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Motorcycles: Excise Duties and VAT

Asked by Sammy WilsonDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 20 October 2025UIN 78063

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent off-road motorcycles being declared as (a) used vehicles and (b) components of vehicles.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

There is no legal requirement for vehicles to be registered and licensed if they are used exclusively off the public roads. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does operate a voluntary registration scheme for off-road vehicles, which can assist in the identification of complete, stolen off-road motorcycles.

To qualify to register an off-road vehicle, the vehicle can be new or used but it must be complete. It is not possible to register component parts. A declaration that the vehicle will only be used off road is also required.

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