About number plate lights:
In New Zealand, it is a legal requirement for your car’s number plate / license plate to be visible at all times. For this reason, you will find that most cars have at least one light that shines onto your car’s number plate, allowing it to be visible at night.
Failing to have a correctly lit number plate may result in your car failing its Warrant of Fitness (WOF). This will result in your vehicle becoming illegal to drive until the problem is fixed. A badly lit number plate may also increase the chance of your car standing out to police. For this reason, it is important that your car’s number plate lights are always functional.
Learn more about WOF requirements for number plate lights >
Why are they important?
Number plate lights are an important safety and identification feature on vehicles. They are designed to illuminate the license plate on the rear of a vehicle, making it easier for other drivers to identify the vehicle at night or in low light conditions. Here are a few reasons why number plate lights are important:
- Safety: Number plate lights improve the visibility of a vehicle at night, making it easier for other drivers to see and identify the vehicle. This can help prevent accidents and improve overall road safety.
- Legal compliance: In many countries, it is a legal requirement for vehicles to have functioning number plate lights. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines or other legal penalties.
- Theft prevention: Number plate lights can also help deter thieves or vandals from stealing or damaging the license plate. The illumination provided by these lights makes it more difficult for someone to tamper with or remove the license plate without being noticed. Since most car thefts happen at night, it makes the car easily identifiable to police.
- Ease of identification: In the event of a hit-and-run or another incident, having a visible license plate can help authorities identify the vehicle involved and locate the driver that is responsible.
Reasons for failing WOF due to number plate lights:
- The vehicle is not fitted with the correct type of number plate lighting.
- The number plate bulbs have blown, resulting in the plate not being visible at night.
- The number plate bulbs are not bright enough to show the plate number from 20 metres away.
- The number plate lights are flickering.
- Incorrect colour number plate light bulbs fitted
Causes of number plate lights not working:
- Blown bulb – The number plate bulb can blow, causing the number plate light to stop working altogether. A blown number plate bulb will need to be replaced.
- Bulb is very dim – Over time, the number plate bulbs can become dim and lose effectiveness. This can affect the visibility of the plate number at night.
- Blown fuse – Sometimes, the fuse that controls the number plate bulbs can blow. This will prevent any of the number plate bulbs from lighting up.
- Damaged wiring – In some rare cases, the wiring that connects the number plate bulbs to your car can become damaged. This can prevent the number plate lights from working at all.
Car Number Plate Light Replacement in Hamilton
Is your car in need of new number plate lights? If so, we can help!
At Grimmer Motors, our experienced and talented mechanics are able to repair, replace or install new number plate lights on any type of car. Our replacement bulbs are high quality, meaning that they will last the test of time. A number plate light replacement will also allow the lights to easily pass their next Warrant of Fitness.
For all other lights such as brake lights and headlights, please see car light repairs.
For new number plate lights in Hamilton, contact Grimmer Motors today!