Other things to consider

If the vehicle you imported or purchased has been modified in any way, it will require a Low Volume Certificate (cert) plate. The best idea is to take the vehicle into the compliance centre first. This will see the car receive a VIN. The inspection will take place as usual; however, the car will fail on needing a cert. Most compliance centres deal with certifiers all the time, so they will be able to arrange for one to come and check out the vehicle. However, if your vehicle fails its VIN, because it requires a cert or anything else, you will only have 21 working days to make changes and get it rechecked. If you do not make the required repairs in this time frame, the car will need another inspection, resulting in more cost to you, the vehicle owner. Especially with older cars, problems can arise when you need to source hard-to-obtain parts that can’t be found and fitted to the car within that period. The only way around the 21-day time frame is if the vehicle remains, and the parts are fitted, at the compliance centre. It may seem as if it is trying to make money by offering to undertake repairs, but having the compliance centre undertake the work is often the smart way to do it, although not every compliance centre offers this service.