Has anyone ACTUALLY been fined £5000 for travelling without passport?

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amycamycamyc

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As title really. I know the law, but I also know lots of people that don't bother taking passports with them when travelling locally. I've never met anyone (or anyone who knows anyone!) who has ever actually been stopped and asked!
 
anotherbit of namby red tape, pinch horse, lorry/trailerand car with passport in it, good idea! should allow14 days to produce it like driving licence, but who polices it?
 
mon said:
anotherbit of namby red tape, pinch horse, lorry/trailerand car with passport in it, good idea! should allow14 days to produce it like driving licence, but who polices it?
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Producers for a DL are 7 days... but there doesn't seem to be anyone really policing horse passports...
 
Iv heard of a couple of people being stopped, I think its (still very rare!!) but more common if you have big lorry (6 horse+) and they have always had the passports...
 
HH reported that Trading Standards were sticking to the law a couple of years ago and cannot see how they would change their stance now especially now that money is strapped in all government departments/local authorities they all seem to be out in force now! And now some of the departments are self funding so it IS in their best interest to 'nab' people.

Vosa & DWP & Trading Standards all seem to be teaming up and doing joint stings. They will always target gathering whether it be horse shows or motor sport as more traffic and worth their while.

Wrexham Trading Standards (as reported in HH a couple of weeks ago) had successfully prosecuted someone for selling a horse without a passport.

I personally won't travel without my passports!

On another note! Did you know you are legally required to drive with your Driving Licence (photo card and paper part)!!!!! Police are NOT obliged to give you a '7 days producer' either!
 
I've been stopped twice :confused: (I think I must look a bit dodgy! :rolleyes:) but had my passport on me both times.
I've also been asked to produce it at a few of the larger shows.

I think it really depends on where you live at what your doing with your horse, police who stopped me said they fined someone that morning :eek:

I wouldn't knowingly travel without it, but have forgotten it a few times :cool: it's just luck really.
Wouldn't want to leave it in the car all the time so it's quite difficult to remember it each time along with horse, tack, grooming stuff, my stuff etc etc etc!
 
Sorry, could someone clarify? I know that a professional transporter will not carry horses unless they have the passports for those animals, but does the law extend to every horse own travelling their horses privately?
 
Vetwrap said:
Sorry, could someone clarify? I know that a professional transporter will not carry horses unless they have the passports for those animals, but does the law extend to every horse own travelling their horses privately?
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defra state:
Horses cannot be moved without their passports except in special circumstances e.g. where owners take their horse on a short hack/ride.
 
I know someone who was stopped, they were taking brood mares to a stud and they should have had their passports.

I keep a photocopy of mine in the glovebox of my towing vehicle. I know that a photocopy isn't really acceptable, but it would show that Ihave a passport and I never have to think about it.

Have never been asked to show passport, even going to big shows or equestrian centres.
 
The Horse Passport Regulations are enforced by the Local Authority (usually Trading Standards) and Defra Animal Health Officers.

The £5000 is the statutory maximum penalty for an offence. The actual amount of the fine can only be decided by a Court of Law.

It is an offence to own a horse without a passport
It is an offence to fail to notify the issuing organisation within 30 days of a change of ownership.
It is an offence to sell a horse without a passport
It is an offence to apply for a passport for a horse which already has one
It is an offence to move a horse without it's passport - the 3 hour rule is to allow for movement on foot (hacking)

Hope this helps
 
so, if you have owned yr horse for many yrs - but due to yr own ineptitude never got round to registering as thw owner - doh- AND have now managed to mislay the passprt [ its an ISH one] - what can you do - obs apart from never leave the yard
 
rubysmum said:
so, if you have owned yr horse for many yrs - but due to yr own ineptitude never got round to registering as thw owner - doh- AND have now managed to mislay the passprt [ its an ISH one] - what can you do - obs apart from never leave the yard
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As you know who issued your horse's passport, and can obviously give them details of age, name etc. Then you can obtain a duplicate passport (and to comply should).

The Local Authority can require the production of a passport at any premises, it is not only while in transit.
 
Schedira said:
The Horse Passport Regulations are enforced by the Local Authority (usually Trading Standards) and Defra Animal Health Officers.


It is an offence to move a horse without it's passport - the 3 hour rule is to allow for movement on foot (hacking)

Hope this helps
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It is surely not an offence to 'move' (ride) a horse without a passport? I can't fit my A5 sized passport anywhere about my person , unless I roll it in a ball and hang it off the horse!
 
We were discussing this last summer, on the RC picnic ride, as we were out for about 7 hours. I have wonderd if, as it was a club organised event, if we should have told people to carry their passports with them? What do others think?
 
YorksG said:
We were discussing this last summer, on the RC picnic ride, as we were out for about 7 hours. I have wonderd if, as it was a club organised event, if we should have told people to carry their passports with them? What do others think?
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Technically speaking looks like you should have done BUT I have come to the conclusion that its all a matter of perspective. Given that
a) it would appear that nobody knows anyone who has Actually been fined. (although poor Seadog is constantly getting stopped ;)... this is as i suspected but good to have confirmation!
b) I know many people who have had accidents while out hacking. And many who have had breakdowns/accidents while transporting horses
i have therefore concluded that the risk of having a 'normal' accident is way higher than the risk of getting stopped for not having your passport.
So if you're worried about the passport issue then quite frankly you must be terrified of moving your horse anywhere anyway.

make sense?
 
so where can i send my ISH passport to to change ownership, and do it in £'s and how much, thanks
 
We cannot move a horse without its passport OR a permission called a guia. You have to supply the names, sexes and microchip and passport numbers of every animal you are moving along with the origin and destination addresses, names of property owners and the registered number of the premises! Oh, plus registration of car and/or trailer you are transporting them in. This has to be faxed or taken to the local Ministry Vet for signature and payment and you can't travel without it. Also need a disinfecton certificate for said transport signed by a vet...:D

This is everytime you go to a show or even out for day as long as you are returning the horses to their original point within 7 days.

A guia to permanently move a horse is even MORE fun :rolleyes:
 
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mon said:
so where can i send my ISH passport to to change ownership, and do it in £'s and how much, thanks
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http://www.horsesportireland.ie/bre..._I_change_the_registered_owner_on_a_passport_

How do I change the registered owner on a passport?
To change the registered owner information on a horse’s passport, please complete the ‘Change of Registered Owner’ form and return it to Horse Sport Ireland with the fee of €5. Please note that passports issued by Horse Sport Ireland at all times remain the property of Horse Sport Ireland. The owner recorded on a horse’s passport is registered as such for correspondence purposes relating to that animal and does not reflect any legal standing in relation to ownership.

The problems involved with updating passports that originate in other Countries is the main reason Defra wanted to change to just one Passport Issuing Organisation, the fees also vary greatly from one PIO to another.
 
madhossy said:
It is surely not an offence to 'move' (ride) a horse without a passport? I can't fit my A5 sized passport anywhere about my person , unless I roll it in a ball and hang it off the horse!
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Typical EU legislation! It actually states the offence as 'to move a horse without a passport' then gives a derogation for moving on foot (hacking) as long as able to present passport within 3 hours. Although I believe the 3 hours would not be enforced, but without a time limit, it would be difficult to prove an offence for obstruction if an owner failed/refused to present.
 
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