MOT fail due to no BS mark on Plates

[John Laverick]

Apologies but the search function is busted ...

I’ve just had a call from the MOT station to say my car has failed due to the lack of BS markings on my number plates.

Bearing in mind the car is registered 1989 and the number plates look like they’ve been on donkeys, and it passed it’s last MOT with them fitted.

Is the garage correct? Do I need to stump up for new number plates or can I just marker pen the relevant numbers onto them


n.b. They're legal in every other way as far as I know.

[John Laverick]

They have the GB Euro blue bits on them:



Does this prove they were made after 1999 if that makes any difference?

Edited by John Laverick on Tuesday 9th June 10:27

[pmanson]

Ours passed recently without the marks (sticky front plate)...

[Stickers]

Are you sure it's because of the BS marking & not that they do not meet BS requirements?

Incidently - stick on number plated DO NOT meet the requirements!


Read this, (stick-on plates are at the foot of the page)

http://www.personallyyours.co.uk/numberplates-info...

[Deluded]

It shouldnt make any difference wth regards to whether its stamped or not.

Surely, as long as it meets all of the regulations of a UK numberplate, then it is legal? If it doesm't then fair play to the MOT tester, but I don't see why they should fail it based on it not being BS stamped alone.

Edited by Deluded on Tuesday 9th June 10:44

[longblackcoat]

Deluded said:

It shouldnt make any difference wth regards to whether its stamped or not.

Surely, as long as it meets all of the regulations of a UK numberplate, then it is legal? If it doesm't then fair play to the MOT tester, but I don't see why they should fail it based on it not being BS stamped alone.

Edited by Deluded on Tuesday 9th June 10:44

Because having a BS stamp is part of the requirement. At least that's what my MOT station told me. Mind you, they also said they'd not fail it on that alone, though they would if it had mis-spaced characters, funny fonts etc.

[John Laverick]

Stickers said:

Are you sure it's because of the BS marking & not that they do not meet BS requirements?

I'll have to double check but that's not what she said on the phone.

I’m not a tight wad but replacing number plates for the sake of it goes somewhat against the Bargenomics grain!

My understanding is that only cars/number plates manufactured after September 2001 have to display the BS mark / post code etc. But existing old number plates must still comply with the relevant fonts / spacing / sizing etc.

[miniman]

The plate regs are laughable at best. There is absolutely zero consistency in the application of the rules, and zero clarity as to what the rules actually are. My car passed on its original 1973 plates yesterday so either the BS mark thing is BS, or it only applies to cars and / or plates since a certain date - but who the hell knows? And all this nonsense so that speed cameras and ANPR can read them accurately.

[Eddh]

Its all a load of BS anyway.

[John Laverick]

Deluded said:

It shouldnt make any difference wth regards to whether its stamped or not.

Surely, as long as it meets all of the regulations of a UK numberplate, then it is legal? If it doesm't then fair play to the MOT tester, but I don't see why they should fail it based on it not being BS stamped alone.

Edited by Deluded on Tuesday 9th June 10:44

The BS stamp IS a legal requirement on cars registered after 01 September 2001 [mine was registered in 1988] and number plates manufactured from this date.

It isn’t my understanding that any car registered before 01 September 2001 must retrospectively comply with the new regulations and change number plates?

Anyway I’ll clarify with the testing station and see what they say.

[Orangecurry]

That is my understanding as well - therefore I would imagine your MOT tester has got it wrong. Get him to point it out to you in the current regulations.

IIRC the Gov backed-off on stringency on the markings, so maybe he has an old version of the regs?

[flemke]

Stickers said:

Are you sure it's because of the BS marking & not that they do not meet BS requirements?

Incidently - stick on number plated DO NOT meet the requirements!


Read this, (stick-on plates are at the foot of the page)

http://www.personallyyours.co.uk/numberplates-info...

You may be correct, but not on the basis of this information.

- The link is to a private website, not an official one.
- The website says:

private website said:

No, number plates must meet the British Standard requirements and we are not aware of any self-adhesive number plates that are able to meet these requirements.

The author of the website is not "aware of" any. That does not mean that none exists (although perhaps none does).

Do we know if it is sufficient for a device merely to "meet" British Standard requirements, or must that device be formally approved by the bureaucracy?
Would an MOT station have a book or other official reference that says explicitly that a stick-on is banned?
Do we know what element of the British Standard might be violated by a stick-on?

Cheers.

[blank]

Would you be able to print the required logo onto a sticky label then stick it to the plate?

[Stickers]

I'll be honest with you John, unless there has been some kind of new law passed overnight the weekend I'm convinced that there's no legal requirement for a BS mark.

Try searching the DVLA at the direct.gov.uk website........hehehehehe, you'll go mad chasing your tail trying to find documents containing legalities/dimensions.

[Stickers]

There is a document available, giving all specifications of BS AU 145d - but it's going to cost you!

http://www.standardsdirect.org/standards/standards...

Someone please explain to me how the average 'Joe Motorist' is expected to keep within the law, when firstly the information has to be paid for!

[miniman]

Stickers said:

Someone please explain to me how the average 'Joe Motorist' is expected to keep within the law, when firstly the information has to be paid for!

Agreed but, to be fair, it is mostly people who want non-standard plates who fall foul of the law. 'Joe Motorist' can simply take his docs into Hellfrauds and get a set of perfectly legal plates.

[MikePCG]

John Laverick said:

Deluded said:

It shouldnt make any difference wth regards to whether its stamped or not.

Surely, as long as it meets all of the regulations of a UK numberplate, then it is legal? If it doesm't then fair play to the MOT tester, but I don't see why they should fail it based on it not being BS stamped alone.

Edited by Deluded on Tuesday 9th June 10:44

The BS stamp IS a legal requirement on cars registered after 01 September 2001 [mine was registered in 1988] and number plates manufactured from this date.

It isn’t my understanding that any car registered before 01 September 2001 must retrospectively comply with the new regulations and change number plates?

Anyway I’ll clarify with the testing station and see what they say.

I think you're correct there, I'm sure pre Sept 2001 car dont require the BS mark. Also an MOT tester PH'er here has suggestted that in fact the BS requirement has been dropped recently in a previous thread (although it's still on the Gov site as a requirement).

[Hyperion]

http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_630.htm

3. On machines first registered on or after 1 September 2001, check that the registration plates
a. display the name and postcode of the
supplying outlet
b. display a BSAU 145d marking
c. do not display a honeycomb or similar effect
background

--> Go back to the MOT station and hit the MOT tester with a blunt instrument for being a noob.

[andy-xr]

Plates are fine, MOT tester is incorrect

[Hyperion]

blank said:

Would you be able to print the required logo onto a sticky label then stick it to the plate?

No.
http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_630.htm
Registration plate markings such as the BSAU number must be a part of the plate. Stickers etc are not allowed.