What does 4.7.1 mean on an MOT certificate?

It refers to sub-section 4.7.1 of the MOT inspection manual, "Presence, condition and operation", within section 4, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 5 listed here. 2 Major and 3 Minor.

Which presence, condition and operation defect is recorded most often?

None of the clauses in this sub-section appears among the most-recorded failure items nationally; they are rare in practice.

Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?

No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.

Section 4 · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

4.7.1 Presence, condition and operation

Manual indexed 3 September 2026

Quick answer

Sub-section 4.7.1 of the MOT inspection manual covers presence, condition and operation and lists 5 defects. A reference like "(4.7.1 (a))" on a certificate points to the matching row below.

Official wording

The defect clauses

4.7.1 (a)Minor
A rear registration plate lamp throwing direct white light to the rear
Lamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained: what it means and what puts it right
4.7.1 (b)(i)Minor
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative when rear registration plate has 2 or more lamps or light sources
Lamp not working explained: what it means and what puts it right
4.7.1 (b)(ii)Major
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative when rear registration plate has only one lamp or all lamps not working
Lamp not working explained: what it means and what puts it right
4.7.1 (c)(i)Minor
A registration plate lamp not securely attached
4.7.1 (c)(ii)Major
A registration plate lamp likely to become detached

Wording and categories reproduced from the DVSA inspection manual under the Open Government Licence. Frequencies are items per 100 failed class 4 tests across the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset; a clause with no figure was not recorded often enough to appear in any model’s top forty failure items. 3 of 5 clauses link to our own explanation.

Grading

What the categories mean

Dangerous: a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The vehicle fails and must not be driven until repaired, even to a garage.
Major: a defect that affects safety, the environment or other road users. The vehicle fails.
Minor: a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes.

The full guide to defect grading

Section 4

Other sub-sections of lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

All sections of the manual

Common questions

What does 4.7.1 mean on an MOT certificate?: It refers to sub-section 4.7.1 of the MOT inspection manual, "Presence, condition and operation", within section 4, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 5 listed here. 2 Major and 3 Minor.
Which presence, condition and operation defect is recorded most often?: None of the clauses in this sub-section appears among the most-recorded failure items nationally; they are rare in practice.
Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?: No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.