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MOT failure item explained

“Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps”

Recorded on 1,641 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item. In 37% of cases it was put right during the test.

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Cars with it
1,641
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
6.5%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
63% of 2,061 visits
Back next time
7.1%
of 1,659 follow-up visits

What it means

The number plate at the back of the car must be lit at night. On tests since 20 May 2018 this entry means the plate was not lit at all: either the car has a single plate lamp and it was out, or every plate lamp had failed. Tests before then recorded any plate lamp that was out as "Registration plate lamp not working", which was a failure even when a second lamp still lit the plate. Both wordings are counted on this page.

It is a failure item. The record often shows it as put right during the test.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 63%Fail, put right during the test 37%
7.1% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 7.1% of cases.
75,037 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 7 years old. From the 235 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

6.9%1971–7313%1980–8217%1983–8512%1986–8817%1989–9117%1992–9416%1995–9710%1998–0013%2001–0313%2004–0615%2007–0913%2010–126.5%2013–152.4%2016–180.9%2019–210.4%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Peugeot 2079 of 2339%14%
Citroen Berlingo19 of 6928%5.2%
Peugeot Partner12 of 5621%4.2%
Land Rover Defender14 of 5525%8.7%
Toyota Prius35 of 14923%7.1%
Volkswagen Transporter26 of 11523%6.3%
Jaguar XF7 of 3023%7.3%
Vauxhall Vivaro16 of 8220%4.0%

Models with 20 or more cars checked here. “Same-age cars” is the share among all checked cars built in the same years, so an older model is compared with older cars.

What to check before you buy

  • Turn on the sidelights after dark and look at the rear plate from behind. It should be lit.
  • Look at the lamp holders and lenses for corrosion or damp.
  • Confirm the pass that followed, or that the record shows the item was put right during the test.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other lighting entries explained

Position lamp not workingHeadlamp aim too lowRegistration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sourcesStop lamp not workingHeadlamp not working on dipped beamHeadlamp aim too highHeadlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

Repair costs depend on the car, so this page does not quote one. Enter the plate and the free report estimates them for that car, alongside every test and advisory on its record.

Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.