Understanding MOT Laws & Rules

If you have a car aged three years or more, you will be familiar with the MOT test. This annual test is a legal requirement and is used to show that your vehicle is roadworthy.  Driving without a valid MOT certificate is illegal, and can land you with a hefty fine, as well as possible points on your driving licence and even a driving ban.

Launched back in the 60s, the MOT was revised in May 2018 to toughen up the test criteria and introduce higher fines. We look at the current test process in more depth, in our guide to understanding the MOT rules and regulations.

What Is An MOT?

Originally introduced by the Ministry of Transport (now known as the Department of Transport), the MOT test is a check of a vehicle’s roadworthiness. A legal requirement on vehicles aged three or over (four years in Northern Ireland), it aims to ensure that the vehicle meets the minimum environmental and road safety standards. The MOT test is applicable to all types of vehicles, from small engine motorcycles to large HGVs and must be carried out every year. However, there are a few MOT exemptions, including cars over the age of 40.

Only approved centres which display the official blue sign with three white triangles can conduct the MOT test. The test itself involves numerous checks on your vehicle, from the brakes and fuel systems, to bodywork, lights, exhaust, emissions, and safety features such as seatbelts.

Once the MOT checks have been completed, your vehicle will be issued with either a pass or fail test certificate. An MOT pass indicates that your vehicle is structurally sound and in working order at the time of the test. It is then the owner’s responsibility to maintain their vehicle in-between its annual MOT checks.

Can I Drive Without An MOT?

The straightforward answer is no, it is illegal to drive without a valid MOT certificate. Having no MOT means you are driving a potentially dangerous vehicle, with all the implications that can have.

If you are caught without a valid MOT test certificate, the consequences can be severe. You could face a fine of £1,000 and points on your licence as well as a potential driving ban. And if you are involved in an accident, you could invalidate your vehicle insurance as well as face possible prosecution.

The only exception to the rule is that if your vehicle is out of test, you are allowed to drive it to an approved MOT test centre. However, it must not be in a dangerous condition, and you must have a pre-booked MOT test appointment. If you are stopped by the police en-route to an MOT test centre and you do not have proof of a pre-booked appointment, you could still be fined.

New MOT Rules That All Drivers Must Know

May 2018 saw the Government update the MOT rules. These updates have been the most far-reaching in the 60-year history of the MOT test and include additions to the test criteria as well as penalties for driving without a valid certificate. We’ve put together a summary of the key changes all motorists need to know about their vehicle’s MOT:

A new faults classification system

When it comes to your MOT, under the new system any defects or faults found in your vehicle will be classified as either ‘dangerous’, ‘major’ or ‘minor’. Here’s a little more detail about each of the new classifications.

• Minor – with a minor fault, your vehicle will pass the MOT, but with an advisory for repairs as long as there are no other major or dangerous defects identified. A minor fault means that it will not currently have a significant impact on the safety of the vehicle or on the environment. However, the driver will be advised to get the minor fault repaired as soon as possible.
• Major – a major defect is considered by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) as a fault that could affect the vehicle’s safety or put other road users or the environment at risk. With a major fault, your vehicle will automatically fail its MOT and you will be advised to fix the fault immediately.
• Dangerous – a dangerous defect is also an automatic MOT fail. It means your vehicle cannot be driven at all until the fault is rectified as it is considered to present an immediate risk to either road safety or the environment. You could also be liable for a fine if you are caught driving a vehicle that has failed its MOT on a dangerous defect.

In addition to the three main MOT categories, two additional categories for an MOT pass were also introduced in 2018. These are a straight ‘pass’, which means the vehicle meets the minimum safety and environmental standards with no remedial work required and ‘advisory’ where the vehicle has passed but fault has been found which could become more serious if not resolved.

Recording MOT failures

Since 2018, all MOT failures have been immediately uploaded onto the national database, meaning the driver is also immediately breaking the law if they then drive the vehicle. And, as it is illegal to drive a vehicle that has a major or dangerous fault identified during an MOT test, the driver can still be fined, even if their last MOT is still in date.

Tougher penalties for driving without an MOT

The fine for driving without a valid MOT still stands at £1,000, and this applies to both an MOT failure and driving after your MOT test is due. However, under the new 2018 rules, it is also possible to incur a much steeper fine, up to £2,500, in a bid to keep dangerous or environmentally harmful vehicles off the road.

2018 saw the introduction of the £2,500 penalty for driving a dangerous car that has failed its MOT, in line with the updated faults classification system. If your MOT-fail vehicle has been given a dangerous classification and you drive it, you will also get three points on your driving licence. Furthermore, if you are fined for the same MOT offence within three years, you could receive a six-month driving ban.

Additional checks

As well as the standard list of vehicle checks that are mandatory during the MOT, additional checks were also included in the 2018 MOT test shakeup, including underinflated tyres, missing brake pads, and working brake pad warning lights. For a full list of all the areas checked during an MOT go to Gov.UK

Older vehicles

The updated MOT rules and regulations also saw an extension on the age a car can be to be eligible for exemption. The previous car age of 30+ has now been extended to vehicles over the age of 40, which is a rolling date. So, vehicles first registered more than 40 years ago and have not been substantially modified will no longer be required to undergo an MOT test.

MOT Rules & Regulations For Classic Cars

As we have just seen, under current MOT rules, classic cars and vehicles over 40 years old are eligible for an MOT exemption. However, this exemption is subject to one caveat – that the vehicle has not been substantially modified or changed from its original design.

The 40-year cut off point is also a rolling date, so for 2022, a car is considered a classic car if registered before January 1982. To declare your classic car as a Vehicle of Historic Interest, you need to complete and submit a V112 form. For more in-depth information on the MOT rules and regulations for classic cars, go to gov.uk.

Classic cars and other classic vehicles who are exempt from an MOT are also exempt from road tax.

Are Certain Vehicles Exempt From MOT Laws?

As well as classic cars, electric-powered tractors and goods vehicles that were registered before March 1, 2015, are also eligible for an MOT exemption. And new cars and vehicles under the age of three years old are also exempt, although these vehicles will need to start having the annual MOT test on the third anniversary of their registration.

Are MOT Certificates Still Issued?

Once your vehicle has been successfully tested, you will receive an MOT Test Pass certificate, known as the VT20.  Should your vehicle fail its MOT, you will be given a VT30 MOT Test Fail certificate.

In line with the 2018 MOT updates, the Test Pass certificate will list any minor defects identified during the test. The certificate will also list any advisories, which are minor faults found which are not a mandatory part of an MOT test or any items which are near to failing but are not in a sufficient condition to fail the test.

The VT30 MOT Test fail certificate will list all the failure areas, categorising them as ‘dangerous’, ‘major’ or ‘minor’ as appropriate, as well as any other advisories.

Your vehicle’s test result – whether it is a pass or fail – will also be recorded on the Department of Transport’s database.

What To Do If You Lose Your MOT Certificate

With our busy lives it can be easy to misplace or lose your vehicle’s MOT certificate. If so, there are two main ways to get a replacement:

1. Via the Government website you can view, print off or save an MOT certificate for free, as long as it was issued after 20 May 2018. To do this, you will need the vehicle’s registration number and the 11-digit reference from its logbook, also known as its V5C.
2. Alternatively, for a charge of £10 you can buy a replacement MOT certificate for your vehicle from an approved MOT centre. Again, you will need your vehicle’s registration number and V5C reference.

If you are unsure when your vehicle’s next MOT date is due, you can also use an MOT history service such as us at MOT Reg Check, where just using a vehicle’s registration number you can access all its essential MOT details.

Will Registering My MOT Late Result In A Fine?

If you are caught driving a vehicle with no MOT in place, you can get a fine of up to £2,500 and so you should always plan ahead to ensure you get your annual MOT done at the right time.

There is no ‘grace’ period for an MOT test and so if your vehicle’s MOT is out of date, you should immediately take it off the road until you can get it booked in for its test as soon as possible. It will be illegal for you to drive your car once the MOT date has expired, with the only exception of driving it to the test centre for a pre-booked MOT

And it is important to note that in most cases, if you have no MOT on your vehicle, it will invalidate your insurance too.

When Did It Become Law to Have an MOT Test?

The compulsory Ministry of Transport (MOT) test was originally introduced in 1960, when it became a legal requirement for all eligible vehicles aged 10 years or more to undergo an annual check. The testable age was then reduced in 1967 to include vehicles aged three years and over.

The Bottom Line

Driving without a valid MOT certificate is illegal and opens you up to a fine of up to £2,500 as well as possible points on your licence and a driving ban. And, since the shakeup of the MOT rules in 2018, the test regulations are stricter than ever.

But that is a good thing as the whole point of the MOT test is to ensure our roads are as safe as possible and that your vehicle is not a risk to yourself, other people, and the environment.

Knowing in advance the current rules and regulations is always a good idea as it enables you to prepare for your vehicle’s next MOT test and what you can expect. But don’t forget that you also need to keep your vehicle in good working order between your annual MOT tests.

To help keep ahead of your car’s MOT and ensure you are always legally driving on the road, it’s advisable to book the next test well in advance. And if you are unsure of when the renewal date is, don’t worry as it is quick and easy to find out, using a service such as MOT Reg Check.

And with your next MOT booked into your diary, you have the peace of mind to keep on enjoying safe and happy motoring.