YOTO A certificate of conformity is the document a registration office reads. It is long — around eighty numbered fields on a complete-vehicle certificate — and almost nobody reads all of it. The useful skill is knowing which eight fields carry the risk.
The eight fields that decide it #
| Field | What it says | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 / 0.2 | Make, type, variant, version | The delivered vehicle is a different variant from the certified one |
| 0.3 | Category and sub-category | The category is one the licence or the registration route does not cover |
| 1.8 | Maximum speed | A software-limited vehicle whose certificate still says the higher figure, or the reverse |
| 2.1.1 | Mass in running order | Quoted with the wrong battery chemistry |
| 2.1.3 | Technically permissible laden mass | Used as if it were the payload |
| 2.2 | Length, width, height | A body fitted after approval changes the dimensions |
| 6.16.1 | Number of seating positions | A bench added by a dealer; one seat over the certified count |
| 6.18.1.1 | Tyre sizes | A locally available size substituted for the certified one |
Payload is not on the certificate There is no payload field. Payload is 2.1.3 minus 2.1.1, and it is the buyer’s job to do the subtraction. On one vehicle we reviewed, a supplier’s claimed 1,183 kg payload turned out to be the permissible laden mass; the real payload was 679 kg. Both numbers were on the certificate. Only one of them was the payload.
Three checks that catch a wrong document #
- Does the category match the vehicle in front of you? A five-seat passenger body certified as L6e-BP is impossible: L6e caps seating at two. A mismatch here usually means the certificate belongs to a different model.
- Does the VIN on the certificate match the VIN on the vehicle? Character for character, including the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier. A prefix that does not match the approval means the vehicle is not the approved type.
- Is the document a per-vehicle COC, or a type-approval certificate? An approval certificate proves the type exists. Only the COC proves this vehicle conforms to it. Both are legitimate documents; only one gets you plates.
The wording that tells you it is not what you need #
- "EEC type-approval" — the pre-1993 name. Either an old document or a re-typed one.
- "National small series approval" — valid in the issuing country, generally not elsewhere. Different limits (for L-category small series, quantities per year are capped).
- "CE certified" — the wrong regime. L-category vehicles are type-approved and do not carry CE marking for the whole vehicle.
- A photocopy with the approval number obscured — you cannot verify what you cannot read.
What to ask for, in one sentence #
Not "please send your certification" — that produces a photograph of a wall of certificates. Ask for the certificate of conformity for this model, with the category, the maximum speed and the mass in running order visible. Three fields, one page, and the conversation either becomes specific or ends. Both outcomes are useful.