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How long can a car registration lapse before the car has to be re registered?
Stefan
From the "Ask Jack" archives - 6 December 2009
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From the time the registration lapses you have twelve months to re-register the car. Failure to meet that time frame would see the car fall off the official Motor Vehicle Register.
To legally drive the car after that period, it would be required to go through an in-depth compliance check and be issued with new registration plates.
Many people place their registration on hold if their car is not going to be used for a particular period of time. By doing this you avoid the compliance process at re-registration time.
Obviously it is too late if the registration has already lapsed more than twelve months