Motor Salvage Operators

Under the Motor Salvage Operators Regulations 2002, motor salvage operators are required to be registered with their local authority.

A motor salvage operator is defined as any person who carries on a business which consists:

1. Wholly or partly in the recovery of salvageable parts from motor vehicles for re-use or re-sale;or 
2. Wholly or mainly in the purchase of written off vehicles and their subsequent repair and re-sale; 
3. Wholly or  mainly in thesale or purchase of motor vehicles which are to be the subject of any of the above activities  (whether immediately or on a subsequent re-sale)       

Such operators will be required to be registered with  the Local Authority in whose area that business is situated. The registration lasts for 3 years before requiring renewal.

Operator Requirements  

 Every person who is registered under the above Act is required to keep the following records, either in a manual register, record book or electronically, at each Motor Salvage Store, of all Motor Salvage received:     

1. details of the vehicle, including Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM), Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), make, model &  colour; 
2. the name, address and contact details of the supplier of the vehicle; 
3. details of any proof of identity shown to the registered person by, or on behalf of the supplier of the vehicle, to establish the identity of the vehicle supplier, including whether any document produced was a UK photocard driver’s licence, a passport, a utility bill or rentbook, or other form of identification containing a photograph of the vehicle supplier; 
4. the general condition of the vehicle including details of the type of damage to the vehicle (for example whether the damage has been caused by fire, water or impact) and the part of the vehicle damaged; 
5. the date on which the information referred to at (1) to (4) was entered on the record. 

The written record is to be kept for at least 6 years from the date of the last entry. 

On selling or disposal of any vehicle, the motor salvage operator shall add thefollowing information against the relevant vehicle entry: 

1. date of sale or disposal;  
2. name, address and contact details of the purchaser or recipient 
3. details of any proof of identity shown to the registered person by, or on behalf of the purchaser of the vehicle, to establish the identity of the vehicle supplier, including  whether any document produced was a UK photocard driver’s licence, a passport, a utility bill or rent book, or other form of identification containing a photograph of the vehicle purchaser; 
4. condition of the vehicle at the time of  sale or disposal (repaired, unrepaired, condition as at purchase, dismantled, etc) 
5. the date on which the information referred to at (1) to (4) above was entered on the record 

The written record is to be kept for at least 6 years from the date of the last entry.

Any person who fails to fulfil the above conditions of the Act is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to be fined.  

For further information please contact Environmental Health .