Your Certificate
Your MOT certificate confirms that at the time of the test your vehicle met, as far as can be reasonably determined without dismantling, the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law. It does not mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate and is not a substitute for regular maintenance.
MOT Certificates have changed
The way information is held about MOT tests has changed. Records of test results are now held on a secure central database. This change has not affected your actual MOT test but it has affected the way you check the MOT history. All MOT testing stations have been connected to this central database. When your vehicle is tested at one of these 'computerised' testing stations your test record will be entered onto this new database and you will receive a new style (A4 in size) certificate.
About the new certificate
The new MOT certificate is your receipt for the MOT test. It shows the information that is held on the MOT database. The certificate is no longer proof of an MOT and should not 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 will normally be shown on a new Advisory Notice which will be given to you at the time of the test.
Why do you need an MOT certificate?
You should take your MOT Certificate with you when you apply for a new Vehicle Excise Licence (vehicle 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 (A4) MOT certificate you can choose to relicense your vehicle online.
Police officers are also entitled to ask for production of an MOT test certificate for a vehicle which is 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 aspects of the law on vehicle construction and use
Checking the authenticity of an MOT certificate
If you have reason to believe the certificate you have been issued is not genuine please contact our MOT status check service on 0870 330 0444 (national rate). Calls are charged at the national rate.
Replacing lost or damaged certificates
For new style test certificates (A4 size). If you have lost or damaged your test certificate you can obtain a duplicate from any MOT testing station that has been 'computerised' .
For old style certificate (A5 size). If you have lost or damaged your test certificate, but know where and approximately when the vehicle was tested, you can obtain a duplicate test certificate from the MOT test station which tested the vehicle.
If you do not know where the car was tested originally, you cannot obtain a duplicate certificate. You will need to have your car tested again.
If the test station has closed down, your local Vehicle and Operator Services Agency office should be able to help.
The maximum fee for a duplicate certificate for a car is £10.00.