VEP tag placement: where the RFID tag goes on your car

November 1, 2026

Written and reviewed by the Radiant VEP Solutions team.

New VEP RFID tags go flat and level on the left headlamp, the passenger side on a Singapore car, at least 5cm from the metal frame. How the tag is fitted and activated, what stops it reading at the gantry, and what to do with an older tag on the windscreen.

In this article

Key takeaways
Where the tag goes on a Singapore car
Why the headlamp and not the windscreen
How the tag is fitted and activated
What stops a headlamp tag from reading
If your tag is still on the windscreen
Frequently asked questions
Sources

VEP tag placement for a new tag has one answer: the outside of the left headlight, which JPJ calls the headlamp, on the passenger side of a Singapore car. The tag goes on level, on a part of the lens that does not curve, at least 5cm from the metal frame around the lamp. That is what the fitment sheet from JPJ and TCSENS, the company that powers the VEP RFID system, tells you to do. Since October 2026 it is also the only place a new tag goes, because TCSENS no longer fits tags on the windscreen.

If your car already has a tag (most drivers call it the VEP sticker) on the windscreen, leave it alone. Older windscreen tags still work, and peeling one off to move it means paying for a new tag. Below: where the tag sits and why, how fitting and activation work, what stops a headlamp tag from reading at the gantry, and what to do when an old windscreen tag needs replacing. Where to get the tag fitted, in Singapore or in JB, has its own page: where to install a VEP tag.

Key takeaways

Stick the tag horizontally on the left headlamp (passenger side), on a flat part of the lens at least 5cm from the metal frame. The JPJ and TCSENS fitment sheet says not to fit it on the curve of the lamp.
TCSENS stopped fitting tags on windscreens in October 2026. A tag already on a windscreen still works, so do not peel it off to move it.
Clean the lens and let it dry for 2 to 3 minutes before the tag goes on. JPJ's replacement policy does not cover a tag that has been removed or tampered with.
A fitted tag is not an active tag. You upload a photo of the tag with your registration number on VEPAMS and JPJ emails you when it is activated. An unactivated tag at the border means a RM300 compound.
We fit and activate the headlight tag for S$50, on the spot at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box in JB, or at our Bishan office once the tag has been posted to you.

Get your VEP tag fitted and activated for S$50

We fit and activate the headlight tag on the spot at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box in JB, or at our Bishan office once your tag arrives by post.

RFID installation →

Where the tag goes on a Singapore car

The official instruction is one slide long. JPJ and TCSENS publish an eight-slide fitment sheet, linked from the VEPAMS portal where you activate the tag, and the placement slide says: stick horizontally to the left headlamp (passenger side), 5cm away from the metal frame, and do not make the fitment on the curvature of the headlamp. The copy on the portal when we read it on 1 November 2026 says exactly that.

Singapore cars are right-hand drive, so the passenger sits on the left. Stand in front of the car, facing it, and the lamp you want is the one on your right. Sit in the driver's seat and it is the far lamp.

The fitment sheet, translated to what you do at the car
What the JPJ and TCSENS sheet says	What it means when you are standing at the car
Left headlamp (passenger side)	The lamp in front of the passenger seat. Facing the car from the front, it is on your right.
Stick horizontally	The long side of the tag runs level with the ground, even if the lamp slopes back.
5cm away from the metal frame	Every edge of the tag sits at least 5cm in from the metal around the lamp. Measure before you peel the backing.
Not on the curvature of the headlamp	Use the flattest stretch of lens. If the lamp wraps round the corner of the car, stay off the part that bends.
Clean the surface, let it dry for 2 to 3 minutes	Wipe off road film and wax, then wait. The tag goes onto a dry lens.
Photo framing the fitted tag with your registration number	One photo that shows the tag and the number plate together, uploaded on VEPAMS.

On some cars the lamp is small or steeply shaped, and finding a flat patch that keeps 5cm clear of metal on every side takes a minute with a ruler. If you cannot find one, stop and ask before peeling anything. A fitted tag can be damaged by removing it, and JPJ will charge you for a new one if it was removed.

Why the headlamp and not the windscreen

Until October 2026 a tag could end up in one of two places, and the windscreen came with a test. At the TCSENS office in Danga Bay in August 2024, staff checked each car's windscreen with a dummy tag and an RFID reader before handing over a tag. They had instructions not to issue one if the car did not pass, The Star reported on 23 August 2024. The same report quoted an installer who had seen drivers arrive for help after fitting a posted tag on their own windscreen and getting it wrong. A few weeks later, on 3 September 2024, Mothership reported that drivers collecting their tag in Singapore would be offered the windscreen version unless their windscreen was assessed as unsuitable, and that tags posted to Singapore appeared to be the headlamp version.

The test existed to check that a tag could be read through the glass. Touch 'n Go, whose own RFID tag also goes on either the windscreen or the left headlamp, says high metal content in tint film affects whether its tag can be read at toll lanes, and that its tag cannot go on a tinted windscreen or a tinted headlamp.

TCSENS stopped fitting tags on windscreens in October 2026 (our team's update of 14 October 2026). We have not seen TCSENS publish a reason, so we will not guess at one. For you the result is simple: no windscreen test and no choice to make. A new tag goes on the left headlamp whoever fits it.

Can I still ask for a windscreen tag?

No. A new tag is a headlamp tag. If a page somewhere still tells you to choose between windscreen and headlamp, it is out of date.

How the tag is fitted and activated

Fitting and activation are two separate jobs. Fitting puts the tag on the car. Activation is the online step on VEPAMS: you validate the tag's serial number, upload a photo of it fitted, and JPJ emails you when the tag is active. A car whose tag is not activated gets the RM300 compound described further down. The steps below combine JPJ's VEP FAQ on vep.jpj.gov.my with the fitment sheet.

Log in to VEPAMS (vepams.jpj.gov.my), pick the vehicle from your list and key in the tag's serial number so the portal can validate it. Do this before you peel anything; if the serial number does not validate, you want to know while the tag is still in its packet.
Clean the left headlamp and let it dry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Peel the tag gently from its edges.
Stick it on horizontally, on a flat part of the lens, 5cm from the metal frame.
Take one photo that frames the fitted tag and the car's registration number.
Upload the fitment photo on VEPAMS and submit. JPJ emails you once the tag is activated.

The VEPAMS fitment step shows a warning to attach the tag carefully, with a video on how to do it. Watch the video before the backing comes off, not after.

When we fit it

We fit the headlight tag for S$50, and that includes activation and linking it to your Touch 'n Go eWallet. It is done on the spot at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box in Johor Bahru, or at our Bishan office once the tag has been posted to you. The fitting takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and we check the tag reads before you drive off. The options are on the RFID installation page, and how the service runs from booking to activation is in our installation service guide.

When you fit a posted tag yourself

If we post the tag to you, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks to arrive. After that it is the six steps above, done by you, with nobody checking the spot before the adhesive touches the lens. Measure the 5cm with a ruler. Hold the tag against the lamp with the backing still on to see where it lands. Take the photo in daylight so the tag and the plate are both readable. If the portal gives you trouble at the serial number or the photo, our activation guide goes through those screens.

What stops a headlamp tag from reading

JPJ's FAQ says you find out a tag is faulty when the RFID reader at the CIQ complex cannot detect it and JPJ staff confirm it. That is a bad place to find out. Each cause below can be checked at the car before the trip.

Common reasons a headlamp tag fails, and what to check
Cause	Where the rule comes from	What to do
Tag closer than 5cm to the metal frame	JPJ and TCSENS fitment sheet	Check with a ruler. If it is too close, ask us before you touch it.
Tag stuck on the curve of the lamp	JPJ and TCSENS fitment sheet	Same: ask before peeling.
Grime, wax or water under the tag	The sheet says clean the surface and let it dry for 2 to 3 minutes	Get it right before fitting. It cannot be cleaned once the tag is down.
Tint or film on the headlamp	Touch 'n Go says its tag cannot go on a tinted headlamp and must be fixed directly to the surface	Tell whoever fits the tag about any film before it goes on.
Tag fitted but never activated	JPJ, reported by Malay Mail on 1 July 2025	Check for the activation email. An unactivated tag means a RM300 compound.
Tag damaged	JPJ's VEP FAQ	JPJ replaces a faulty tag, but a tag that was removed or tampered with is charged a reissue fee.

The unactivated tag is the expensive one. JPJ's director-general said on 1 July 2025 that owners of Singapore cars who fail to activate their tags are charged a RM300 compound under Section 66H(7) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and the car is not allowed to leave Malaysia until the compound is paid and the VEP is activated. If you fitted the tag yourself and no activation email has come, sort that out before the trip.

Looking after the tag once it is on

JPJ's fitment sheet stops at the activation email and says nothing about aftercare. The closest published rules come from Touch 'n Go for its own RFID tag: do not wash the headlamp in the first 24 hours after fitting, do not use chemical solutions on the lamp around the tag, and remind the car wash to be careful with it. If your lamps are yellowed and due for polishing, have that done before the tag goes on. For a tag that already will not scan, start with our guide to a VEP RFID tag that is not working.

If your tag is still on the windscreen

Leave it there. The October 2026 change is about where new tags go. A windscreen tag that is already fitted and activated keeps working.

Do not peel it off to move it to the headlamp. JPJ's replacement policy does not apply to a tag that has been removed or tampered with, so you would be paying for a new tag. Touch 'n Go says the same of its own tag: it breaks if it is peeled off. A tag also belongs to one car. JPJ's FAQ says each tag is unique to the vehicle and cannot be transferred to another one, so a tag cannot follow you to your next car either.

When an old windscreen tag has to be replaced

Changing the windscreen ends the tag, because it leaves with the old glass. If a replacement windscreen is booked, message us before the work so the new tag can be fitted, activated and linked to your Touch 'n Go eWallet, tied to your existing VEP. Plan it so the new tag is active before your next trip across.

For a tag that is stolen, lost or damaged in an accident, JPJ's FAQ says to update the vehicle's status on the portal and bring a police report when you collect the new tag, and an administration fee applies. JPJ does not give the amount on that page. Whatever the reason, the replacement will be a headlamp tag, since windscreen fitting stopped in October 2026.

Thinking about new solar film?

Touch 'n Go does not recommend tinting a windscreen after its tag has been fitted, because metal in the film can interfere with detection and the toll barrier may not open. JPJ has not published a rule on tinting over a VEP tag. If yours is on the windscreen, we would treat new film over it with the same caution, and ask the tint shop whether the film contains metal before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Which headlamp does the VEP tag go on?

The left headlamp, which is the passenger side on a Singapore car. The JPJ and TCSENS fitment sheet says to stick it horizontally, 5cm from the metal frame, and not on the curve of the lamp.

Can I put a new VEP tag on the windscreen?

No. TCSENS stopped fitting tags on windscreens in October 2026, so every new tag goes on the left headlamp.

Do I need to move my old windscreen tag to the headlamp?

No. Older windscreen tags still work. Peeling one off can damage it, and JPJ's replacement policy does not cover a tag that has been removed or tampered with.

I stuck the tag on crooked. Can I peel it off and try again?

Please do not. Removing a fitted tag can damage it, and JPJ charges a reissue fee for a tag that was removed. Ask us before you touch it.

What happens to my VEP tag if I change my windscreen?

It leaves with the old glass and cannot be refitted. Arrange a replacement before your next trip; it will be a headlamp tag, since windscreen fitting stopped in October 2026.

Can I wash my car after the tag is fitted?

Touch 'n Go tells owners of its RFID tag not to wash the headlamp for the first 24 hours after fitting and to keep chemical cleaners off it. JPJ's fitment sheet does not cover aftercare, so those are the closest published rules.

Sources

Radiant VEP Solutions is not affiliated with JPJ. You can apply yourself for free at vep.jpj.gov.my and fit a posted tag yourself by following the steps above. If you would rather have the tag fitted and activated for you, or an old windscreen tag needs replacing, send us a message with the car's registration number and we will tell you which option suits it.

Get your VEP tag fitted and activated for S$50

We fit and activate the headlight tag on the spot at Danga Bay or Sunway Big Box in JB, or at our Bishan office once your tag arrives by post.

RFID installation →

Also: VEP application service · Free VEP consultation · Compare DIY vs our VEP service

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