Hong Kong Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 21

Licensing of motor vehicles

(Past version on 07/03/2001).
(Past version on 30/06/1997).

PART III

MOTOR VEHICLE LICENCES

(1) Any person who wishes to have licensed a motor vehicle which is registered
within any class specified in Schedule 1 to the Ordinance and of which he is
the registered owner shall-

   (a)  deliver to the Commissioner an application for such licence in a form
        specified by the Commissioner which shall be accompanied by-

        (i)    the registration document relating to the vehicle;

        (ii)   a policy of insurance in respect of the vehicle in the name of
               the registered owner which is valid on the date when the
               licence is to become operative; and

        (iii)  his identity document; and

   (b)  subject to subregulations (3), (7) and (9) and regulation 23, pay to
        the Commissioner the following licence fee-

        (i)    for a licence for 12 months, the appropriate licence fee
               prescribed in Schedule 2; or

        (ii)   for a licence for 4 months, an amount equal to 35% of the
               appropriate licence fee prescribed in Schedule 2 and an
               additional fee of $30. (L.N. 96 of 1985)

(2) An application under subregulation (1) shall be signed by the registered
owner of the motor vehicle or by some person duly authorized by him in
writing, and where the registered owner is a body corporate the application
shall be signed by a person nominated by the body corporate.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in subregulation (1), if a valid
vehicle licence issued in respect of a motor vehicle in any particular class
is surrendered to the Commissioner and at the same time an application under
subregulation (1)(a) is made for the licensing of that vehicle in a different
class, the Commissioner may license the vehicle as stated in the application
for a period not exceeding the unexpired period of the surrendered
vehicle licence, upon payment of a licence fee calculated by the Commissioner
by multiplying 1/365 of the appropriate licence fee prescribed in Schedule 2
by the number of days in the unexpired period of the surrendered
vehicle licence. (L.N. 172 of 1989)

(4) A motor vehicle shall, subject to subregulations (3), (5) and

(6), be licensed for the period stated in the application under subregulation
(1), calculated from the date of issue of the licence. (L.N. 172 of 1989)

(5) On receipt of an application under subregulation (1)(a) in respect of a
motor vehicle which is licensed and the licence fee under subregulation
(1)(b), the Commissioner may, at any time during the period of 4 months
immediately preceding the date of expiry of the vehicle  licence, license the
vehicle for the further period stated in the application and such licence
shall take effect from the date of expiry of the existing vehicle licence.

(6) Where, after the expiry of a vehicle licence, the Commissioner receives an
application under subregulation (1) to license the motor vehicle, he may
license the vehicle for the further period stated in the application and such
licence shall take effect from the date of issue thereof. (L.N. 172 of 1989)

(7) Where the Commissioner licenses a motor vehicle pursuant to subregulation
(6), the licence fee payable to the Commissioner for the licence shall be the
licence fee under subregulation (1)(b) and an additional fee of 0.33% of the
appropriate annual licence fee for each day of the unlicensed period since the
previous licence expired: Provided that the additional fee shall not be
payable if the Commissioner is satisfied that the motor vehicle has not been
used on a road during the period when it was not licensed, and in such a case
the licence shall take effect from the date of issue thereof. (L.N. 172 of
1989)

(8) On the licensing of a motor vehicle the Commissioner shall issue to the
registered owner, for display on the vehicle in accordance with regulation 25,
a vehicle licence in a form and containing the particulars specified by the
Commissioner.

(9) In the case of a disabled person who wishes to have licensed a private car
of which he is the registered owner and in respect of which, under regulation
9 of the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations ( Cap  374 sub. leg. B),
he has proved his fitness to drive-

   (a)  no licence fee shall be payable where the cylinder capacity of the
        engine of the private car does not exceed 1500 cubic centimetres; and

   (b)  where the cylinder capacity of the engine of the private car exceeds
        1500 cubic centimetres-

        (i)    the annual licence fee for the purposes of this regulation
               shall be calculated by the deduction from the appropriate
               annual licence fee prescribed in Schedule 2 of the annual
               licence fee payable in respect of a private car of which the
               cylinder capacity of the engine does not exceed 1500 cubic
               centimetres; and

        (ii)   the fee for a licence for 4 months shall be 35% of the annual
               licence fee calculated in accordance with subparagraph (i) plus
               an additional fee of $15.

(9A) In the case of a disabled person who wishes to have licensed a motor
cycle or a motor tricycle of which he is the registered owner and in respect
of which, under regulation 9 of the Road Traffic (Driving 
Licences) Regulations ( Cap 374 sub. leg. B), he has proved his fitness to
drive, no licence fee shall be payable. (34 of 1993 s. 14)

(10) The Commissioner may license a motor vehicle subject to such conditions
as he thinks fit.

(11) Where due to circumstances beyond his control the Commissioner is unable
for the time being to issue a vehicle licence under subregulation (8), the
receipt issued by him for the payment of the appropriate licence fee under
this regulation shall be deemed for the purposes of these regulations to be a
valid vehicle licence in place of the vehicle licence to be issued under
subregulation (8), until such vehicle licence is issued or the expiry of a
period of 30 days after the issue of the receipt, whichever is the earlier.

(12) (Repealed L.N. 88 of 1992)
___________________________________________________________________________
_____ Note: The fees payable in accordance with this regulation are waived in
respect of licences for certain motor vehicles which take effect within the
period from 1 June 2003 to 31 May 2004 (please see the Road Traffic (Waiver of
Motor Vehicle Licence Fees) Regulation 2003 (L.N. 138 of 2003)).