{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/goods-vehicles-licensing-of-operators-act-1995/section-38",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/goods-vehicles-licensing-of-operators-act-1995/section-38.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1995/23",
  "legislation_title": "Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/goods-vehicles-licensing-of-operators-act-1995",
  "path": "section/38",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "38",
  "heading": "Forgery of documents, etc.",
  "text": "(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to deceive, he—\n(a) forges, alters or uses a document or other thing to which this section applies;\n(b) lends to, or allows to be used by, any other person a document or other thing to which this section applies; or\n(c) makes or has in his possession any document or other thing so closely resembling a document or other thing to which this section applies as to be calculated to deceive.\n(2) This section applies to the following documents and other things, namely—\n(a) any operator’s licence;\n(b) any document, plate, mark or other thing by which, in pursuance of regulations, a vehicle is to be identified as being authorised to be used, or as being used, under an operator’s licence;\n(c) any document evidencing the authorisation of any person for the purposes of sections 40 and 41;\n(d) any certificate of qualification under section 49; and\n(e) any certificate or diploma such as is mentioned in paragraph 13(1) or (1A) of Schedule 3.\n(3) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.\n(4) In the application of subsection (1) to England and Wales, “forges” means makes a false document or other thing in order that it may be used as genuine.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 38(2)(e) inserted (4.12.2011) by The Road Transport Operator Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/2632), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 12 (with Sch. 3 Pt. 2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1995/23",
      "affecting_title": "Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/23/section/38",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:33:04.608535+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}