Driving without MOT

[bigbob77]

My MOT has run out.

I think I'm still allowed to drive the car to an MOT appointment. But what happens if it fails? Do I have to get repairs done at the same place, or can I still legally drive it to another garage?

[haddock82]

Taken from the Government website:

If your MOT has expired

If your MOT has expired you can’t drive your vehicle on the road until it’s passed the test. You could be prosecuted if caught.

The only exception is if you’ve already booked an MOT and are driving your vehicle to the test centre.

If your vehicle fails the test

If your vehicle fails the test you’ll get a ‘notification of failure’ from the test centre. The failure will be recorded in the secure central MOT database.

Until it passes a retest, you can only drive your vehicle:

to a pre-arranged appointment at a garage to have the repairs done
to a pre-arranged MOT test appointment

Your vehicle should be retested at the same test centre which did the original test.

[monthefish]

bigbob77 said:

My MOT has run out.

I think I'm still allowed to drive the car to an MOT appointment.

Yes

bigbob77 said:

But what happens if it fails? Do I have to get repairs done at the same place,

No

bigbob77 said:

or can I still legally drive it to another garage?

Yes (with an appointment)


All you need to know here:

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot

[simon1987]

so what happens if you get caught with no mot?

£60 fixed penalty?

Car towed? £150~ Recovery?

Court appearance?

[monthefish]

simon1987 said:

so what happens if you get caught with no mot?

£60 fixed penalty?

Car towed? £150~ Recovery?

Court appearance?

You explain at the roadside that you are going to an appointment, and if you're clever you'll have written confirmation with you.
Failing that, a quick call to the garage/MOT centre should be enough to convince BiB.

They know the rules of the road (or should do).

[Devil2575]

haddock82 said:

If your vehicle fails the test you’ll get a ‘notification of failure’ from the test centre. The failure will be recorded in the secure central MOT database.

Until it passes a retest, you can only drive your vehicle:

to a pre-arranged appointment at a garage to have the repairs done
to a pre-arranged MOT test appointment

So if your car fails it's test you are not legally allowed to drive it home again, only to a pre-arranged retest?

[Hooli]

Devil2575 said:

haddock82 said:

If your vehicle fails the test you’ll get a ‘notification of failure’ from the test centre. The failure will be recorded in the secure central MOT database.

Until it passes a retest, you can only drive your vehicle:

to a pre-arranged appointment at a garage to have the repairs done
to a pre-arranged MOT test appointment

So if your car fails it's test you are not legally allowed to drive it home again, only to a pre-arranged retest?

It used to say 'a place of repair' which covered getting home.

[swisstoni]

simon1987 said:

so what happens if you get caught with no mot?

£60 fixed penalty?

Car towed? £150~ Recovery?

Court appearance?

If you have an accident your insurance co have an excellent excuse to wriggle out. Could add up to a lot more.

[monthefish]

swisstoni said:

simon1987 said:

so what happens if you get caught with no mot?

£60 fixed penalty?

Car towed? £150~ Recovery?

Court appearance?

If you have an accident your insurance co have an excellent excuse to wriggle out. Could add up to a lot more.

Interesting angle.

Although you're not (directly) breaking the law by driving without an MOT in those circumstances, are you insured? (and therefore driving without insurance cover?)

[Dwight VanDriver]

Misleading to say the least.

IF the vehicle fails the test say with dicky brakes, tyres, steering etc. then the use on the road after the failed test could lead to prosecution for failing to maintain or using a vehicle in a dangerous condition. I am not aware that an exemption has been brought out relating to these offences because the vehicle is being driven to a place of repair etc.

Ok so it will depend on what the vehicle has been failed for.

dvd

[onomatopoeia]

You are insured, at least for third party risks irrespective of what the policy says because the road traffic act specifically states that insurers cannot restrict their liability to third parties based on the condition of the vehicle. So, you cannot be done for no insurance due to having no MOT when a certificate of insurance has been issued. The insurer may be able to try to recover their costs from you later if you have an at fault accident though, but they would pay the third party.

The insurer can have a clause saying they won't pay out on fully comp risks without an MOT and such as clause would be valid.

[10 Pence Short]

monthefish said:

Interesting angle.

Although you're not (directly) breaking the law by driving without an MOT in those circumstances, are you insured? (and therefore driving without insurance cover?)

Your insurance isn't nullified simply because you have no MOT. If you had a total loss accident, the insurer would take a small percentage from the payout to cover the loss of vehicle value.

[onomatopoeia]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Misleading to say the least.

IF the vehicle fails the test say with dicky brakes, tyres, steering etc. then the use on the road after the failed test could lead to prosecution for failing to maintain or using a vehicle in a dangerous condition. I am not aware that an exemption has been brought out relating to these offences because the vehicle is being driven to a place of repair etc.

Ok so it will depend on what the vehicle has been failed for.

dvd

I've always read it as exempt from the requirement for a current MOT when travelling to or from a test or place of repair, but not exempt from complying with Construction & Use.

[speedking31]

Devil2575 said:

So if your car fails it's test you are not legally allowed to drive it home again, only to a pre-arranged retest?

Only if the MOT has expired. If you get it tested during the month before expiry, that gives you the flexibility to take it home etc. as the previous pass is still valid.

[surveyor]

onomatopoeia said:

Dwight VanDriver said:

Misleading to say the least.

IF the vehicle fails the test say with dicky brakes, tyres, steering etc. then the use on the road after the failed test could lead to prosecution for failing to maintain or using a vehicle in a dangerous condition. I am not aware that an exemption has been brought out relating to these offences because the vehicle is being driven to a place of repair etc.

Ok so it will depend on what the vehicle has been failed for.

dvd

I've always read it as exempt from the requirement for a current MOT when travelling to or from a test or place of repair, but not exempt from complying with Construction & Use.

I would not take too much notice of what the government website says. It often seems to dumb down the information so much that some of it is inaccurate.

[agtlaw]

Exemptions to 'using a vehicle without a MOT certificate'

(a) driving to a pre-booked MOT examination.

(b) driving away from an MOT examination.

(c) following refusal of a test certificate - driving by prior arrangement to a place where work is to be done to remedy the defects.

(d) following refusal of a test certificate - driving away from a place where work has been done to remedy the defects.

(e) towing the vehicle to a place where it is to be broken up.

See Regulation 6(2) of the The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981.