MOT has expired in October!!!

Baby_A

Ok, I know this is my own fault, but just discovered that my MOT ran out in October 2006, obviously want to get this sorted ASAP. I rang the garage and the earliest they can take the car in is Tuesday, which is fine.

My worry is am I not allowed to drive the car tomorrow (I have no other way to drop the little one and go work all within short timeframe!)?

Also what happens about the break where there has been no MOT, I assume that the MOT runs from Januray so wont I get questioned for Oct 2006-Dec 2006?

Thanks

reduceditem

Technically you shouldn't use your car until you take it for the MOT( its ok to drive an un-MOT'd to a pre-arranged MOT test or a scrapyard if I remember correctly). You will not have to explain the gap and you won't get in trouble for it. Just be glad you havn't had any accidents or trouble with the law since it expired!
Good luck.

tigs78

You can only legally drive a car without an MOT if you are on your way to an appointment at an approved MOT test centre, so in short you can't legally drive the car tomorrow.

However you've been driving around since October and haven't been pulled over so the chances of being stopped are fairly slim. My main worry would be that I was under the impression that your insurance would be invalidated if you don't have an MOT, not sure how true that is but that is what I have always thought.

The garage won't even blink an eyelid in regards to the gap, for car tax you have to declare the vehicle off road if you don't have it but there is no requirement to take any action if the MOT has run out, for all they know it has been sat on your drive for several months while you had some work done on it. They won't even notice let alone question it.

Edited to add: reduceditem beat me to it!

carolannjo

No you are not allowed to drive it on Monday but you can drive it on Tuesday to go to a pre appointed MOT test. You could be charged with driving without a current MOT certificate but obviously ONLY if you were stopped.
You will have to way up the chances of being caught by the police, but you have been committing an offence since October in the laws eyes. Garage will not care about the missing months.

Ms_Chocaholic

Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, I didn't realise MOT had expired and it was about three months before I realised and had the car MOT'd.

Re tomorrow's journey to work ... as said before, you've been driving illegally for three months but, in the event of being stopped by the Police which I imagine is highly unlikely, could you say you were on your way to the garage for the MOT.

oldbill1969

Ms_Chocaholic wrote:

Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago, I didn't realise MOT had expired and it was about three months before I realised and had the car MOT'd.

Re tomorrow's journey to work ... as said before, you've been driving illegally for three months but, in the event of being stopped by the Police which I imagine is highly unlikely, could you say you were on your way to the garage for the MOT.

I wouldnt even try that excuse, what happens if they check with the garage,double trouble. Don't forget that with the MOT expired you won't be covered by insurance if anything happens. You know you have no MOT so don't drive until you have one

DAMNOME

Be careful you dont have a crash ... your insurance will not pay out when you cannot produce a valid Test Certificate unless you can prove you were driving to an MOT appointment.

edit - i see oldbill has already pointed that out

littlescarlet

You could get a cab tomorrow if you are worried about being stopped. Not ideal I know but the only way to be sure.

rusty-london

As the other poster have said, legally you shouldn't be driving the car unless it's to an appointment for an MOT test, but.......

I have heard of people 'booking' an MOT at a kwik-fit type place somewhere near their work, driving to work, then cancelling the MOT appointment. You then of course have to do the same thing on the way home :eek:

Obviously I'd never condone such a thing, but it has been known to happen......

DianeM

I am sure the MOT charges are backdated anyway, regardless of how long has passed unless the vehicle has been declared SORN.
If you pay online or at the post office don't you need the paperwork?
Hope this helps.

jamstaruk

Baby_A wrote:

Ok, I know this is my own fault, but just discovered that my MOT ran out in October 2006, obviously want to get this sorted ASAP. I rang the garage and the earliest they can take the car in is Tuesday, which is fine.

My worry is am I not allowed to drive the car tomorrow (I have no other way to drop the little one and go work all within short timeframe!)?

Also what happens about the break where there has been no MOT, I assume that the MOT runs from Januray so wont I get questioned for Oct 2006-Dec 2006?

Thanks

(I have no other way to drop the little one and go work all within short timeframe!)?

they dont have taxis where you come from? personally i think you have a cheek you have been driving a car for months without an mot (fair enough you say u didnt know)but now you do your still considering driving your child in a car that may not be roadworthy ????? what if you crash and your car is found to be at fault?

youd be be worse than a drunk driver in my opionion and id throw the book at you