Number plates and MOT

[Moonhawk]

Just had a car fail it's MOT on number plates. The plates were fitted over 12 months ago and they passed the last MOT.

We had them made by Halfords to be "fully compliant" (no screwing around with font, spacing etc).

MOT tester said that the rules changed a couple of months ago and the plate was now non complaint and that we had to change them.

Luckily Halfords agreed to change them for free - however I didn't think MOT rules could be applied retrospectively. Surely if the plates were compliant at the time we had them made - they can't now fail due to a rule change?

[xjay1337]

Only thing that matters
They are the correct colour
correct legislative markings (bsau / postcode - but this is very petit if they pulled up on this)
correct spacing / font

[Retroman]

What made them no longer compliant?

[TooMany2cvs]

Retroman said:

What made them no longer compliant?

I'm going to take a guess at no manufacturer markings.

The actual requirements for plates haven't changed since 2001. The MOT has, variously, completely ignored them or picked bits up, but rarely picked up on everything - probably because it'd just see so many cars fail...

[AndrewEH1]

Sounds like complete ste to be honest.

The standard Halfords plates, assuming the spacing is correct, meets all the standards. They always have since the regs changed.

Edited by AndrewEH1 on Friday 13th November 09:54

[Sportidge]

Moonhawk said:

MOT tester said that the rules changed a couple of months ago and the plate was now non complaint and that we had to change them.

And was expecting you to buy them from him, not get a replacement set for free from Halfords....?

[Red Devil]

Moonhawk said:

MOT tester said that the rules changed a couple of months ago and the plate was now non complaint and that we had to change them.

Really? In what way did they change? Did you ask him?

The testing requirements and reasons for rejection are in Section 6.3 of this document.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

The inspection manual does not appear to have been revised since January 2012,
AFAICS there have only been two Special Notices issued in 2015 and neither refer to registration plates.

Your plates may or may not be compliant but I'm wondering if this has nothing to do with any purported change; rather the tester has been a bit lax in the past (not necessarily about plates) and he/the testing station have come to the attention of the DVSA. So he is now not taking any chances.

[drdel]

So how do your new Halfords plates differ from the old, 'illegal' Halfords plates?

[mcford]

There have been non special notices relating to the registration plates on the MOT system this year.

Post codes and such are not a MOT requirement on registration plates.

[Moonhawk]

drdel said:

So how do your new Halfords plates differ from the old, 'illegal' Halfords plates?

No idea - i'm away on business at the moment so haven't seen them.

Just seems a little bizzare. Only thing I can think of is Halfords made the plates incorrectly........why else would they immediately agree to change them free of charge.

[sebhaque]

I had the same problem a year or two ago - although the garage picked up the plate before the MOT started and just asked for the plate to be sorted prior to commencing the actual MOT.

I took the plates to Halfords and the supervisor on the desk apologetically re-made my plates correctly. The plates had Halfords markings but the spacing was incorrect - on a standard plate.

[sim72]

My plates (correct spacing, font etc. but no BS marking or postcode) passed yesterday. I do get the impression that only a really anal testing station gives a **** about that bit of the code.