Fine for non-working rear license plate light

License plate illumination, which is a mandatory attribute of cars, often raises questions among drivers related to possible changes or upgrades in its installation. So, according to GOST, you need to stick to illuminating the license plate of the rear of the car, while avoiding illuminating the front number.

License plate illumination is a mandatory attribute of cars

If the light above the car’s “mini-passport” does not light up, or the lighting does not meet the standards, the driver of the vehicle, when traffic police inspectors discover these violations, is subject to a state fine. To avoid penalties, you should be fully aware of how to properly install and operate the lighting fixture.

Regulatory aspects

The Regulations of the Road Traffic Regulations state that every car must be equipped with special lighting equipment for the rear of the car, capable of being switched on when the side lights are operating. Accordingly, it must be activated in the dark so that the traffic police inspector can easily distinguish the symbols of the vehicle’s “mini-passport” from a distance of at least 20 meters.

The fine for the lack of illumination of the rear license plate and, accordingly, its unreadability is 500 rubles.

The possibility of losing your driver's license for a period of 6-12 months with confiscation of the lighting device is also present. The owner of a vehicle may be subject to such punishment for illuminating the front registration plate, since according to regulatory documents it must be absent.

Replacing a room light bulb

Is license plate illumination necessary and what should it be like?

The requirement of the state traffic inspectorate provides for mandatory illumination of the rear license plate of the car. Doubts may arise as to whether such illumination is really necessary, since road safety does not depend on it? The answer is categorical - it is necessary. This measure is necessary to ensure that the vehicle license plate is clearly visible even in the dark.

The absence or malfunction of the backlight may be grounds for imposing a fine on you.

The license plate light is an external lighting device, and driving with faulty lighting devices is a violation and is subject to a fine. Partial failure is also a violation.

Justification and amount of the fine

It is worth noting that a fine for the lack of illumination of the rear license plate can be imposed only in the dark, when the license plate becomes unreadable . The sign must be easily readable at a distance of 20 meters, and if one bulb has burned out, but the others provide sufficient illumination of the number, then a fine cannot be imposed.

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This violation may, at best, result in a warning from the inspector, or a fine of 500 rubles. Most often, the violator receives only a verbal warning, because it is very difficult to prove that the driver knew about the malfunction before driving. It is also difficult to prove the opposite, so there is no point in taking unnecessary risks.

Types of backlight

Today's cars are equipped with rear license plate lighting already at the production stage, but many are not satisfied with the quality of the lighting. In Soviet-made cars this function is not provided at all. Or maybe there is a simple desire to update the appearance of your car? Then it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the types of lighting in more detail.

Standard lighting is incandescent lamps installed in the ceiling. A modern solution is diodes, LED strips. There is another backlight option - complete with a rear view camera.

How does a license plate light differ from LED lighting?

The brightness of the lighting is much higher for diode lamps.
Service life, on average, incandescent lamps last 2-3 times less.
Color. For diodes, it is possible to set the backlight to any color.

More and more car enthusiasts give preference to diode devices (as in the photo below). Replacing the license plate light bulb with such a device is very simple; just unscrew the lamp and replace one with the other.

DIY installation

How to replace the rear license plate light? Easily! And you don’t even have to contact the service. Let's look at all the necessary manipulations step by step.

Prepare materials (frame for a car license plate with backlight or separate lighting elements, heat shrink, scissors, silicone sealant, lighter).
Remove all wires from old parts and remove the old frame.
All visible joints with lighting elements and seams on the frame must be sealed to prevent possible contact with water. If this is not done, the backlight will last a maximum of 4-5 months, the contacts will rust, and the entire frame will have to be replaced.
Twist the wires previously freed from the insulator on the frame and on the trunk of the car. To prevent short circuits, insulate them with heat shrink.
Screw the frame onto the existing space on the back of the car.
Put the number in place.

This procedure will take a little time. If you plan to install the lighting fixtures yourself, it will take a little time to attach the diodes to the frame.

An illuminated license plate frame can be designed similar to speaker lighting, from the inside. To do this, you will need a frame, a piece of plexiglass the size of the frame, 3 mm thick, LEDs from 8 pcs., foil. It will take a little more time, but the result will be more interesting.

Grind the diodes down to glass size.
Cover the back and end of the glass with foil.
Connect the light elements to the glass, point them at the corners, and fill them with sealant.
Take the wires out of the frame and connect to the car.
Screw on the number, which in turn will hold the glass and diodes.

You need to carefully seal all connections and wires with silicone so that you do not have to disassemble the structure every 2-3 months.

You will find detailed instructions on how to install the backlight yourself in this video:

Illuminated license plate frame

Some people prefer to make a backlit frame on their own, while others prefer mass producers. And if the choice remains outside the ready-made framework, then you need to identify several criteria for choosing products:

durability - accidents on the roads happen quite often. The frame must be durable so as not to break in a minor accident, and also withstand temperature changes from summer to winter;
size accuracy - in most cases, all frames are of a standard size, but it’s still worth checking;
brightness and serviceability of the backlight - it is better to check the performance of all lighting elements when purchasing.

Modern frames can accommodate not only a license plate, but also additional inscriptions, where the manufacturer, at the buyer’s request, will indicate any information.

Colored backlight

You can also highlight your car, make it brighter and more original in the dark by illuminating the rear license plate using colored diodes or tape.

There are a lot of different colors, and such devices are not difficult to install. There is only one drawback - the installation of such devices does not comply with GOST, which means it is an offense . GOST 8769-75 speaks of the need to install one or more rear license plate lights, which should emit white or white-yellow color.

Please note once again: colored license plate illumination is prohibited by law.

Why such requirements for a small car part? The use of additional lighting colors may distract the attention of other drivers and thereby provoke an accident. The desire to stand out may cost a 100 ruble fine or a warning in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses 12.5 Part 1. Do not forget that a car is, first and foremost, a vehicle.

Bottom line

What is worth learning and remembering after reading all of the above:

The license plate number of the vehicle must be illuminated at the rear.
Failure to illuminate will result in a verbal warning from a traffic police officer or a fine of 500 rubles.
Replacing or installing light elements for license plate lighting yourself is easy and quick.
The use of any other colors other than white or white-yellow is prohibited and may result in a fine of 100 rubles.

Do not neglect the installation of this lighting element. Yes, after installation, the car number will be clearly visible, and in case of violation, the inspector can easily read and write it down. But even in the event of a car theft, the availability of the number will only be beneficial, and may affect the speed of searches.

Be attentive to the external lighting of your car and good luck on the roads.

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Improved lighting

License plate lighting is not a problem; it can be implemented by upgrading the standard lights. Today, LEDs are most often installed in the form of strips, rulers and modules. However, going overboard with the number of LED items can be regarded as a change in the design of the vehicle.

To avoid punishment, you should remember two things:

Firstly, a violation in the lighting of the state registration number can only be proven if the vehicle is in use.
Secondly, changes that have been certified by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate cannot be considered illegal.

Lamp life

Currently, a large number of components for modern cars are manufactured in China. Oddly enough, there are quite high-quality products there that are difficult to distinguish from the original. This happens rarely, but still some motorists have encountered this. As for the light bulbs for illuminating the license plate, it is impossible to say for sure.

Of course, it is recommended to purchase only original lamps, since their service life is many times longer than their Chinese counterparts. True, there is no guarantee that the expensive original was not made in China, just in a different factory. For this simple reason, before changing the license plate light bulb on a Solaris or any other car, familiarize yourself with the range. It is better to buy inexpensive domestic lamps of the “lighthouse” type, which have proven themselves well.

About the intensity of the backlight and the permitted colors of LEDs

According to GOST, the light of rear registration plates must be white or yellow, or shades thereof. Thus, any other color of lighting may be regarded as a violation and subject to a corresponding fine of 3,000 rubles, since colored LEDs can confuse drivers following and provoke a traffic accident.

License plate lighting is not a problem; it can be implemented by upgrading the standard lights

Taking into account the standards, it is possible to change the tonality and saturation of the lighting. However, this must be done without attracting the inspector’s attention by using too bright a light, which leaves a mark on the road surface, as well as using excessive amounts of license plate lighting of other colors.

An example of replacing lighting on different cars

To change a burnt-out license plate light bulb, you need to:

clean the area where the lampshades are located from dust and dirt;
remove decorative trim;
clean the surface of the lampshades;
unscrew the screws;
remove the lampshades;
remove the lighting fixture;
make sure it is faulty;
replace light bulbs with new ones;
check the functionality of the unit by turning on the lights;
secure the lampshades by first lubricating the screws with silicone grease;
Reinstall the fastening of the trunk lid trim.

Replacement can only be carried out when the power supply is de-energized. This way you can avoid the occurrence of a short circuit if the cartridge is destroyed or accidental contact of contacts occurs.

The basic algorithm for replacing license plate lamps can be changed depending on the make and type of car.

Hyundai Santa Fe

First, let's look at how to replace the headlight bulb on a Korean Hyundai. For work we will need:

Crosshead screwdriver.
2 W5W bulbs.

Each of the license plate lamps on this car is attached using a self-tapping screw and an L-shaped clamp. I marked the location of the screws with red arrows and the locations of the clamps with green arrows.

We unscrew the screw and remove the flashlight, disengaging the latch. The wire powering the lampshade is quite short, so we pull out the light fixture carefully and without fanaticism.

Removing the lantern

Now we see the cartridge with power wires (photo above). Turn it counterclockwise and remove it along with the lamp. The light bulb is removed from the socket by simply pulling it out. We dismantle the burnt one and put a new one in its place. We install the cartridge in place, fix it by turning it clockwise. All that remains is to put the illuminator in place and secure it with a self-tapping screw.

Hyundai Solaris

Both lamps, which provide room illumination, are located in the Hyundai Solaris under the trim on the trunk lid. To remove them, you need a flathead and Phillips screwdriver. The dismantling process looks like this:

using a flat-head screwdriver, open the cover in the handle;
remove the handle by unscrewing the screws with a Phillips screwdriver;
remove the pistons holding the casing in place;
remove the casing;
unscrew the cartridge clockwise;
remove the lamp, holding it by the glass bulb;
install a new light bulb;
Reassemble in reverse order.

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Volkswagen Tiguan

The list of tools intended for replacing headlight bulbs in a Volkswagen Tiguan includes gloves and a Phillips screwdriver. Lamps – C5W. To reinstall you need:

open the trunk lid;
remove the lampshades by unscrewing the screws;
unplug the light bulb from the spring clips;
install the new device by snapping it into the latches;
return the lampshades to their place and secure them with self-tapping screws;
check the result using the side lights.

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Toyota Corolla

To get easy access to the backlight lamp of this brand, you will have to lower the flashlight diffuser down. To do this, you will need to lightly press the tongue.

Further actions are performed in the following order:

unscrew the cartridge by turning it counterclockwise;
unscrew the screws;
remove the lamp holder;
remove the non-working old one;
install a new light bulb;
assemble the structure in reverse order.

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Toyota Camry

To replace the backlight bulb in a Japanese Toyota Camry, you need a flat-head screwdriver. Lamps – W5W. Then follow these steps:

open your trunk lid;
release the upholstery opposite the lamp, carefully removing the plastic pistons (use a flat screwdriver to pry up the latch, pull it out and remove the pistons from the upholstery, holding it by the head);
bend back the upholstery (the back of the flashlight, the socket and the power supply connected to it should open);
pull out the block;
squeeze the flashlight clamps;
push the lantern out;
pry off the protective glass with a screwdriver;
remove the protective glass;
pull out the burnt out light bulb;
install new lighting;
snap the glass;
insert the flashlight into the socket and push it in until the latches click;
check the operation of the backlight by turning on the side lights;
assemble the structure in reverse order.

Nissan Qashqai

On this model, replacing the license plate lamp is even easier, since the lamp is attached using latches. We arm ourselves with a flat screwdriver (the author of the photo used a plastic card) and pry the flashlight from the side located closer to the center of the car.

Removing the lampshade using a plastic card

Carefully remove the lampshade from its seat and get to the socket.

Turn the socket counterclockwise and remove it along with the W5W bulb. We pull out the burnt out device, insert a new one and install the lamp in place, making sure that the latches snap into place.

Lada Priora

Here the Lada Priora will act as a “test subject”, in which you don’t even need to dismantle the lamp to replace the license plate light bulb. Open the trunk lid and find the back of the lamp sockets, focusing on the location of the lamps.

We take the socket, turn it counterclockwise until it stops and remove it from the lantern along with the light bulb.

We pull out the burnt out device (W5W) and install a new one in its place. We turn on the dimensions and make sure that everything works. We return the cartridge to its place and fix it by turning it clockwise.

Lada Kalina

What tools will you need:

flat screwdriver,
a piece of rag
new lamps.

The left side of the lampshade is made in such a way that you can place a thin object (in our case, a screwdriver) under it and pry it, releasing the first latch. This requires a little effort. If you are afraid of scratching the plastic, place a prepared rag under the tip of the screwdriver.

Once the left side of the latch has come out, move the lamp itself a little to the left and remove the right side. Pull the lantern out. Now you can either disconnect the wire, or simply turn the lamp a little and remove it from the housing.

The light bulbs in the license plate illumination are the most common ones - W5W. The same ones are in the front side lights. We take out the old incandescent lamps and insert new ones - LED ones. It’s better to immediately check whether you placed them on the wrong side; LED lamps have polarity! Well, now, with a clear conscience, everything can be put back together. The license plate light bulbs on Kalina have been replaced.

What advantages will we get after replacing the standard license plate light bulbs with LED ones?

Firstly, they shine much brighter. This is noticeable even to the naked eye. And at the same time they consume much less energy, which leads to at least insignificant savings.
Second, they don't get so hot. Having removed the old lamps, you may have noticed some melted plastic near their seats. It is not good. This definitely shouldn’t happen with diode lamps.
And last but not least, it looks beautiful. Agree, the bright, white backlight of the license plate looks much better than the standard one.

Lighting Retrofit Attributes

The spiral number illumination used in factory flashlights can be replaced with similar LED bulbs of a more powerful spectrum. The standard size of the LED for a light bulb with a standard base ranges from SMD5050 to COB matrices. The main positive quality of such light bulbs is their compatibility with the on-board computer (BC), that is, it will not generate errors when installing LEDs. Lamp prices depend both on the desired power and on the manufacturer. On average, a set of LED devices consisting of two lamps can be purchased for around 300-400 rubles.

For illumination of registration symbols with an LED module, the vehicle owner will have to pay at least 600-800 rubles. But such an LED device also has an advantage: their geometric dimensions exactly repeat the standard lampshades, i.e. no need to redo the fastenings.

A budget-friendly way to solve the problem of license plate illumination is to stick an LED strip above the number or around the perimeter. It is important to remember that it can only be glued to a place that is free of dirt and oil, otherwise the durability of the tape is not guaranteed.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you should strictly adhere to the rules for operating the car and treat the car's lighting fixtures properly. Before leaving, always check that the headlights are working properly so that both the rear and front license plate lights are functioning - this will ensure easy readability of the license plates. Take prompt action to correct any problems.

Why does the license plate light not light up?

Possible reasons why the license plate light fails:

The service life of the LED lamp has expired;
fuse blown;
car wiring fault.

If the optics are extinguished, the first thing that needs to be diagnosed is the LED lamp. If the element body has darkened, the light bulb is replaced with a new one. Most burnouts occur when drops of water or contamination come into contact with the contact when the lampshade is depressurized.

If all the lights don't come on, the problem could be a blown fuse. Elements fail due to sudden surges in voltage in the electrical network or when the battery does not operate correctly.

Diagnosis of wiring for a break is carried out by viewing and ringing the power cable.