Getting a Solex U.K. registered | VeloSolex Club U.K.

Getting a Solex registered for road use in the U.K.

Many new Solex owners who wish to sample the joys of ownership and riding their Solex very quickly discover there is a paper trail that has to be followed in order to get a V5C registration certificate (log book) issued by the D.V.L.A.

The purpose of this article is intended to give the new Solex owner a structured check list to follow in order to make obtaining a registration number for a previously unregistered Solex as (relatively) painless and stress-free as possible. More detailed information can be found in the various drop-down boxes under the titles in the header bar above.

Several of the stages may be completed simultaneously but do not think that by skipping any stage you will get your registration through any faster or be able to beat the D.V.L.A. ‘system.’ It will be guaranteed that any stage not completed correctly and fully will end up with the D.V.L.A. just returning all your paperwork. You will have wasted your time and postage and have to check through the rejection reason(s) to make sure you have everything completed to their satisfaction before re-applying.

Here is a list of the things you must do and have in place to get your Solex registered. If any of the information contained below is in any way inaccurate (I have tried my best!), please e-mail me (Paul G.) using the mail box in my profile area with the problem and I will update the information for the benefit of all future Solex owners.

Paul G.

February 2019

H.M.R.C. NOVA

Probably the most important first thing to do is notify H.M.R.C. that you have a Solex. This is done via the NOVA (Notification Of Vehicles Arrivals) system. Your Solex will be old and, almost without exception, there will be no V.A.T. to pay but you must still fill in the NOVA form and get it processed. Without the NOVA being signed off, the D.V.L.A. will not even bother to look at your V55/5 registration application!

Follow the link below to access the H.M.R.C. website and start the ball rolling. Don’t delay as there have been a few stories floating around of threats of fines from H.M.R.C. against new owners for failing to declare their Solex within 14 days of purchase. See https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/telling-hmrc (I would not advise informing them you have had the Solex for 'x' number of months but have only just got around to notifying them. You have been warned!) You only have to get the NOVA once for your Solex and then it is done for ever.

Go to: www.gov.uk/nova-log-in and follow the instructions to start the NOVA process.

Click on the green ‘START NOW’ button
You will likely be a ‘NEW USER’ and will need to ‘REGISTER’
If you are going to do your NOVA electronically (as opposed to postal) you will need to ‘SIGN UP FOR HMRC ONLINE SERVICES.’
As a new user, you will need to click the ‘INDIVIDUAL‘ heading
As a new user, tick the ‘NOTIFICATION OF VEHICLE ARRIVALS’ box
Step 1 – start the process by filling in your name and e-mail address.
Follow the remaining instructions, as requested.
Good luck!

Some notes that may help you.

It has been reported the H.M.R.C. website can sometimes time-out before the form filling has been completed. Members have managed to successfully print off the form, post it to H.M.R.C. and receive notification of zero V.A.T. required.
There is a very useful phone number for the H.M.R.C. P.T.U. - Personal Transport Unit. in the drop-down box in the header bar under 'How old is my Solex?'
N.B. September 2017. From a recent personal experience with getting a Solex through the NOVA process, make sure you have the V.I.N. (Vehicle Identification Number - i.e. the frame number) information as well as the engine number written on the form or the application will be rejected. (See the 'How old is my Solex?' section in the header bar above for Solex V.I.N. / frame number information.)

The D.V.L.A. (Part 1)

Whilst you are sorting out your NOVA, it is advisable to start the ball rolling with the D.V.L.A. You will need to get a V55/5 application form and this can now be downloaded directly from the GOV.UK website (instead of having to apply online, as it was previously). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-a-used-vehicle-for-the-first-time-v555

A form V355/5 ‘Application guide to filling in a V55/5’ is available on the GOV.UK website but there is a drop-down box in the header bar under 'How old is my Solex?' showing you exactly what needs to be filled in.

Obtaining a Dating Certificate

You will need to get a certified dating certificate from a D.V.L.A. V765 approved Owners Club. (Please note: VeloSolex Club U.K. is not D.V.L.A. V765 approved and we cannot provide this document.) This will confirm the date of manufacture of your Solex. The two most popular Clubs providing this service (for a modest fee) are the E.A.C.C. and the N.A.C.C. You will need to supply the engine number, a frame number and some photographs. Whilst the Solex engine number will be readily found, a frame number may not. In the header bar 'How old is my Solex?' there are examples where to find the frame number (if it has one) and suggestions what to do if it hasn't. You will not be able to proceed any further without a frame number.

To get a dating certificate from either the E.A.C.C. or the N.A.C.C. follow their instructions for supplying engine and frame numbers, photographs, completed V55/5, etc, given here: https://www.autocycle.org.uk/v765.html for the E.A.C.C. or https://thebuzzingclub.net/club-services/dvla-registration/ for the N.A.C.C.

PLEASE NOTE: Your dating certificate has a 12-month validity time limit and the D.V.L.A. will reject a registration application if your certificate has expired. It's their game, their rules.

Disclaimer. Please note: VeloSolex Club U.K. has no connection with either of the above Clubs and will not get involved with any sort of dispute or disagreement between any individual and the Club involved. Both Clubs have provided an excellent service in the past and VeloSolex Club U.K. has no wish to have any connection with anything that may prevent any Solex owner from using their services in the future.

You will need Insurance

Once you have the N.O.V.A. (ideally) and a dating certificate, you can move on to the next stage. If your Solex is ready for the road and getting it registered, you will need to get it insured. (If it is less than 40 years old, this is so that you can legally ride it to your pre-booked appointment with the M.O.T. testing station - see below.) There are several insurers who have been recommended by members as providing good quotes and service and some of them are usually listed in the Forum.

Initially, you will have to get the Solex insured against the Engine Number and the Frame Number. This is quite acceptable with insurance companies but you must inform them of the new registration number as soon as the D.V.L.A. issues one. You will normally have about two weeks to do this. If it is going to take longer, you need to inform the insurance company so that they keep the insurance open until you do receive your new registration number.

M.O.T. test required? – see below

The Solex – depending upon its age – needs to comply with certain criteria in order to be ridden on roads in the U.K. You can find out exactly what is legally required in the 'Legal requirements for Solex road use' drop down box in the header bar under 'How old is my Solex?'

Note 1: The laws requiring an M.O.T. test for a Solex (registered or being registered as an ‘Historic Vehicle’) changed in 2018. The GOV.UK website states: Cars, vans, motorcycles and other light passenger vehicles don’t need to have an MOT if they’re over 40 years old and have not been substantially changed in the previous 30 years. Since the rules changed on 20th May 2018, vehicles meeting the criteria no longer need an MOT test from the 40th anniversary of when they were registered. (For a new Solex registration application this will mean 40 years from the date of manufacture as stated on your dating certificate. The rolling 40 year period changes on 1st April each year.) Obviously, your Solex must be in a roadworthy condition (otherwise your insurance will be invalid) but the M.O.T. test is no longer a legal requirement if it is old enough. You can still take it for an M.O.T. test if you wish, but that choice is yours. Of course, if your Solex is younger than 40 years then you will still need to get an M.O.T. test certificate in the normal manner.

Note 2: Once your Solex is insured (see above), you will be able to ride it directly to and from a pre-booked M.O.T. test. Make sure, beforehand, that both the engine number and the frame number are clearly visible for the test. If you do not have a frame number (see the header bar above - 'How old is my Solex?'), you will not get a test certificate issued.

The D.V.L.A. (Part 2)

This part can be particularly painful and fraught if their instructions are not followed exactly to the letter. There is no easy way to deal with the D.V.L.A. It is their game, their ball, their pitch and you must play by their rules. If you don’t, you will not get a V5C registration certificate (log book) issued for your Solex.

To register your Solex, you will need to send the following to the D.V.L.A.:

A fully completed V55/5
The registration fee – currently (January 2019) it is £55.00
The vehicle tax fee - if it is applicable. (Note: If the age of your Solex is over 40 years when you apply with your V55/5, the tax will be £0.00 as it is classed as an ‘Historic vehicle’ under the current D.V.L.A. system.)
The dating certificate supplied by the club / organisation you have chosen
The M.O.T. test certificate (if it is younger than 40 years) bearing the engine and frame number of your Solex.
The Certificate of Insurance Cover or cover note bearing the frame / engine number of your Solex. (Downloaded copies are acceptable, photocopies are not acceptable.)
Proof of your identity. You will need to provide either a photocopy of your D.V.L.A. photocard driving licence, or a photocopy of one document from each of the two lists below.

DOCUMENTS TO CONFIRM YOUR NAME ARE:

Current D.V.L.A. driving licence
UK or EU passport
Birth certificate
Marriage certificate
Decree nisi or decree absolute.

DOCUMENTS TO CONFIRM YOUR ADDRESS ARE:

Gas, electricity, water or landline phone bill issued within the last three months
Council tax bill for the current year
Bank or building society statement issued within the last three months
Medical card.

The following suggestions are not strictly required with the above but they just might help your application to be processed more easily and may be enough for the D.V.L.A. not to require the Solex to be inspected.

A clear side view photo of your Solex

A rubbing or clear photo of the engine number

A rubbing or clear photo of the frame number

Sending the above items is no guarantee that the D.V.L.A. will not contact you to arrange to have your Solex inspected by an independent inspector, but they certainly won’t do any harm to your application!

Final note. You are advised to make copies of all the paperwork you send and it would probably be a good idea to send it all recorded or registered delivery to: DVLA, SWANSEA. SA99 1BE

Good luck with your registration. I hope you will soon be enjoying life with us in the slow lane.