Seizure of Vehicles

The Act gives the police an additional tool to deal with those who cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public through the antisocial use of vehicles on public roads or off-road.

The police can stop and seize or remove motor vehicles which are being driven on or off-road:

Where the vehicle is being or has been driven without due care and attention, or reasonable consideration for other road users; and
Where the vehicle is being driven in a manner which is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm distress or annoyanace.

A constable must have reasonable grounds for believing the above is happening.

Please scroll down for more info on the seizure of vehicles.

Seizure of Vehicles in the Act

Seizure of vehicles is covered in Part 10 of the Act:

ASB doc icon Read the Antisocial Behaviour Act

Key Documents and Links on the Seizure of Vehicles

ASB doc icon Statutory Guidance on the Seizure of Vehicles (PDF, 1.93Mb)

Regulations governing the power to seize vehicles came into effect on 17 March 2005. You can read the regulations in full on the HMSO website:

ASB doc icon The Police (Retention and Disposal of Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Regulations 2005

ASB doc icon Road Traffic Act 1988 (c52)

FAQs about the Seizure of Vehicles

Q. What form should a warning take and is it issued on both the driver and the vehicle?

Q. Does a new warning need to be issued to a person (within the 12 month period) if they have already had a warning issued against them and a subsequent seizure has taken place?

Q. What are the procedures for storage of seized vehicles and the charges that will be applied?

You'll find answers to your questions about Seizure of Vehicles on the FAQs page.

Need more advice or guidance on the seizure of vehicles? Call the Practitioners Advice Line:

advice line 2

"People face a real risk of their vehicle being seized if they persist in careless or inconsiderate driving and ignore police warnings to stop behaving in a manner that distresses others. This measure in the Act provides the police with a real opportunity to address these problems. We have already issued warning notices in Fife – the first step in the process to use the power to seize vehicles."
– Superintendent Tony Fitzpatrick, Fife Constabulary