If your car is over three years old and less than 40 years of age, you’re required to take it for an annual MOT test to ensure it’s safe to drive on roads in the UK. Since 2018, the new guidelines for MOT tests state that vehicle number plates are the first part of a car that should be inspected.
The new rules include a clarification from the Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency (DVSA) that the term “inscription” now refers to the registration number only, and not the plate on which it is presented. It also separates vehicle issues into five categories – dangerous, minor, major, pass and advisory – and states that all major, minor and dangerous defects must be recorded.
Are non-standard number plates an MOT failure?
A customised number plate that no longer adheres to the requirements for registrations listed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) can result in a failure at MOT testing.
If the background of your plate features any kind of overprinting, this will be classed as a “Major Defect”, also known as MOT failure. For example, if your plate features a honeycomb or other effect and your car was first registered on or after September 1st 2001, this will result in a test failure.
If the alphanumeric characters on your plate, or the fixings that attach the plate to the car, have been altered, thus changing the legibility or appearance of your registration, this will be a cause of failure as well.
If you purchase your number plates from New Reg, you can avoid the unnecessary stress of wondering if they’re likely to fail your test. All plates we provide are road legal to use here in the UK.
Is a number plate light an MOT failure?
Broken lights that are supposed to illuminate number plates will fail at MOT and need to be replaced. Also, bear in mind that while number plates should always be appropriately lit to ensure they can be clearly read by other drivers, members of the public and officials, it’s not legal for registrations to feature lights for design.
If you’ve been driving across the UK, you may have come across motorists sporting blue lights on their plates. This is an illegal feature for vehicle number plates and can result in fines of up to £1,000 if spotted by the authorities. It can also result in your car failing its annual MOT test.
The reason for blue lights being illegal is that they are employed by emergency services here in the UK. The police, fire and rescue, and ambulances all employ blue lights that can flash on their vehicles. These are designed to facilitate their movement on congested roads so they can get to where they’re needed as quickly as possible. Other drivers seeing the lights will give way and allow them to move more easily on the road.
Will a cracked number plate fail an MOT?
MOT tests insist that your number plate must not be excessively damaged, obscured, delaminated or deteriorated. If the number plate on your car has suffered extensive damage in a collision or has become worn and difficult to read over time, you should replace it before your MOT test or it could result in a failure.
If you’re worried about the condition of your plates, why run the risk of them resulting in MOT failure? Number plates are not expensive to replace, and at New Reg, we’ll be happy to assist and help ensure your plates arrive on time for your annual test. A damaged number plate could be classed by those testing your vehicle as a “Major Defect”, which would result in MOT failure.