License Plates & VIN
What the vehicle inspection (KTEO) checks • VIN / chassis number • Legal requirements • Government Gazette
Registration Plates: What You Need to Know
Vehicle registration plates are an essential means of identifying a vehicle. They must be the legally issued plates assigned to that specific vehicle and must remain clearly visible, identifiable, and correctly fitted.
What Should You Check?
A passenger car must have the legally issued:
front registration plate,
rear registration plate.
The plates must:
be securely and safely fixed to the vehicle,
have clearly readable letters and numbers,
display a registration number that matches the vehicle registration certificate and official records.
What Is Not Allowed?
It is not permitted to:
alter or tamper with a registration plate,
cut the plate or change its shape,
alter letters or numbers,
bend or modify the plate in a way that affects its readability,
use a registration plate belonging to another vehicle,
apply any material, cover, coating, or other modification that makes the plate difficult to read or prevents it from being identified by technical enforcement systems.
Practical Advice for Drivers
If a registration plate is broken, lost, or damaged to the point that it can no longer be read correctly, do not have a private replacement or “copy” made.
The plate must be replaced through the official legal procedure by the competent authority.
What Does the Vehicle Inspection Check on Registration Plates?
Under the current roadworthiness inspection checklist, registration plates are checked under item 0.1 – “Registration number plates”.
During the inspection, the examiner checks whether:
a registration plate is missing or is so insecurely fitted that there is a risk of it falling off (0.1.a),
the inscription or registration number is missing or unreadable (0.1.b),
the registration number does not match the vehicle documents or official records (0.1.c).
How Are These Defects Classified?
If a registration plate is missing or very insecurely fitted, it is classified as a major defect.
If the registration number or inscription is missing or cannot be clearly read, this is also classified as a major defect.
If the registration number does not match the vehicle documents or official records, this is likewise classified as a major defect.
Important Exception
If the registration plates have been lawfully retained by a competent authority, the relevant defect is not recorded solely because the plates are absent.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): Why Is It Important?
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the unique identification number assigned to each vehicle.
During a vehicle inspection, it is not enough for the VIN to appear only on the registration certificate. It must also be identifiable on the vehicle itself and must match the official records and vehicle documentation.
What Does the Vehicle Inspection Check?
During the inspection, the examiner checks whether:
the VIN is missing or cannot be identified,
it is incomplete or difficult to read,
it appears to be clearly falsified or altered,
it does not match the vehicle documents,
there are illegible documents or minor administrative inaccuracies in the identification details.
How Are These Defects Classified?
If the VIN is missing or cannot be identified, under inspection item 0.2.a, this is classified as a major defect.
If the VIN is incomplete, illegible, clearly falsified, or does not match the vehicle documentation, under item 0.2.b, this is also classified as a major defect.
If there are illegible documents or minor administrative inaccuracies, under item 0.2.c, this is classified as a minor defect.
Very Important
If a repair or replacement is planned for a part of the vehicle body or chassis that could remove, damage, or alter the VIN, the competent authority should be notified before the work is carried out.
This allows the required procedure for vehicle identification or re-stamping of the VIN to be followed, where applicable.
Dirty, Covered or Altered Registration Plates
The current Greek Road Traffic Code does not only prohibit false or altered registration plates. The legally issued plates must remain clearly visible and identifiable, including by technical enforcement systems used to detect traffic violations.
What Can Cause a Problem?
A problem may arise when:
a number plate frame covers letters, numbers, or part of the plate,
a cover, film, spray, or other material makes the plate difficult to read or identify,
the plate is so dirty that it cannot be clearly read,
an object or vehicle accessory obstructs part or all of the plate,
the plate has been intentionally bent, cut, or altered.
Bending a plate, changing its shape or characters, or otherwise tampering with it is prohibited.
Penalties on the Road
Driving a vehicle without its legally issued registration plates, or with plates that are not clearly visible or cannot be identified by technical enforcement systems, is classified as an E3-B offence under the Greek Road Traffic Code.
An E3-B offence carries:
an administrative fine of €350,
suspension of the driving licence for 30 days,
removal of the vehicle’s registration documents and plates for 30 days, subject to the provisions of the Road Traffic Code.
For false, illegally manufactured, or altered registration plates, additional criminal penalties may apply, including imprisonment for up to one year.
Practical Advice for Drivers
Before driving or taking your vehicle for inspection, make sure that the registration plates are clean, intact, securely fitted, and fully visible.
Do not use covers, films, sprays, or other materials that could interfere with the readability or identification of the plates.
What Happens if the Vehicle Fails the Inspection?
Certain defects relating to registration plates and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) are classified as major defects.
These include:
0.1.a: a registration plate is missing or insecurely fitted,
0.1.b: the registration number or inscription is missing or unreadable,
0.1.c: the registration plate does not match the vehicle documents or official records,
0.2.a: the VIN is missing or cannot be identified,
0.2.b: the VIN is incomplete, illegible, clearly falsified, or does not match the vehicle documents.
What Does a “Major Defect” Mean?
If a major defect is identified during the periodic roadworthiness inspection, the vehicle fails the inspection.
The problem must be corrected, and the vehicle must then be presented for a re-inspection in accordance with the applicable procedure.
What About Minor Defects?
Item 0.2.c, which concerns illegible documents or minor administrative inaccuracies, is classified as a minor defect.
Although it does not carry the same severity as a major defect, it should still be corrected so that the vehicle’s documents and identification details are accurate and clearly readable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my vehicle pass the inspection if the front registration plate is missing?
For a passenger vehicle that is required to have two registration plates, the absence of either the front or rear plate is classified as a major defect.
An exception applies when the registration plate has been lawfully retained by a competent authority.
What if the registration plate is faded but still readable?
The main criterion is whether the registration number and inscription remain clearly identifiable and match the vehicle’s official records.
If the deterioration is severe enough to make the plate unreadable or difficult to identify, it is classified as a major defect.
Can I use a transparent cover over the registration plate?
The registration plate must remain clearly visible and identifiable, both to the human eye and to technical enforcement systems.
A cover that causes glare, distortion, or otherwise makes the plate difficult to read or identify may create a problem and could result in a traffic offence.
What if the VIN cannot be seen because of rust or a previous repair?
If the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) cannot be identified or is difficult to read, it is classified as a major defect during the vehicle inspection.
The VIN must not be re-stamped or altered without authorisation. The appropriate legal procedure must be followed through the competent Transport Authority.
Can I move the VIN to another location myself?
No.
The VIN is a key vehicle identification element and must not be moved, altered, or re-stamped without authorisation.
If a repair or replacement of a body or chassis component could affect the VIN, the required legal procedure must be followed before the work is carried out.