DVLA trike law and regulations

Trikes and UK license groups

This page is intended as a guide only. For definitive regulations please contact DVLA or DSA From 19 January 2013 all countries within the E U will need to comply with the 3rd EU Driving Licence Directive (3DLD), which was passed in 2006. As most of our customers and potential customers will have a full car license, this link should provide them with reassurance https://www.askthe.police.co.uk/can_I_ride_a_trike?

So long and short of it is: if you are over 21 a full car licence holder and driving/riding within UK territory, you can ride any trike

There are a plethora of sites out there which cover the DIY building and registering of trikes. As we sell bolt on trike kits and finished road registered trikes, we wont risk plagiarising other sites and repeating what is already there. Instead we will just say that trikes will have to be prepared for one of the following: Full European type approval. (High volume manufacturers only) SVA test (Single Vehicle approval) Details of which can be found online or in the SVA testers manual which is available from VOSA. An MSVA (Motorcycle Single vehicle approval test, again available from VOSA. Or the following workarounds. (Please note: Procedures will undoubtedly change with the closure of all local DVLA offices expected in 2013)

Work arounds

There are two work arounds for registering a trike avoiding MSVA, SVA and IVA, one is registering as a disabled carriage. If you fit this catagory, go here for help with the subject: NABD

You build your trike using a complete and road registered donor motorcycle complete vith registration doccument (V5) and a bespoke bolt on conversion.
To qualify as a bolt on conversion, the vehicle should be (theoretically) able to be converted back to a solo motorcycle but will still be registered as a tricycle on the V5 and tax disc and therefore can still be driven on a car license without a crash helmet.
Your trike will be inspected by the DVLA (not an SVA or MSVA test) to make sure it is legitimate and also that it is in fact bolt on.
You can weld unobtrusive brackets onto your donor bike frame to aide conversion attachment but don't cut anything obvious off, remember, it has to pass a visual inspection and the DVLA inspector is no fool!
Contact your local DVLA office for a built up vehicle pack.

London Congestion charge?

If your trike is more than a metre wide (It will be) You have to pay the congestion charge.....Awww!.... Unless!!!! You register with TFL as a minicab! Sounds ridiculous...But, you could use your trike for wedding hire! You would probably need to show proof with receipts or at least copy of an advert but as long as it's available for private hire it can be a minicab!