Quads and ATVs are often cheaper or better specified abroad, especially in America, and they are easy enough to ship. The worry is whether you can actually use one here once it lands. The honest answer is that it depends on what you want it for. Off-road, it is simple. On the road, it is possible for some quads and not for others, and it is far better to know which before you buy.
First, decide how it will be used
GOV.UK treats quads in three quite different ways, and everything else in this guide follows from which one yours is.
| Feature | Off-road only | Road use | Agricultural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | Not needed | Required, with front and rear plates | Required, as a light agricultural vehicle |
| Approval | Not needed | Required | Lighting and construction rules for road use |
| MOT | No | Once over 3 years old | No |
| Vehicle tax | No | Yes | Not when used for farming, horticulture or forestry |
| Licence | Not needed off-road | Full car licence, or B1 issued before January 1997 | Ask us |
| Insurance | Your choice | Third party at least | Third party at least |
Off-road quads
If the quad will only ever be used on private land, GOV.UK says you do not need to register or tax it, and you do not need a driving licence to ride it off-road. That makes the import much simpler: it is shipped, cleared through customs, the tax is paid, and it is delivered.
There is an optional off-road register, which records the quad's details with the DVLA. It is voluntary, but it can help the police if the quad is ever stolen. Off-road also means exactly that: an unregistered quad cannot be ridden on a public road.
Road-legal quads
GOV.UK is blunt about this: most quad bikes cannot be used on the road because they do not meet road safety standards. Many ATVs are built purely for off-road use and were never designed to be approved.
To use one on the road, a quad must be approved, registered with the DVLA, taxed and, once it is more than 3 years old, have an MOT. It needs lights, brakes and an exhaust that meet the legal requirements, and front and rear number plates.
How a quad gets approved
GOV.UK's first suggestion is to ask the manufacturer whether the model has been approved for road use. If it has not, but it meets the standards, type approval is the route.
For a single imported quad there is also MSVA. GOV.UK lists light and heavy quadricycles among the vehicle types the scheme covers, provided the vehicle is under 10 years old, has never been registered in the UK and does not already have European or GB type approval. A pass gets a Minister's Approval Certificate, which the DVLA needs to register it. Our guide to the MSVA test explains how the inspection works.
A quad with a European Certificate of Conformity may take the shorter partial MSVA. One detail specific to quads: GOV.UK says a quadricycle approved with a hydraulic parking brake must be converted to purely mechanical operation first, and the parking brake is checked on test.
Check before you buy, not after. If the plan is road use, find out whether that exact model can realistically be approved before money changes hands. A quad that was only ever built for the trails may stay on the trails. For unusual cases, GOV.UK points importers to the Department for Transport's International Vehicles and Standards team.
Agricultural quads
A quad used as a working vehicle on a farm sits in its own category. GOV.UK says it is registered as a light agricultural vehicle. On the road it does not need an MOT, but it must be registered, licensed for road use, carry a number plate and have third-party insurance. It needs lights if used on the road after dark.
It should have a driver's seat only and cannot carry passengers. When it is used for agriculture, horticulture or forestry, no vehicle tax is due.
Shipping and customs
A quad is wider and boxier than a motorbike, so it does not fit the motorbike guide price. We price quads per job once we know the size, where it is and how it will travel. For container shipping, a quad is strapped or crated in the same way as a bike, so it cannot move in transit. Our guide to container, RoRo and air sets out the options.
Every quad needs a customs entry when it arrives, whether it is going on the road or not. GOV.UK says the import declaration has to be made by a shipping company or customs agent, and we make it ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. Import VAT and any duty are worked out on the price plus the shipping. The rate of duty depends on how the quad is classified, so we confirm it when we quote rather than guess here. Our guide to customs clearance explains the process, and Transfer of Residence can remove the tax if you are moving to the UK and qualify.
Your normal insurance will not cover the quad at sea, so it is worth adding marine insurance for the journey.
Paperwork to gather
Your quad paperwork
0 of 7 done
Riding it once it is here
On the road, you need a full car licence, or a category B1 licence issued before January 1997, and at least third-party insurance. Passengers are only allowed if the quad is designed to carry them and has the right number of seats. Helmets are not a legal requirement in England, Scotland and Wales, though GOV.UK recommends one, and they are required in Northern Ireland.
Until a road quad is registered, GOV.UK says it should not be used on a public road, other than to a pre-booked approval test. For motorbikes rather than quads, see our main guide to importing a motorbike.
Questions people ask
Can I register an imported quad bike for the road?
Only if it can be approved. GOV.UK says most quads do not meet road safety standards. If the model is approved, or can pass type approval or MSVA, it can be registered with the DVLA, taxed and given plates.
Do I need to register a quad used only off-road?
No. GOV.UK says you do not need to register or tax a quad used only off-road, and you do not need a licence to ride it there. There is an optional off-road register to help if it is stolen.
Does an imported quad need an MSVA?
If you want it on the road and it is under 10 years old, never UK-registered and without type approval, MSVA is one route, because the scheme covers light and heavy quadricycles.
What licence do I need to ride a quad on the road?
A full car licence, or a category B1 licence issued before January 1997, plus at least third-party insurance.
Do I pay import tax on an off-road quad?
Yes. Every imported quad goes through customs, whatever it will be used for. The VAT and any duty are worked out on the price plus shipping, and we confirm the rate when we quote.
Thinking about a quad from abroad? Tell us the make, model and how you plan to use it on the quote form, and we will tell you what is realistic before you buy.
