11 October 2004
DRIVING DISQUALIFICATIONS FOLLOW YOU HOME
From today, driving disqualifications imposed by any court in the United Kingdom are recognised both here and in Great Britain.
The DOE Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) has joined forces with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to ensure the ‘mutual recognition’ of penalties. This means that a driver disqualified from driving in Northern Ireland is now automatically disqualified from driving in Great Britain and vice versa, regardless of which licence he holds.
Brendan Magee , Chief Executive of DVLNI said:
"Under the new system, a Northern Ireland driver who commits a driving offence in Great Britain can now agree to accept a fixed penalty and penalty points, instead of having to appear in court. The same applies to a GB driver offending here. The law also sets out that a driver can either hold a NI or a GB driving licence, but not both.
"These changes will also mean that a Northern Ireland driver may have his Northern Ireland licence withdrawn in Great Britain, either on medical grounds or during a new driver’s probationary period, if six or more penalty points have been incurred."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Driving Disqualifications imposed, either in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, will be recognised throughout the United Kingdom. Until today, such disqualifications were recognised only in the jurisdiction under which they were imposed.
- Penalty Points awarded in NI or GB will apply only in that jurisdiction.
- DVLNI will have the right to endorse driving licences issued by DVLA in GB and DVLA will be able to endorse licences issued by DVLNI. This will be made possible by the issue of a Counterpart, for endorsement purposes, by the relevant licensing authority where the penalty points are being imposed. This will mean that NI and GB driving licences holders will be able to agree to accept Fixed Penalties, including penalty points, anywhere in the UK.
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