How to apply for an MOT test post the Coronavirus pandemic?

Rohan Mathew

Updated on:

The MOT is a vehicle test that car owners have to handle annually after a car completes three years. It comprises multiple checks to go over roadworthiness, vehicle safety, and exhaust emissions which are mandatory in the United Kingdom. To assist with the process, the Government allows people to register their vehicles online so that they can show up to the test directly. The entire vehicle history is saved in the backend, with people having the ability to access the information leading back to 2005. Other than the physical tests conducted on the car, the vehicle should have all their documents in order as well. The right taxes paid, the proper registration and insurance documents, and so on.

You’ll usually have to register a car or any other vehicle as soon as you’ve:

  • Bought it
  • Built it
  • Rebuilt or altered it
  • Imported it

You do this by filling in forms and sending them to DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). The application forms to be sent over depend on the circumstances and the details of the vehicle.

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Do vehicles have to go through the MOT test?

The MOT test is mandatory, and there are penalties for vehicles that cannot get through it. Other than not being allowed to ply on roads, and having to take the test again, the vehicle owner would have to pay a fine. Car owners can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving, and get three penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

With the Coronavirus still looming over the world, the Government allowed car owners who had cars in need of renewal between March to July, a six-month extension for the pandemic which ended on the 1st of August. While this was the case, people still went ahead to book MOT with more than 1.6 million people still went ahead and registered their cars following their regular dates during the pandemic. Although the MOT has been extended, people were advised to check MOT as soon as possible, since MOT centers will be busy later in the year.

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It is ideal for people to get their cars fixed before going through the test since the stakes for the test are a lot higher. Additionally, there are too few garages in the UK to keep up with the number of cars that needed testing so to help ease the system out a little, people were encouraged to go to another garage, to get their vehicles repaired and then come back to an MOT center for their registration.

To assist with the process, further, some MOT centers collect the vehicle, carry out an MOT, and return them if the vehicle owners are being shielded. Furthermore, some people were even told to put off on their MOT if they just entered the country and needed to go through the quarantine. Additionally, to avoid standing around in queues, people were allowed to book appointments and check MOT online depending on the garage that they were working with, in advance so they didn’t have to make another trip to the office and could arrive on the day and drop off their vehicle.