Read More
A vehicle owner was fined HK$3,000 at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts for leaving a vehicle unlicensed for about 44 months, marking the first conviction under new regulations targeting improperly abandoned vehicles.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The updated rules, which took effect on December 22 of last year, mandate that owners of vehicles left unlicensed for two consecutive years or more must take action within three months of receiving an official notification.
Registered owners are required to either renew the vehicle license, scrap the vehicle, or permanently export it from Hong Kong.
Following the chosen course of action, owners must submit valid supporting documents to the Transport Department to officially cancel their vehicle registration.
Under the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations, first-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and up to three months in prison.
Repeat offenders face stiffer penalties, including a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and six months' imprisonment.
A spokesman for the department said they welcomed the verdict, adding that the judgment sends a clear message that unlicensed vehicles remain registered under their owners’ names, reinforcing their legal responsibility to handle their vehicles promptly.
The department highlighted that active enforcement and prosecution efforts will continue across the city. Owners who fail to pay imposed court fines face additional sanctions, including the refusal of driver's license renewals, along with restrictions on transferring or licensing any other vehicles registered under their names.
Vehicle owners who encounter genuine practical difficulties in complying with the regulations, or who have legitimate grounds for leaving a vehicle unlicensed, may apply for an exemption through the Transport Department.
