Identification of the vehicle (0)
MOT Test of registration plates (number plate)
A registration plate is required on the front and rear of most vehicles, unless they are unregistered, foreign, diplomatic or military. The MOT test includes a detailed inspection of the plates, their characters, and their conformity to regulations based on the age of the vehicle.
Three-wheeled vehicles that do not have a body type which is characteristic of the body of a four-wheeled vehicle do not require a front number plate.[1] All other vehicles, including quadricycles, must be fitted with front and rear registration plates, which must both be checked to ensure the registration number displayed is the same.
General Requirements for All Plates
Registration plates must not:
- be obscured, excessively damaged, deteriorated or delaminated.[2]
- have background overprinting, patterns or textures.[2]
- have any feature or fixing that changes the appearance or legibility of any of the characters, such as tints or films.[2]
- have a honeycomb or similar effect background on vehicles first registered on or after 1 September 2001.[2] Back-lit plates may have a honeycomb-type construction, but this should not be confused with a prohibited honeycomb effect background.[2]
Close attention is paid to the position of fixing screws or bolts, as well as any delamination of the plate. This is because any non-reflective material can be ‘seen’ as black by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, potentially preventing the vehicle from being correctly identified.
Plates on vehicles registered on or after 1 September 2021 (BS AU 145e)
Registration plates fitted to vehicles first registered on or after 1 September 2021 must meet the strict requirements of the British Standard ‘BS AU 145e’.[1]
- Characters: Must be a single shade of black. 3D-effect lettering is permitted, but the entire character, including its sides, must be solid black.[1]
- Material: Must be made from retroreflecting material.[1]
- Markings: The plate must be marked with the British Standard number ‘BS AU 145e’ and show the name and postcode of the supplying outlet. Other markings like website addresses or phone numbers are not permitted.[3]
- Border: An optional border is allowed. It must be no wider than 5mm and be at least 10mm away from the characters.[1]
Plate Colours and Layout
Registration plates fitted to vehicles manufactured on or after 1 January 1978 must:
- have black characters on a white background when fitted to the front.[1]
- have black characters on a yellow background when fitted to the rear.[1]
- be fitted vertically, or as close to vertical as is reasonably practicable.
Plates may be in a single or two-line format. A three-line format is only permitted on vehicles first used before 1 September 2001.[1]
Traditional ‘Black and Silver’ Plates
Traditional-style plates with white, grey or silver characters on a black background are only permitted on vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973.[4] To be eligible, the vehicle must also be registered with the DVLA in the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.[4] Being over 40 years old and qualifying for historic vehicle tax exemption does not automatically permit the use of black and silver plates if the vehicle was constructed after this date.
Registration Plate Characters and Dimensions
Characters on a number plate must be the correct size, stroke width and spacing for the age of the vehicle. They must not be italic, sloping, or formed using multiple or broken strokes. The font must be the prescribed one or substantially similar, as shown below.
Registration plates may be in a single or two line formats. Additionally, a three line format is permitted on vehicles first used before 1 September 2001.
For vehicles registered on or after 1 September 2001: Plates must meet the dimensional requirements shown below. Imported vehicles that do not have space for standard plates may be fitted with smaller ones.
| Relevant Dimension | Tricycles & Quadricycles | All other vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Character height | 64mm | 79mm |
| Character width (except 1 or I) | 44mm | 50mm |
| Stroke width | 10mm | 14mm |
| Space between characters in a group | 10mm | 11mm |
| Vertical space between groups | 13mm | 19mm |
| Horizontal space between groups | 30mm | 33mm |
| Margins (Minimum) | 11mm | 11mm |
For vehicles registered before 1 September 2001: The character dimensions vary depending on the date of manufacture.
- Vehicles manufactured on or after 1 January 1973 but before 1 September 2001:
- Character Height: 79mm[4]
- Character Width: 57mm[4]
- Stroke Width: 14mm[4]
- Space Between Characters: 11mm[4]
- Space Between Groups: 33mm[4]
- Vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1973:
- Character Height: 89mm[4]
- Character Width: 64mm[4]
- Stroke Width: 16mm[4]
- Space Between Characters: 13mm[4]
- Space Between Groups: 38mm[4]
For all plates, the space between a number ‘1’ or a letter ‘I’ and another character is permitted to be proportionately greater.[1] Vehicles with non-date related plates, such as those from Northern Ireland, must still meet the separation requirement between groups of characters.[1]
Rear Number Plate Illumination
Vehicles first used on or after 1 August 1980 must have a lamp that illuminates the rear registration plate.[5] This lamp must switch on at the same time as the vehicle’s position lamps.[5]
The following defects apply:
- Minor Defect: A lamp is missing or inoperative where two or more are fitted; a lamp is not securely attached; a lamp emits white light directly to the rear.[5]
- Major Defect: A lamp is missing or inoperative where only one is fitted, or all lamps are inoperative; a lamp is likely to become detached; the lamp does not illuminate with the position lamps.[5]
Registration Plate Defects
The following categories apply to defects in this section:
| Defect | Category |
|---|---|
| a. Number plate missing or so insecure that it is likely to fall off |
Major |
| b. Number plate inscription missing or illegible | Major |
| c. Number plate showing an incorrect registration |
Major |
| d. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements |
Major |
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) must be permanently displayed and legible on most vehicles first used on or after 1 August 1980.[6] For kit cars and amateur-built vehicles, this requirement applies if they were first used on or after 1 September 2001.[6]
The VIN can be stamped or etched on the body or chassis, or displayed on a VIN plate secured to the vehicle. If the VIN is displayed in more than one location, only one needs to be complete and legible for the MOT.[6]
A vehicle should not have more than one different VIN displayed. Multi-stage build vehicles are an exception and may have two VINs.
The following categories apply to defects in this section:
| Category | |
|---|---|
| a. VIN missing or cannot be found |
Major |
| b. VIN incomplete, illegible or obviously falsified |
Major |
| c. More than one different VIN displayed |
Major |
Link to all MOT Test procedures and failure items descriptions HERE
References
- MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles – 0. Identification of the vehicle – Guidance – G… — gov.uk
- MOT inspection manual: motorcycles – 0. Identification of the vehicle – Guidance – GOV.UK — gov.uk
- DVLA Standard — plymouth-plates.co.uk
- INF104 — gov.uk
- MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles – 4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment -… — gov.uk
- 0. Identification of the vehicle – MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles – Guidance – G… — testing-guide.motjuice.co.uk
Thank you for posting this article.
Great content elaborating VIN Check tests done in a vehicle.