Cars over 40 years old to be exempt from the MoT test in the future

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Martin Saarinen 2017-09-15 09:15

Hundreds of thousands of classic car drivers will no longer be required to MoT their vehicle, the Government has confirmed

Vehicles first registered over 40 years ago will be exempt from MoT testing in the future, the Government has announced.

Currently, vehicles built or first registered before 1960 are already exempt from MoT testing. However, the Department for Transport has now agreed that any vehicle constructed or first registered over 40 years ago will now be exempt from an MoT on a rolling basis, following a successful consultation into reforming the roadworthiness test. The changes will come into effect from 20 May 2018. 

At the moment are 197,000 vehicles exempt from MoT testing annually, and the Government predicts the changes will mean an additional 293,000 vehicles will no now longer require an MoT. The DfT argued that cars aged 40 or older are often kept in good condition by owners, and not used regularly enough to warrant an MoT. Furthermore, it concluded that the modern MoT is not relevant enough to cars 40 years old and that some garages will struggle to fully validate them.

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By bringing the exemption date forward, the DfT pointed out it would also “harmonise the MoT exemption date with the date for Vehicle Excise Duty.” 

The consultation also included plans for a basic vehicle roadworthiness test for cars aged 40 and above carried out on an annual basis. This would have involved ensuring the vehicle's identity is correct and that key components like brakes work. The DfT decided not to proceed with this proposal. 

Parliamentary under secretary of state for roads, local transport and devolution, Jesse Norman MP, said: "After considering the responses, we have decided to exempt most vehicles over 40 years old from the requirement for annual roadworthiness testing. 

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"This means lighter vehicles (such as cars and motorcycles) and those larger vehicles such as buses which are not used commercially. Heavy Goods Vehicles and Public Service Vehicles falling under operator licensing regulations will remain within the scope of roadworthiness testing. This will ensure a proportionate approach to testing for older vehicles, which works for public safety and vehicle owners."

Do you think exempting older cars from the MoT is a good idea? Let us know in the comments...

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