LED Headlight Bulbs and the MOT: 2026 Rules for Vans

The rules on LED headlight bulbs at the MOT changed on 14 October 2026. MOT testers must now accept approved LED replacement bulbs in compatible halogen headlamps, as long as the right approval sticker is on the vehicle. Here's what changed for van fleets and what to check before the next test.

What has changed for LED headlight bulbs at the MOT?

DVSA published MOT special notice 05-26 on 13 October 2026. From 14 October, testers must accept ECE approved LED replacement (LEDr) bulbs in compatible halogen headlamp units.

The rule sits in section 4.1.4 of the MOT inspection manual: the bulb must be ECE approved for use in that lamp and backed by a matching manufacturer-issued approval sticker.

Which vehicles does the LED bulb rule cover?

The change applies to class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles. GOV.UK's MOT fees table shows what that means for fleets:

• Class 4 covers cars, goods vehicles up to 3,000kg design gross weight, and ambulances and taxis (which need their first MOT at one year old).
• Class 5 covers passenger vehicles and ambulances with 13 or more passenger seats.
• Class 7 covers petrol, diesel and hybrid goods vehicles over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg, and zero-emission goods vehicles between 3,501kg and 4,250kg.

It does not apply to motorcycles, halogen headlamps converted to high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, or full LED headlamp unit replacements.

What does the LED approval sticker need to show?

The sticker is the evidence. Under the manual and the special notice, it must be permanently fixed to the vehicle, be readily visible to the tester, and include an anti-counterfeit security feature such as a hologram. It must display:

• the LEDr category (for example, H11 LEDr)
• the variant
• the rated voltage
• the ECE approval number
• the manufacturer's name

Testers aren't expected to remove lamp covers or bulbs to find approval markings, or to check the approval number against any database. The sticker has to do the job.

When will an LED headlight bulb still fail the MOT?

The tester must fail the headlamp if an LED replacement bulb is fitted and the sticker is missing, illegible, damaged, appears to have been tampered with, or doesn't correspond with the bulb fitted. That is recorded as the major defect "light source and lamp not compatible". GOV.UK confirms that a vehicle fails the MOT if the result lists dangerous or major problems.

Other headlamp rules still apply. Mandatory headlamps must be a matched pair, the light must be white, predominantly white with a blue tinge, or yellow, and halogen units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to HID.

What should van fleet managers do now?

Before each MOT, check whether any van has had an LED bulb fitted in a halogen headlamp and, if so, that a legible sticker is present and matches it.

Then build lights into routine checks. DVSA's van daily walkaround guidance already asks drivers to check that all lights and indicators work correctly and that lenses are fitted, clean and the right colour. It also notes that DVSA can ask for a record of your walkaround check at a roadside check. A vehicle check app lets drivers log headlamp faults with a photo the moment they spot them, so a dim, mismatched or flickering bulb gets fixed before the test date. Our guide to MOT expiry tracking for fleets covers keeping those dates in view, and our DVSA roadside check guide explains the evidence to have ready.

What happens if a van fails on its headlamps?

A fail means a repair and a retest on top of the test fee. The maximum MOT fee is £54.85 for a class 4 van and £58.60 for class 7. If you take the van back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day, lamps (excluding headlamp aim) are on GOV.UK's list of items with a free partial retest. Let the MOT run out instead and you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT.

To see how drivers record lights and other walkaround items on a phone, try the interactive demo or compare plans on the pricing page.

This article summarises the MOT inspection rules for LED replacement headlamp bulbs in Great Britain as published by DVSA on GOV.UK in October 2026. Northern Ireland has its own MOT process. Always check the current MOT inspection manual and the bulb manufacturer's approval details before fitting or testing.