The DVSA has warned drivers not to wait until the “last minute” to renew their MOT certificates amid fears Britons.
The agency stated that drivers can take their car for its MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out.
The warning comes as recent data from the Department for Transport found that between October and December last year, more than two million vehicles failed their MOT test.
This was reportedly the highest rate of MOT test failures since January and March 2023, when there were 2,043,794 failures.
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Over two million drivers failed their MOT last year
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Renewals for MOTs need to take place every year to assess whether a vehicle is still in roadworthy condition.
If an MOT has expired, drivers cannot drive or park a vehicle on the road as they could be prosecuted if caught.
Drivers can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.
The only exception to this rule is when drivers are taking their vehicle to or from somewhere to be repaired or to a pre-arranged MOT test.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, the agency said: “You’ll still keep the same renewal date for the following year.
“So there’s no need to wait until the last minute!”
Most recently, the DVSA changed the way drivers can access MOT certificates as it moves to being fully digital.
From April 29, the agency explained that it will no longer issue paper MOT pass certificates for certain drivers.
The move forms part of the agency’s digital transformation which saw the rollout of the new Manage Your Vehicle Testing digital service across vehicle testing.
As part of the changes, MOT garages and pre-funded account holders will be able to make use of an online account to manage their transactions with the DVSA to help streamline the process.
In a blog post, the DVSA said it will be asking businesses to start thinking about how they can implement these changes.
A spokesperson added that in most cases, drivers won’t need the physical piece of paper.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
MOT certificates will begin the move to becoming digital
PA
The DVSA explained: “I’d encourage you to view the vehicle’s record on MOT history instead ensuring the details on the certificate are correct and check for any advisory items.
“But, by exception, the VSA (Vehicle Standards Assessor) will still print a copy if you really need one – for example, if you have any difficulties accessing the internet.”
