MOT renewal after it's expired

JonW98

Hi All,

I've read a lot of posts on here and other sites about people forgetting to renew their MOT but I've got an extra question no-one seems to have answered!

We've just come to trade our car in for a new car at a garage and last night getting the paperwork together we found we'd forgotten to renew the MOT last year. I was aware it was up for renewal next month, but not aware that I didn't do it last year!. So, that's a ~10k miles and 11 months since it was last done :-(

Both my wife & I were sick with worry last night and have contacted the garage first thing this morning and they've arranged to MOT it for us as part of the sale; they've been really good about it and I know they'll do us right as it's a friends garage.

I know it's wrong, and we're not the kind of people that do this; it's a genuine honest mistake and I'm aware of what it has meant over the last year.

The worry in my mind and question I'd like to ask is what happens next. What happens when VOSA get the notification of MOT from the garage and they spot an 11 month gap and 10k miles difference since the last certificate.

Has anyone else been in this position? Is there a nasty letter/process awaiting me in the near future? I'm not trying to defend against it and will willing pay any fines as penance for this mistake but I'd just like to be prepared both mentally and financially for what's coming!

Please help!

benjus

They don't know how many miles were on the clock when the last MOT expired - they only know how many miles were on the clock when the last MOT was performed. So they cannot tell that you have used the car without an MOT based on that information.

You could have been caught but you weren't. So relax and get it sorted.

LandyAndy

benjus wrote: »

They don't know how many miles were on the clock when the last MOT expired - they only know how many miles were on the clock when the last MOT was performed. So they cannot tell that you have used the car without an MOT based on that information.

You could have been caught but you weren't. So relax and get it sorted.

I agree. You haven't been caught by a police ANPR, which in itself is quite interesting given the reactions one sometimes gets on here when someone suggests driving an unMoT'd car a couple of miles, and so how is anyone to prove that you didn't take the car off the road when the previous MoT expired.

shaun_from_Africa

When you are going to take the car to the garage to drop it off and pick up the new one, make sure that the garage has made a prebooked appointment for the MOT to be carried out.

Once this has been done you are legally allowed to drive to the garage without a valid MOT, and can you imagine how sick/annoyed you would feel if you got pulled over for no MOT at this point.

marlot

Relax. There is no automatic fine for not having an MOT.

Even if the police had caught you driving it without an MOT, the consequences are small (as long as the car is roadworthy). £60 fine and no points, I seem to recall.

poppy_f1

i drove about for 3 months with no MOT - clean forgot to do it, wasnt until i was getting the docs ready to tax my car that i realised
that was nearly 6 years ago and theres been no comeback for me

[Deleted User]

marlot wrote: »

Relax. There is no automatic fine for not having an MOT.

I wouldn't be surprised if they changed that sometime in the future. What with the fines now for having no insurance and no tax even if you are not using the car.

:rotfl: