Proposals to extend new vehicle's first MOT from 3 years to 4 years

24 January 2017

The Department for Transport is seeking views on whether the age a vehicle gets its first MOT should be increased from 3 to 4 years.

New cars and motorcycles could no longer require an MOT for the first 4 years on the road under plans to save motorists more than £100 million a year. The government is consulting on the plans which will bring England, Scotland and Wales in line with Northern Ireland and many other European countries including France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Norway.

In 1967 the MOT-free period was reduced from 10 to 3 years. Now, safer technology and improved manufacturing means new vehicles stay roadworthy for longer.

The options that are being proposed are as follows:

• to keep the current period for vehicles requiring a first MOT at 3 years, with no change
• to increase the age all vehicles get their first MOT from 3 to 4 years
• to increase the age cars and motorcycles get their first MOT from 3 to 4 years, but keeping it at 3 years for vans in classes 4 and 7

Find out more about how the proposed changes will work here.

Please be encouraged to give your views and opinions here.