Taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent
Section 96 of Singapore’s Road Traffic Act makes taking and driving away a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent or other lawful authority an offence.
Primary source: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/RTA1961?ProvIds=pr96-
What the offence covers
Under section 96 of the Road Traffic Act, a person commits an offence by taking and driving away a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent or other lawful authority. On conviction, the court may impose a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 3 months, or both (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 96(1)).
The accused must not be convicted if the accused satisfies the court that they reasonably believed either that they had lawful authority, or that the owner would have consented in the circumstances if asked (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 96(2)).
If a person is tried for theft of a motor vehicle and the court considers that the person is not guilty of theft but is guilty of the section 96 offence, the court may convict the person of the section 96 offence instead (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 96(3)).
A police officer may arrest without a warrant anyone reasonably suspected of having committed or attempted this offence (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 96(4)).
Coverage debt
Section 96 does not define “other lawful authority” or specify when a belief about authority or consent is reasonable. This guide records the statutory wording and defence; it does not summarize case-specific interpretation.