MOT Information

Vehicle identification number - a vehicle identification number must be permanently displayed and legible on a vehicle first used on or after 1 August 1980

Registration plate - condition, security, legibility and format of letters/numbers

Lights - condition, operation, security and correct colour. The headlamps will also be checked to see if the aim is correct

Steering and suspension - correct condition and operation

Wipers and washers - operate to give the driver a clear view of the road

Windscreen - condition and drivers view of the road

Horn - correct operation and type

Seatbelts - all seatbelts installed are checked for type, condition, operation and security. All compulsory seatbelts must be in place

Seats - front seats secure. Front and rear backseats can be secured in the upright position

Fuel system - no leaks, fuel cap fastens correctly and seals securely. The fuel cap will need to be opened. Make sure the key is available

Exhaust emissions - vehicle meets the requirement for exhaust emission. These vary on the age and fuel type of the vehicle

Exhaust system - complete, secure, without serious leaks and silences effectively

Vehicle structure - free from excessive corrosion or damage in specific areas. No sharp edges

Doors - open and close. Latch securely in closed position. Front doors should open from inside and outside the vehicle. Rear doors may need to be opened to gain access to testable items

Mirrors - presence, condition and security

Wheels and tyres - condition, security, tyre size and type, and tread depth. Spare tyres are not tested

Brakes - condition, operation and performance (efficiency test). Suitable vehicles will be tested on a roller brake tester. Vehicles such as those with permanent 4-wheel drive will be tested either on a suitable road using a properly calibrated and maintained decelerometer at Castle Motor Company. Note: The removal of the road wheels is not part of the test.

Mirrors - minimum number of mirrors; condition and security

Load security - boot or tailgate can be secured in the closed position

The bonnet - check that it securely latches in the closed position

Towbar - checked for security and damage

Every vehicle in the UK needs to be tested each year to ensure that it complies with at least the minimum road safety and environmental standards. If you have a vehicle that is more than three years old, it will need an MOT test.

The first test is required once a vehicle is three years old. There are different rules if you use it as a taxi. When your vehicle is tested, the MOT looks at some important items to see if it meets the legal requirements. You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a guarantee of the general mechanical condition of a vehicle.

If a vehicle is registered with no prior use on the road, the MOT will be required three years after the date of registration. For example, a vehicle registered ‘from new’ on 1 April 2004 will require its MOT no later than 1 April 2007.

If a vehicle is used prior to registration, as would be the case with an import, the MOT will be required three years from the end of the year of manufacture. For example a vehicle manufactured at any time in 2004 will require an MOT no later than 31 December 2007. There is no grace period given after these dates.

If the vehicle is tested within the calendar month prior to when the MOT is due, the test certificate will run from the date of the test to one year after the expiry date of the current certificate. For example, if the current certificate was due to expire on 1 April 2007, and the vehicle was presented on or after 2 March 2007, the certificate would run from the test date until 1 April 2008.

The same rule would also apply when the vehicle is taken in within a calendar month of its first MOT. In this case, the vehicle owner would need to present their registration document.

If the vehicle is tested earlier than one month before its due date, the MOT will only run for twelve months.

Your MOT certificate confirms that your vehicle, at the time of its test, (as far as can be reasonably determined without dismantling) met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law. It doesn’t mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate and isn’t a substitute for regular maintenance.

The way information is held about MOT tests has changed. Records of test results are now held on a secure central database. This change hasn’t affected your actual MOT test but it has affected the way you check the MOT history. Castle Motor Company is connected to the central database. When your vehicle is tested at Castle Motor Company your test record will be entered onto the new database and you’ll receive a new style certificate (A4 size).

The new MOT certificate is your receipt for the MOT test. It shows the information that’s held on the MOT database. The certificate is no longer proof of an MOT and shouldn’t be relied on as such. Only the computer record can prove a vehicle has a valid MOT. Under the new system any recommended advisory work would normally be shown on a new Advisory Notice and will be given to you at the time of the test.

Note: The police may still require sight of your MOT certificate so please keep it in a safe place.

It is generally an offence to use on a public road, a vehicle of testable age that doesn’t have a current test certificate, except when:

• taking it to Castle Motor Company for a test booked in advance
• bringing it away from Castle Motor Company after it has failed the test, to a place of repair
• taking it to or bringing it away from Castle Motor Company where, by previous arrangement, repairs are to be made or have been made to fix the problems that caused the vehicle to fail its test

Even in the above circumstances you may still be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle if it doesn’t comply with various Regulations affecting its construction and use. Additionally the insurance may not be valid.

It is your responsibility as the vehicle owner to ensure that the due MOT test is carried out in time. Please use the peel off reminder sticker on the front of the MOT certificate and put it in a place where you’ll be reminded of the expiry date eg the sun visor or the back of the tax disc holder facing inside the vehicle. Castle Motor Company do offer a reminder service for your convenience - please just ask.

You should take your MOT Certificate with you when you apply for a new tax disc at a Post Office®. This is unless the vehicle is not subject to MOT testing because of its age or type. If you have a new style MOT certificate you can choose to relicence your vehicle online.

The Police are also entitled to see an MOT certificate for a vehicle that’s required to have one.

A test certificate relates only to the condition of testable items at the time of the test and should not be regarded as:

• evidence of their condition at any other time
• evidence of the general mechanical condition of the vehicle
• evidence that the vehicle fully complies with all apects of the law on vehicle construction and use