Vehicles for sale on the street

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Customer Contact Centre

Leaving a vehicle displaying a "For Sale" sign in the road, on the Car with for sale sign pavement or on adjoining open areas is illegal. If you do advertise your vehicle in such a way, we can not only give you a fixed penalty notice (fine) but we also have the power to remove your vehicle and keep it as evidence should you go to court. However it is not illegal to put a 'for sale' sign if your vehicle is on your driveway.

Selling your vehicle from your driveway

You are allowed to sell your vehicle with advertising signs inside if you do so from your driveway. However if it is perceived that you are selling as a business then this is illegal and you will need to contact us.

If you are planning to sell vehicles as a business from a residential property then you will need to get planning permission. Please see our planning permission pages to find out more.

Selling vehicles as a business

If you are a business or perceived a selling vehicles as a business, then please be aware of the following:

Recognised showrooms which park vehicles outside the limits of their premises.
Individuals or businesses buying and selling cars in the road (sometimes trying to disguise this activity by using different phone numbers).
Individuals who buy a car, do it up, sell it on and then buy another to repeat the process .

The Council has a clear policy that it will take action if you do any of the above.

It is an offence under Section 38 of the London Local Authorities Act 1990 to expose or offer for sale any vehicle on a public street. Authorised Officers of the Council or Police Constables may remove as evidence any motor vehicle offered for sale in this way.

At the Council's discretion any or all of the following actions may be taken:

Notices will be affixed to vehicles pointing out the offence.
Vehicles may be seized as evidence and removed from the location.
A formal letter of warning may be sent to the registered owner of the vehicles.
A fixed penalty notice may be issued.
The owners may receive a formal caution.
The owners may be prosecuted in the Magistrates Court in which case the following penalties will apply. The maximum daily fine upon conviction is £1,000 and Magistrates may also make an order for the vehicle to be forfeited in which case it is likely to be crushed by the Council. They can also award costs to cover removal and storage of the vehicle if it has been seized.

Repairing a vehicle on the road

You can repair your own vehicle on the public road. However, repairing of a vehicle for payment or reward or as part of a business in most cases is illegal. If you are unsure, please contact the Customer Contact Centre.

There may also be other offences involved, for example not disclosing if you are a trader, unroadworthy vehicles or "clocked" mileages.