Q Plates and Exemptions

[Old Hywel]

I have an ex-MOD, late 2A, registered on a Q plate autumn 84. It's resting.
Initially, the Gov guidelines confused me, appearing to be contradictory. However, it seems that tax exemption is gained 40 years after registration, but the very presence of the Q is regarded as a 'substantial change' which requires MOTs for ever.
Can anyone confirm this, or have personal experience?

[diffwhine]

I think best discussed with Peter Holden. I agree - the information does appear contradictory.

Any idea why it is on a Q plate in the beginning? That might dictate how things move forward.

[Peter Holden]

A quick and dirty reply is that Q registrations imply that a vehicle cannot be dated properly and so does not qualify for the priviledge of historic tax or MOT exemption.

It may be possible if enough history can be proved then the Q registration could be replaced with an age related registration but we would be better discussing it privately rather than on an open forum.  My email address is [email protected]

[GlenAnderson]

Lots of ex military stuff got stuck on Q plates in the 80s because people didn't get the full build dates on the cast documents, just the date into service. Nobody was too bothered about it back then because the 25 and then 40 year exemptions were not a thing.

I managed to get my mate's 109" from a Q to an age-related K plate with a heritage certificate and a trip to the local licensing office. That was a long time ago now though. I think the VRO is your best bet for current advice.

[Clifford Pope]

A few years ago I got a 1949 tractor on a Q plate re-registered with an age-related plate simply by ignoring the Q plate and starting again. The club expert confirmed the age and DVLA then issued a new registration.
Perhaps there is still a non-existant phantom tractor somewhere in the old paperwork, ghosting the real one in my garage.

[w3526602]

Hi.

My understanding (and always has been), is that age exemption is based on the DATE OF MANUFACTURE. In most cases. the DATE OF FIRST REGISTRATION is close enough, in most cases.

There must be thousands of cases of vehicles donating their registration for vanity purposes, then being scrapped, or shoved into a field and forgotten. Then, many years later, they suddenly become desirable.

My recollection, from my days at the "giant cheese-grater" in Swansea, is that a "personal registration" may make the car look older than is, but not younger.

602 (Who has personally disposed of literally thousands of the old green log-books ... usually a Clerical Assistant's job ... but I'm not proud, so I got stuck in. I think about 7 tons of documents arrived at DVLC every day, with the information being microfilmed, then converted to paper-tape. Well, it was 1972-ish.)

[blaireau69]

Good afternoon all,
New member here.
I find myself in a similar situation.
I have a 2BFC HCB Angus Firefly on a Q plate.
Believed Manufactured in 1972, based on Chassis No., first registered in April 1987, purchased and SORN by me Jan 2019.
Tax Classification: Disabled.
MOT Status: No details held by DVLA.

I want to reduce Revenue Weight to 3499kg, correct Tax Classification and get it taxed as Historic, and get an age appropriate VRN.

Is this possible, how do I go about this?

Cheers,
Al

[Peter Holden]

Send me an email address and I will start a dialogue with you

Peter Vehicle Registration officer

[blaireau69]

Thank you.

[Old Hywel]

Further to my initial comment that Q plated vehicles appeared to need MOTs indefinitely, more digging in the guide notes produced this.
It seems my unmodified Q plater should be tax and test free next April.
  

[58paul]

A while back (2010 ish I think) I had a Q plate S3, ex ministry vehicle, I got a dating letter from gaydon and the DVLA excepted it and was re registered as a T plate.

As already said, talk to Peter offline and he will advise.

Good luck, should be ok using correct channels, docs etc