# MoT failure due to no Postcode on Number Plate



## bigbus (May 1, 2005)

Interesting one this, our Rapido failed it's MoT because the number plates did not show the postcode of the plate maker (supplying dealer), apart from that the plates were correct. The clampdown on correct number plate manufacture appears to be because of the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Cameras around. Not sure how you can recognise the tiniest of fonts on a plate with the ANPR Camera but that's what I was told. As far as I'm aware the supplying dealer is still omitting the postcode but still adding their phone number instead, they have been told but I'm not certain they were going to do anything about it. Our MoT station is the local Co-Op workshop, independent and very fair, and responsible for the maintenance of all the local Co-Op vehicles so I don't feel they were trying to blind me with science. Has anyone else had the same?


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

Sounds very petty to me! What about number plates that have the suppliers name and phone number on them? Just off now to google mot's.......


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## Broom (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi

Next thing they will be failing them because you were wearing the wrong hat 

Best Regards
Broom


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

I think they may be wrong

see THIS <<

Mike


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## bigbus (May 1, 2005)

*Googled it Myself*

Just googled it and sure enough there it is. All vehicles registered after 1st Sept 2001 should have the BS AU 145d mark and the plate makers name and postcode. Sorry if anyone's out there searching on a pre Sept 2001 vehicle I forgot that before.


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## bigbus (May 1, 2005)

*Explanation*

Thanks for that link, sadly I slipped in before they suspended the ruling. I would expect it to rear its head again soon though.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

Here is the Vosa link

PDF Vosa Document <<<

Mike


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## philsil (Jul 24, 2007)

will this rear its funny head on april 1st?


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

There I go again off searching for the facts and what happens?... The people who can type with more than the blunt end of a pencil get in first. Huumph!!!!!! :roll: Its off to summer camp typing school for me this year I can tell. :lol: :lol:


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## mep (Jan 4, 2008)

Very Interesting only two weeks ago i re-registered two vehicles. I removed my cherished number plates and put them on the motorhome and re aquired new plates for the family car. (Original Number)
Cherished plates were transfered direct, and took certificate to the local halfords to have new plates made for the car these i have just checked and are plain number plates there are no other markings, dealer or BS numbers?
I was very glad to read the special notice number 10 as the motorhiome gets an MOT on monday and it to would have failed on this point had it not been suspended.
Clearly some MOT stations have not read and acknowledged the notice?


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Had this with SWMBO's car last year, changed to her cherished plate and used the old plates from old car. I knew about this but forgot. Biggest embarrassment was that tester was our son who had to fail it as he was mystery shopped by Vosa the day before and had to be squeaky clean.
If it helps to prevent fraud and cloning then we should not complain.


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## dangerous (May 1, 2005)

I had the same problem, failed mot because I had some nice plates made up with logos on, officialy the were "show use only", They were legal font and letter spacing, but no postcode.
Luckily I still had the original plates which had postcode on and all I did was change them, all legal and new mot.
Obviously I will leave the postcoded ones on..............
It does seem a bit over the top when the plates are visible and legal font etc, I guess you could use a dymo type printer and mark them that way?

Dangerous


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

I wonder what's meant by "obviously visible"??

Anoher point comes to mind: what about plates where the letters are too close together and make up some weird saying eg URATIT- can the vehicle be failed for that?


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## 105062 (Jun 10, 2007)

I wonder what there is to stop you writing the post code on a plate with a permanent marker pen ? as long as it is "obviously visible" !


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Tribute_650 said:


> I wonder what there is to stop you writing the post code on a plate with a permanent marker pen ? as long as it is "obviously visible" !


I think you might be missing the point.

Places that are legitimately selling you a number plate and carrying out the checks that they have to under the law will always include the correct info. So a plate without a postcode may mean that you have got around the system and your plate and your ownership might not be legitimate.

For those that think its silly - how many times have you moaned about people without tax insurance etc and vehicles/trailers/caravans being stolen. This is just one of the measures put in place to try and control the situation.


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## soundman (May 1, 2005)

Embarrassed (through poor service) by having to advertise the company who supplied our motorhome I put self adhesive stickers substituting their wording with the make of our motorhome on the the front and rear plates.
MOT passed yesterday!


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

soundman said:


> Embarrassed (through poor service) by having to advertise the company who supplied our motorhome I put self adhesive stickers substituting their wording with the make of our motorhome on the the front and rear plates.
> MOT passed yesterday!


As someone said earlier this way of failing MOT is on hold atm


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Telbell said:


> I wonder what's meant by "obviously visible"??
> 
> Anoher point comes to mind: what about plates where the letters are too close together and make up some weird saying eg URATIT- can the vehicle be failed for that?


Quite simply, a plate that has been altered to make a word or had the spacing is illegal and will not only fail the MOT but the owner can be prosecuted. Quite rightly in my view.
Consider this, you are involved in a serious hit and run accident, but you cannot identify the number of the other car because some buffoon has decided that it wiuld look good to make a word out of the letters and numbers.


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> Quite simply, a plate that has been altered to make a word or had the spacing is illegal and will not only fail the MOT but the owner can be prosecuted. Quite rightly in my view.
> Consider this, you are involved in a serious hit and run accident, but you cannot identify the number of the other car because some buffoon has decided that it wiuld look good to make a word out of the letters and numbers.


Yes Gerry I know it's illegal -I also know it is rarely prosecuted. But can it lead to MOT failure?


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> So a plate without a postcode may mean that you have got around the system and your plate and your ownership might not be legitimate.


I'm not sure the thieves will let that stop them. If they are going to make up a false plate anway, it won't take mch to add a fictitious, but believable, postcode


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## teckie (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm getting confused with all this rattle and different things being said about number plates and post code !!!

My M/H is going for a MOT test in the next month.. it will be 16 years old in April and has the original number plates fitted by Don Amott who supplied the M/H new the number plates show the name Don Amott and telephone number no postcode ! so does that mean I shall have to buy new number plates prior to taking it for an MOT ?. :? 

Cheers 

Teckie


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

teckie said:


> I'm getting confused with all this rattle and different things being said about number plates and post code !!!
> 
> My M/H is going for a MOT test in the next month.. it will be 16 years old in April and has the original number plates fitted by Don Amott who supplied the M/H new the number plates show the name Don Amott and telephone number no postcode ! so does that mean I shall have to buy new number plates prior to taking it for an MOT ?. :?
> 
> ...


You will be fine. Any changes have been suspended. When they are unsuspended you may have to change your number plates but so will many others and this is what may have caused the current suspension of the change in the rules.


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## teckie (Feb 25, 2007)

Thanks cronkle 

I should get away with it for this year then !, And will probably sell before next years MOT is due...  

I've just been talking to a friend about this subject... and he says that he has heard that some of the people who make number plates are selling on customers names and addresses to third parties to gain extra profit !, Should we believe this or not ?. I for one strongly object to my details being passed around in that manner and I am sick of all the junk being delivered to me by the postman because of this.

Teckie


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## 105062 (Jun 10, 2007)

Just checked with my MOT centre ( the owner is my neighbour) and if the number plate check comes back as it is currently legislated he thinks there is nothing to stop you writing on the post code with a marker pen, nothing says it has to be embossed. 

This is a bureaucratic and visible action to give the impression that this government are being tough on car crime and the only people it will inconvenience is the law abiding motorist, as usual.

Now lets think.....
If a criminal can mastermind the breaking into of a modern car, start it without keys overcoming the state of the art immobiliser and alarm.
Drive it away and hide it avoiding detection, change the VIN number welded into the chassis, manufacture false documents and then sell it on, but hang on............... foiled there needs to be a postcode on the number plate............wow good old Gordon put your wallet away as there is now no need to put extra cash into the police force to tackle car crime............my hero :roll:


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## teckie (Feb 25, 2007)

I still can't see any benefit of having the name and post code of the number plate supplier printed or embossed on the plates :roll: what is the intention of it !, maybe us silly beggers having to fork out for new plates !, Like my friend said does it mean that the number plate supplier has to keep a database of all number plates made and the vehicle owner's name and address ?., (something I strongly object to)

Like Tribute_650 says it's so easy to nick a car and change everything... what difference is a Post Code of the plate supplier going to make !!! and I most certainly don't want my own Post Code showing !. It's time someone woke up !.


Teckie


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## bigbus (May 1, 2005)

*Losing the Plot here*

Just thought I need to straighten this thread up as we're getting confused. All vehicles registered before 1st Sept 2001 (pre 51 reg) are exempt from the postcode ruling. Furthermore it's not your home postcode but the postcode and name of the Number Plate maker. This, I guess, will show the police or MoT station who made the number plate, so maybe the plate maker will feel less inclined to start making words out of the registration number if his details are on view. Of course it really is nonsense because a fake name and postcode will suffice. A point in question, my car has a set of plates with the name and postcode of the maker who went out of business some 3 years ago!


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## 105062 (Jun 10, 2007)

It will make no difference at all. A plate manufacturer can legally produce an illegal plate, all he /she has to do is put a sticker on the back saying "For Show Purposes Only" I have had umpteen of these since the law changed in 2001, for genuine show vehicles I may add.

The responsibility will be down to the owner and they, not the plate manufacturer, will be prosecuted as has happened since the law changed in 2001. So what use is a manufacturers postcode! The mot should only be interested in the legal spacing, font etc of the plate not the shoe size of the person who legally made the plate. 

As I said before this is a farce, all it does is cause problems for people who have perfectly legal number plates made before 2001 which have been put onto post 2001 vehicles as part of a cherished transfer.......

Again, a load of noise by this government to give the impression they are doing something about car crime :roll:


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Teckie,
The postcode requirement on plates has only ever applied to vehicles first registered after 1 Sept 2001, in other words only those vehicles that require the new style regisration. So this will not apply to your vehicle.

As far as spacing is concerned, font and spacing have always been part of the MOT and incorrect spacing and font should lead to failure, or at least an advisory.


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

Good, because I think mine were made by the same people that used to paint crests on the horsedrawn carriages. I will be contacting Sothebys...........


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