What is Vehicle Type Approval?
This page was last updated on 3rd November 2022- What is Vehicle Type Approval? Overview
- Type Approval Category Definitions
- Type Approval for Motor Vehicles and Trailers (M, N & O Categories)
- Type Approval for Motorcycles (L category)
- Type Approval for Agricultural Vehicles (T, C, R & S categories)
- Type Approval for Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM)
Type Approval for Motorcycles (L category)
This guidance is aimed at manufacturers or importers of motorcycles in categories L1 to L7.
You will need to ensure that you have the right approval for your intended market.
Great Britain
Motorcycles being placed on the market in Great Britain must be approved according to the Provisional GB type approval scheme, this being based on the vehicle type in question holding a valid EU type approval. Learn more about the Provisional GB type approval scheme here.
Northern Ireland
Motorcycles being placed on the market in Northern Ireland must either hold and EU type approval or a UK(NI) type approval. Both of these approval schemes are based on the requirements of Regulation (EU) 168/2013 as it applies in EU law.
UK Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval
Manufacturers making just a single vehicle or very small numbers of a vehicle type may wish to use the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme in order to place on the market or register vehicles in the UK only. The MSVA scheme is the least onerous approval route in terms of compliance but involves an individual inspection of each vehicle.
Follow the links below for further information about the MSVA scheme:
In Great Britain;
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval.
In Northern Ireland;
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval-msva-scheme
European Union
Motorcycles being placed on the market in the EU must be approved according to the requirements of Regulation (EU) 168/2013, a Type Approval Framework regulation, which calls up subordinate regulatory acts in a suite of EU regulations.
For systems, components and separate technical units intended for motorcycles which are to be placed on the market in the EU, type approval is available under both the EU and UN schemes. The requirements are set out in EU Regulation 168/2013 and associated subordinate regulatory acts. These acts also call up relevant UN regulations, type approvals to these UN Regulations can be used to demonstrate compliance with certain elements of the EU whole vehicle type approval scheme, and products in compliance with approvals granted under UN regulations must be accepted by all contracting parties to those regulations.