regulations made under the Act is a criminal offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine up to level 2 or, for prescribed regulations, level 3 on the standard scale.
• Separate offence provisions apply for regulations about motor dealer registration mark assignments (section 24) and engine/body marking (section 28), with maximum fines at level 1 and level 3 respectively.
• Increasing the penalty category for a regulation from level 2 to level 3 does not apply retrospectively to breaches that occurred before the regulation was reclassified.
• The Secretary of State has discretion to settle (compound) any proceedings for offences under this section without the case going to full trial.