Vehicle inspection

All vehicles with registration plates with inspection criteria must be inspected regularly at the next inspection station.

The responsibility for taking a vehicle under inspection lies with:

• by the registered operator, if the vehicle has one,

• otherwise the owner is responsible.

Inspection period

The sticker on the vehicle plate (inspection sticker) indicates the next inspection year (last two digits of the year). The next inspection year depends on the type and age of the vehicle, for example:

• Normal passenger cars, vans and motorcycles are supposed to be inspected for the first time after four years, then every two years twice and finally every year thereafter.

• Larger vehicles, such as buses, trucks and their trailers, are to be inspected annually.

• Classic vehicles and camper trailers are to be inspected every two years.

Generally, vehicles shall be inspected during the month of inspection. The month of inspection within the inspection year is usually shown on the last digit on the plate:

• If the last digit is a number, it represents the month of inspection. Thus, 1 is January, 2 is February and 0 is October.

• If the last digit is a letter, then May is the month of inspection.

• Classic vehicles, camper cars, camper trailers and all motorcycles have the inspection month of May.

You can still take your vehicle for an inspection both before and after the inspection month (within the inspection year).

• Vehicles may be inspected up to 6 months before the inspection month (within the inspection year) and up to 2 months after the inspection month.

• Vehicles may be inspected as early as January if the vehicle got valid inspection before 1 November of the year before.

If you have not inspected the vehicle two months after the inspection month in the inspection year, you will have to pay negligence fee (vanrækslugjald).

Not possible to bring the vehicle in for inspection

No extended period is granted to bring your vehicle for inspection, except if the owner of the vehicle:

• lives more than 80 kilometers from the nearest inspection office and has not had the opportunity to bring the vehicle in for inspection within the time limit.

In such cases, the owner can be granted an additional period of 2 months by filling in the form for postponement or cancellation of a neglect charge. The request must have been received before the period for inspecting the vehicle expires.

If a vehicle cannot be inspected for other reasons, such as due to a malfunction, no timely bookings are available at a garage, spare parts are not available or no one can bring the vehicle in for inspection,

• then you can stop using the vehicle and report it as temporarily out of use.

When the vehicle is ready for inspection again, it should be reported as in-use again and a short period is then given to bring it in for inspection. A negligence fee (vanrækslugjald) is not levied on vehicles that are reported as temporarily out of use.

The result of the inspection

After the inspection you will receive an inspection certificate confirming that the vehicle has been inspected. It contains the conclusion of the inspection which may be:

• No deficiencies - regulatory minimum requirements for the condition of the vehicle met

• Minor deficiencies - within 30 days all deficiencies should be corrected

• Major deficiencies - all deficiencies should be immediately corrected

• Driving ban (dangerous deficiencies) - use not authorized

When the result is minor deficiencies

The use of the vehicle should be conducted in accordance with the deficiencies made until complete repairs have been made. You have 30 days to complete those repairs and do not need to take the vehicle to the inspection station after repair.

When the result is major deficiencies

Major deficiencies have now been identified which can affect the safety of the vehicle or the environment, and require immediate repair. Therefore it is vital to conduct the use of the vehicle in accordance with the deficiencies made until a full repairs have been carried out.

You are then obliged to take the vehicle to re-inspection to an inspection station or to an approved re-inspection workshop before the expiry of the period. The period is always granted until the end of the following month. However, you can apply for a 30 day extension of the period but must do so before the previously issued period expires. Such an extension is applied for by the inspection station and is granted only in the following cases:

• when it is not possible to supply spare parts for the repair of a vehicle, or

• when you cannot get a time for a vehicle at the repair garage.

When the result is a driving ban

When the result is a driving ban, the use of the vehicle is prohibited. It is also prohibited to retrieve the number plates from storage (if the vehicle was marked as temporarily out of use). There are two reasons for a driving ban:

• When inspected, something is considered to be so serious about the condition of the vehicle that it cannot be driven safely.

• When inspected after the police have removed the number plates from the vehicle due to defects or condition, or called it in for inspection due to its condition, and this inspection reveals major or dangerous deficiencies. In this case, proper maintenance or mandatory inspection has not been carried out, or the vehicle has been modified in an unauthorized way.

It is prohibited to use a vehicle under a driving ban, with these exceptions:

• You are allowed to tow a trailer, including caravan and camper trailer, the shortest way to the repair workshop and then back for inspection.

• You are allowed to drive a vehicle after completing a full repair, from the repair workshop and the shortest way to the inspection station.

Cancellation of an incomplete inspection

An inspection can be cancelled if it has not been been completed, but not if deficiencies have been found that will lead to a driving ban. Inspection stations notify the Icelandic Transport Authority of all cancelled inspections, which checks the reasons for the cancellation of each inspection and possibly takes measures.

To be kept in mind before each inspection

You can easily check several items on your vehicle before each inspection. This can save both time and money.

• Check the lights, see if all the lights are on and don't forget the license plate lights. About one-fifth of cars have deficiencies regarding license plate light problems.

• Check if the windscreen wipers are getting old and have them replaced if they don't work properly.

• Check if there are cracks or breaks in the windscreen and have it replaced if they can be found in the driver's field of vision.

• Check all the safety belts and their locks. Remove child seats or be sure how to unlock them during the inspection. The inspector must have good access to all of them.

• Do not have the car full of stuff that can interfere with the inspection. The inspector must have normal access to all controls and safety equipment throughout the car.

• If there is a removable coupling equipment (it is possible to snap the tow hook off) then the tow hook must be present at the inspection because the inspector must connect it and measure it. It must also be possible to snap the tow hook off during the inspection if it obscures the number plate.

• It is also a good time to use this opportunity to locate the warning triangle that should be in every car.

• If the trailer (camping trailer) has electric brakes, the inspector must be able to access the brake control unit. On camping trailers, the unit is sometimes inside a compartment that must be unlocked so that the inspector will be able to access it.

• If you are taking a motorcycle for inspection, the inspector may request that you drive it during a brake test outside the station.

To be kept in mind when inspections have finished

When the inspection is complete, the settings of seats, mirrors and light switches may have changed. It is therefore good to carefully review all these items outside the inspection station before driving off so that nothing unexpected will occur during the driving.

Remember that it is

• the owner (operator) of the vehicle responsible for its legally required condition; and

• the driver must also ensure that the vehicle he is driving is in good condition. In particular, he must ensure that the steering, braking and lighting and signaling equipment, as well as the safety and security equipment of the vehicle, is in the state prescribed by law and is functioning safely. The same applies to the trailer, as well as the connection between the vehicle and the trailer and the coupling device.

To follow up on this responsibility of the owner and the driver, Icelandic authorities make it a requirement for you to bring your vehicle in for regular inspections. Now one such inspection has been completed and hopefully it has been successful.

• If no deficiencies have been found, this means that the authorities' minimum requirements for the condition of the vehicle have been met. This does not mean that the vehicle is in perfect condition.

• If deficiencies were found, it is important to have them repaired as soon as possible. The usage of the vehicle should also be in accordance with the seriousness of the deficiencies until full repairs have been done.