child owner

[luxardo]

Can you put a 10 year old child on the V5 as the registered keeper of a car ?
If so and you got a parking ticket the notice to keeper would go to a minor who could not be taken to court for payment.
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[des8]

Vehicle registration and licensing is governed by the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (as amended). The Act does not impose any age restrictions for the purposes of vehicle registration.
There is no legal requirement for the person purporting to keep a vehicle to provide evidence of age. This information is provided on a voluntary basis and it is therefore possible for a minor to register a vehicle. However, if the DVLA is made aware that a minor is applying to be a registered keeper, the application, as you can appreciate, would be refused on policy grounds.

Doing this may cause consternation to private parking companies, but it would not affect the outcome if it was a requirement by the police for the identification of the driver as sec 172 (2) of RTA states "The registered keeper of the vehicle or any other person shall, if required, give information as to the identity of the driver....."


PS date of birth of registered keeper is required detail on form!

[luxardo]

That's my point though, a minor cannot be prosecuted so if a keeper aged under 10 years refused to name the driver on a NIP what could the police do ?

[des8]

the answer is in post 2
The police would proceed against "the any other person" as in *sec 172 (2) of RTA*

The DVLA might then take action against anyone who was responsible for completing the application incorrectly if date of birth was false

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[luxardo]

It actually says ....

Where the driver of a vehicle is alleged to be guilty of an offence to which this section applies—
(a)the person keeping the vehicle shall give such information as to the identity of the driver as he may be required to give by or on behalf of a chief officer of police or the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police Force], and

(b)any other person shall if required as stated above give any information which it is in his power to give and may lead to identification of the driver.

If the keeper was a 10 year child the police would not know this and when there was no reply to the NIP they would proceed to prosecution, which they could not do as the child is below the age of criminal responsibility.

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't just leave it at that though !!!!
I'm wondering what they would do though. Obviously a visit to the address to investigate. But they could not prove who registered the vehicle in the child's name and if he was sufficiently coached to "no comment" all questions the cops put to him I don't see what more they could do.
If there was more than one adult in the house, father, mother, brother, sister the cops could not simply guess who the culprit was who filled out the V5.
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[des8]

Well if you want to take the risk that they won't find some offence to hang you with, and you won't mind the ensuing hassle, go ahead and allow your 10 year old to try and register the vehicle.
Me, I'd follow the rules!

[luxardo]

I have no intention of actually doing this, I'm pretty sure a prison term for perverting the course of justice is looming somewhere !!!, I'm just curious and I can't see the outcome. I'd love to see a test case lol

[Huxie]

I would imagine the police would be able to check the car was insured and whose name the policy was in and then compel the insured person(s) to provide the required information as in (b) above.

[ADDLED]

If the keeper was a 10 year child the police would not know this and when there was no reply to the NIP they would proceed to prosecution, which they could not do as the child is below the age of criminal responsibility.

The entire premise of your question falls flat since 9 years old is below the age of criminal responsibility; 10 years old IS the age of criminal responsibility. I wonder what the penalty is for falsifying a birth certificate...

[luxardo]

I would imagine the police would be able to check the car was insured and whose name the policy was in and then compel the insured person(s) to provide the required information as in (b) above.

Yes, that sounds about right. It could always be driven uninsured though.
I think, for a minor offence, you might get away with it once then the police would put some sort of marker on the vehicle and stop it every time they spot it or it pings an ANPR camera. But if it was involved in a serious incident or fatality they would be all over you.