Britain tests cars annually from the age of three, Japan after three years then every two, and parts of Canada only when a car is sold. Who inspects what, and when.
Many countries require a periodic safety inspection, often every year or two, while others check a vehicle only when it is sold. The MOT covers twenty parts or systems, from brakes and steering to exhaust emissions. A failed car generally has to be repaired and retested before it can be used.
The British MOT test began in 1960 as a voluntary check on cars that were ten years old, and so many of them failed that within a year the age at which they were tested dropped to seven. By 1967 it was three, where it still sits. Today every country that tests cars decides for itself when, how often and what is checked.
What is checked in an MOT?
The MOT covers twenty parts or systems, including brakes, steering, suspension, lights, tyres and wheels, seat belts, mirrors, the windscreen, the horn, the fuel system, the exhaust and emissions, the body and structure, and the battery and wiring. Its job is to show that a vehicle satisfies the principal road safety standards in force in the UK.
The list has grown steadily since 1960. A tyre check arrived in 1968. In 1977 the test added wipers and washers, indicators, brake lights, the horn, the exhaust system, and the condition of the body structure and chassis. Emissions checks on petrol cars, together with anti-lock brakes, rear wheel bearings and rear seat belts, came in 1991, followed in 1992 by a stricter tyre tread requirement for most vehicles and in 1994 by diesel emissions checks. The 2012 revision brought in secondary restraint systems, electronic stability control, speedometers and steering locks. The condition of the tow bar and its attachment is now included too.
Some things are deliberately left out. The engine is outside its scope except for emissions, and so are the clutch and the gearbox. Tune-ups and servicing that keep a car running reliably, but not safely, belong to the service inspection that manufacturers recommend. The tester may not dismantle anything, which makes corrosion or worn parts in certain areas hard to judge. The decision to pass or fail comes down to the tester's discretion within guidelines from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
What a pass really means
An MOT certificate records that on the day of the test the car reached the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety levels. It is no promise that the car stays roadworthy until the certificate expires. A vehicle could be badly damaged after the test and the certificate would remain valid, yet it is always an offence to drive a car in a dangerous state on a public road, whatever its test status.
The MOT began in 1960 as a voluntary test for cars over ten years old, and a high failure rate soon pulled the age down.
How is the MOT organised in Britain?
Most vehicles over three years old need an MOT every year, and in Northern Ireland the requirement starts after four. More than 23,500 garages across England, Scotland and Wales, employing over 65,800 testers, are authorised to perform the test. In Northern Ireland tests are carried out only at the Driver and Vehicle Agency's own centres.
A pass certificate is the VT20, a failure is a VT30 and advisory notes appear on a VT32. It is illegal to use a vehicle that needs a test without a current MOT, except when driving to or from a booked test or to have repairs done. A valid VT20 is also a prerequisite for vehicle excise duty.
Exemptions exist. A vehicle built or first registered over forty years ago is exempt, provided no substantial changes have been made to it in the last thirty years, but an exempt vehicle must still be roadworthy. A car with no front or rear position lights fitted is excused the lighting sections, with an advisory that it should be used only in daylight.
What happens when a car fails?
The owner repairs it and returns for a retest, usually within ten working days. A car that stays at the test station for repair gets a free partial retest within that period. One that is taken away and brought back within ten working days gets a retest for half the original fee. After the ten days a full test and full fee are needed again. Each MOT is subject to one retest.
A motorist who disagrees with the outcome can appeal to the testing agency: within 28 days for mechanical items, or three months for corrosion, except where the corrosion is on brake discs, brake lines or the exhaust. Mileage covered after the test is irrelevant to an appeal.
Deadlines elsewhere are tighter or looser. In Lagos, Nigeria, an owner is advised to fix defects within 30 days. In Israel a failed car must be repaired within seven days before it can be driven. Some US states issue a rejection sticker that lets the owner keep driving for a short time while repairs are made. Taiwan can impose a fine, a licence suspension or revocation for failing to comply, and in India non-compliance can bring fines or impounding.
Test classes
The MOT is split into classes by type of vehicle. Classes I and II cover motorcycles, the first up to 200cc and the second all of them, and Class III covers three-wheelers of no more than 450 kg unladen. Class IV takes cars, taxis, minibuses and ambulances with up to twelve passenger seats, motor caravans, and goods vehicles up to 3,000 kg design gross weight. Class V is for larger passenger vehicles with thirteen or more seats, and Class VII for goods vehicles over 3,000 kg and up to 3,500 kg. Public service vehicles with more than eight seats and heavy goods vehicles over 3,500 kg are tested by agency staff at their own stations or authorised premises.
The fee is charged for the test itself and, as of 6 April 2010, test stations were bound by maximum fees which they must show on a poster on their premises. When the test began in 1960, the fee for a car was fourteen shillings, plus one shilling for the certificate.
Which countries require periodic inspections?
| Place | First inspection | Frequency afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | After three years | Every year |
| Northern Ireland | After four years | Every year |
| European Union (cars and vans up to 3.5 tonnes) | Within 4 years of registration | Up to every 2 years |
| Japan (shaken) | After three years | Every two years |
| Singapore (cars) | Third model year | Every other year, then annually after ten model years |
| China (private cars) | Year 6 | Every other year to year 10, yearly to year 15, then every six months |
| Taiwan (cars) | Older than five years | Yearly, then every six months once older than ten |
| Israel | Older than three years | Yearly, then every six months once older than fifteen |
| United Arab Emirates (passenger cars) | Over 3 years old | Every 12 months |
| Brazil | Older than three years | Every year |
India works on age thresholds: private petrol-powered cars need a fitness test 15 years after first registration, diesel cars after 10 years and then every 5, while commercial vehicles are inspected annually. In Lagos, private vehicles are inspected annually and commercial vehicles twice a year, using computerised equipment for emissions, headlamps, suspension, alignment and brakes.
The European minimum
Under the EU Directive 2014/45 of April 2014, every member state must run periodic safety and emission inspections for most vehicles: cars, light and heavy goods vehicles, trailers and fast tractors. For vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, the first inspection falls no later than 4 years after registration and then at up to 2-year intervals, while heavier vehicles are inspected within 1 year and annually thereafter. Motorcycles of more than 125 cm3 were added from 1 January 2022, though 18 of the 27 member states already checked them. The directive sets minimum content: identification, braking, steering, visibility, lighting and electrics, axles, wheels, tyres and suspension, the chassis, other equipment and nuisance, with extra checks for passenger-carrying vehicles.
Which places check a car only at sale?
Parts of Canada, and Maryland. In Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador a valid safety check is needed only when a car is bought, before it can be registered. Dealerships must provide it to buyers, while private sellers are not obliged to, although a seller may pay for one to make the car more attractive. Once the car is registered, no more tests are required while it stays with the owner. Prince Edward Island demands annual inspections, and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick every two years for passenger vehicles. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and the territories usually require none for passenger vehicles, unless imported.
In the United States each state decides for itself. Eighteen run a safety inspection programme annually or every second year, and Maryland inspects only before registration or a change of ownership. The Clean Air Act of 1990 obliges states to run emissions inspection in metropolitan areas that miss federal air quality standards, though Florida, Kentucky and Minnesota have dropped theirs with federal approval. Some states and the District of Columbia use state-run stations, while others license private garages. Where a private garage does the test, the owner may, but need not, let it do the repairs.
South Africa ties the check to ownership. A new owner must present a Roadworthy Certificate to receive a new licence disc, and public transport and heavy-load vehicles are tested annually before the licence is renewed. A bus is tested every six months.
Emissions testing on the retreat
Ontario's Drive Clean emissions programme was cancelled, announced on 28 September 2018 and effective on 1 April 2019, with the focus moving to heavy-duty vehicles. British Columbia's AirCare was abolished in 2015.
What does a roadworthy inspection examine?
It checks that the important parts of a vehicle are in good, though not top, condition, which is enough for safe road use. Inspectors look at mirrors, wheels, tyres and the structure, then at lights, reflectors, seats and belts, followed by steering, suspension, brakes, the glass and the wipers and washers, and any other safety item on the body, chassis or engine.
The details differ by country. South Korea inspects safety, noise and emissions, and its list runs from vehicle identification and brakes to the speedometer, horn, axles, frame, body and glass. Israel's annual test checks vehicle and owner identification, emissions, steering, the underside, lights, brakes and wheel alignment.
Do inspections make roads safer?
That is disputed. Whether periodic checks are a cost-effective route to road safety has been questioned, and a recent analysis of US changes to inspection procedures strongly suggests the programmes are no longer needed and are simply residual government oversight. Several US states have scrapped theirs, arguing that the checks fail to cut accidents and work as a tax on owners.
Quality control is another issue. In Taiwan, standards vary between local Motor Vehicle Offices, and one account says owners whose cars fail on suspicion of modification often hire a scalper outside the office to go through the process for them.
Where does this go next?
Britain has debated how often to test. Proposals to move to a test every two years, or to start at four years of age, were dismissed after government consultations on safety grounds. The former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later suggested a return to a biennial test, to save motorists money during the cost-of-living crisis. The plan has not been officially taken to consultation, but it provoked a response from safety organisations.
In India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways revised fitness test fees for vehicles of 10, 15 and 20 years old in 2025, and the system now includes digital booking and tracking of inspections.
