(1) Any application for a licence for a vehicle or for the renewal of such a licence shall be made to the Director General by or on behalf of the owner of the vehicle and, at the time of making the application, the recording fee and vehicle licence fee shall be paid by the applicant to the Director General.

(2) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, where an application is duly made for a licence for ¾

(a) a vehicle not previously licensed under this Act; or

(b) a vehicle for which the licence last granted or renewed under this Act expired more than 15 days prior to the date of the application,

the Director General shall grant a licence for the vehicle to the applicant for a period of 6 months or 12 months, at the option of the applicant, which period shall in either case commence on the day on which the licence is granted.

(3) Where ¾

(a) an application is made for the grant of a licence under subsection (2) for a vehicle referred to in paragraph (b) of that subsection;

(b) the owner by whom or on whose behalf the application is made was also the owner of the vehicle when the licence last granted or renewed for that vehicle expired; and

(c) the licence last granted or renewed for that vehicle expired less than 6 months prior to the date on which the application is made, and the number plate or number plates issued for the vehicle were not returned to the Director General forthwith after the expiration of the period of 15 days immediately succeeding the date of expiration of the licence,

the Director General may refuse to grant a licence under that subsection but may in lieu thereof permit the applicant to make an application for the renewal of that licence under subsection (5).

(4) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, where an application for the renewal of a licence for a vehicle is made ¾

(a) within the period of 30 days immediately preceding the day on which the licence expires; or

(b) within the period of 15 days immediately succeeding the day on which the licence expired,

the Director General shall renew the licence for a period of 6 months or 12 months, at the option of the applicant, and the renewal shall be deemed to be a continuation of the licence and to have effect on and from the day next succeeding the day on which the licence expires or expired.

(5) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, where an application for the renewal of a licence for a vehicle is made after the expiration of the period of 15 days immediately succeeding the day on which the licence expired, the Director General ¾

(a) shall renew the licence if the Director General has pursuant to subsection (3), refused to grant a new licence for the vehicle; or

(b) in any other case, may renew the licence,

for a period which terminates either 6 months or 12 months after the date of expiration of the licence which has already expired, at the option of the applicant, and where the renewal of a licence is effected under this subsection ¾

(c) the renewal shall take effect on and from the day on which it is effected; and

(d) the vehicle licence fee and recording fee payable shall be the fee payable for a period of 6 months or 12 months as the case may be.

(6) Where pursuant to the provisions of this section the Director General may grant or renew a vehicle licence for a period of 12 months or 6 months, the Director General may, in any case where the owner so applies and the Director General considers the circumstances of the case so warrant ¾

(a) where the vehicle is a tractor, other than a tractor (prime mover type), a trailer or a caravan, grant or renew the licence for a period of one month or 2 months; or

(b) irrespective of the type of vehicle, grant or renew the licence for a period of 3 months.

(7) The fee payable for the grant or renewal of a vehicle licence for a period of less than 12 months shall be the total of ¾

(a) ¹/₁₂ ^th of the vehicle licence fee for each complete month for which the licence is granted or renewed; and

(b) ¹/₃₆ ^th of the vehicle licence fee for each additional period of 10 days or part thereof, for which the licence is granted or renewed,

together with the recording fee.

(8) Where an application is made by the owner of 3 or more vehicles licensed under this Act for a common annual licensing date, the Director General may re-issue the licences for all or any of the vehicles to expire on a common date selected by the Director General.

[(9) repealed]

(10) Where the licences for vehicles owned by a person have been so issued as to expire on a common date, the Director General may thereafter grant or renew a licence for any other vehicle owned by that person for a period expiring on that common date.

[(11), (12) repealed]

(13) Nothing in this section authorises or permits the Director General to grant or renew a vehicle licence contrary to any provision of the Motor Vehicle (Third Party Insurance) Act 1943 or any other provision of this Act or the regulations.

[Section 18 amended by No. 105 of 1981 s. 19; No. 21 of 1995 s. 5; No. 76 of 1996 s. 20(1) and (3); No. 50 of 1997 s. 5.]