Individual Vehicle Approval

What is a individual vehicle approval?

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) is a UK safety and compliance check for vehicles that don’t automatically meet normal type-approval rules.

In simple terms:
It’s a test to make sure a specific, individual vehicle is safe, legal, and meets environmental and construction standards before it can be registered and driven on public roads.

When is IVA needed?

IVA is usually required for vehicles like:

• Kit cars

• Amateur-built vehicles

• Imported vehicles (especially from outside the UK/Europe)

• Radically modified vehicles

• Rebuilt vehicles (e.g. after being written off)

These vehicles don’t fit standard factory approval, so they’re checked one-by-one.

What does the IVA test check?

The test looks at things such as:

• Brakes

• Steering and suspension

• Seat belts and seats

• Lights and indicators

• Mirrors

• Emissions and noise

• Sharp edges and general safety

It’s about road safety and legality, not how fast or powerful the car is.

Who runs IVA?

• In Great Britain: the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency)

• In Northern Ireland: the DVA

What happens after passing?

If the vehicle passes:

• You get an IVA certificate

• You can then register the vehicle, get number plates, tax it, and legally drive it on the road

If it fails:

• You fix the issues and re-test

Quick summary

• IVA = safety/legal approval for unusual or custom vehicles

• It applies to individual vehicles, not mass-produced ones

• Passing IVA is required before registration