Vehicle Documentation, Insurance and Inspection
Vehicle documentation, insurance and inspection test whether a vehicle is legally and mechanically fit to be on the road. The examiner expects you to know the registration card, plates, compulsory insurance, inspection certificate and the consequences of an expired or mismatched document.
Documents
- The registration card (rukhsa) records the owner, plate number, chassis/VIN and engine number, and must be valid and carried.
- Plates must be clean, legible and correctly fixed; missing or altered plates are an offence.
- The driving licence must match the vehicle and be valid.
- Periodic roadworthiness inspection is required; the certificate or sticker shows the vehicle passed.
- Report changes of ownership, address or engine within the legal period and complete the transfer.
Insurance
- Third-party liability insurance is compulsory; it covers injury or damage you cause to others, within policy limits.
- Comprehensive cover is optional and may add collision, theft, fire and own-damage cover.
- Exclusions commonly include unlicensed drivers, expired inspection, intentional damage, racing and driving under the influence.
- Keep the insurance certificate and know the policy number and expiry.
Inspection
- Inspectors check brakes, steering, lights, tyres, seatbelts, chassis condition, emissions and identification.
- A vehicle with a dangerous defect should not be driven until repaired.
- Modifications must be approved and recorded; illegal tint, exhaust or structural changes can fail inspection.
Worked example
You buy a used car. The seller's registration shows a different chassis number from the one stamped on the car. You do not pay or drive away. A mismatch may indicate a stolen, rebuilt or wrongly registered vehicle, and the insurance and transfer will fail. You verify the VIN, inspection certificate and insurance, then complete the legal transfer.
Traps
Driving with an expired rukhsa and assuming insurance still covers you; buying without checking the chassis number; ignoring an inspection failure; and treating third-party insurance as cover for your own car.