- Driver & Vehicle Agency
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The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA or DVANI) is a government agency of the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. It was created in early 2007 through the merger of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) and the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (DVTA).
The merger brought together roles which are carried out by a number of different agencies in Great Britain, namely the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). A proposed merger was to take place between the DVLA in Swansea and the DVA , but this has now been put on hold for the foreseeable future.
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Driver and vehicle testing
Previously the responsibility of the DVTA, the DVA is responsible for the testing of both drivers, in the form of theory and practical driving tests, and vehicles, primarily through the MOT test.
The standards and form of these tests is the same as in the rest of the United Kingdom, where they are performed by the DSA for driving tests and the VOSA for vehicles.
Unlike in Great Britain, where MOT tests can be performed by authorised garages, in Northern Ireland all MOT tests must be undertaken at one of the fifteen DVA test centres.
Driver and vehicle licensing
Previously the responsibility of the DVLNI, the DVA maintains the database of drivers and vehicles in Northern Ireland; its counterpart in Great Britain is the DVLA. The agency issues driving licences, sells "cherished marks" (private number plates) and, under an agreement from the UK Department for Transport, organises collection of vehicle excise duty (also known as road tax and road fund license).
It is based in Coleraine, County Londonderry, and also has offices in Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Derry, Downpatrick, Enniskillen and Omagh.
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Road transport in the United Kingdom
- Northern Ireland Executive
- Motor vehicle registration agencies
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