MOT test date and continuation of cover

tired_dad

Got last years MOT on 8th March 2013.

Booked this years MOT on 28th Feb 2013.

Ive heard that if you get it done within a month of the expiry of the previous MOT, you get continuity of cover up to 13 months.

However, just pulled out the old certificate and it says 'to preserve anniversary of expiry date, the earliest you can present your vehicle for test is 1.3.13.

I'm confused. Help much appreciated

forgotmyname

Sure its not the 28th of March Not the 8th?

mgdavid

last year did you have it done 3 weeks before the previous expiry date? That would account for it...

tired_dad

last year was the first ever MOT.
I think it was done about 3 weeks before it needed an MOT.


Had a closer look and yes, you are 100% right. The test was done on 8th March but was valid till March 31st.

Thanks, problem solved. Knew I was being a divvy somewhere

Joe_Horner

Never quite understood the logic behind that bit.

Especially now everything's computerised I would have thought it would be sensible to have the month extension (so 13 months from the date of the new test) whenever you have it done if there's more than a month of the old one left.

WTFH

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Never quite understood the logic behind that bit.

Especially now everything's computerised I would have thought it would be sensible to have the month extension (so 13 months from the date of the new test) whenever you have it done if there's more than a month of the old one left.

Because it's a 12 month cycle, not 13. If it was changed to 13, then would there still be a 1 month before hand period? And at that point, would you ask for it to go to 14 months, then 15, etc?

specialboy

WTFH wrote: »

Because it's a 12 month cycle, not 13. If it was changed to 13, then would there still be a 1 month before hand period? And at that point, would you ask for it to go to 14 months, then 15, etc?

I think what Joe Horner is getting at is when you put your car in for test with 1 month left you can have 13 months mot but if you put it in for test with more than a month left on it you only get 12 months.
EG a couple of years ago I got totally mixed up with my Daughters car and put in in for test nearly 4 months early, it passed and the mot was only valid for 12 months from the date of test, if id waited 3 months to test it then it would have been valid for 13 months from date of test.

WTFH

specialboy wrote: »

I think what Joe Horner is getting at is when you put your car in for test with 1 month left you can have 13 months mot but if you put it in for test with more than a month left on it you only get 12 months.
.

Ok, I can understand the query, but that would explain why they say on the paperwork that to preserve the anniversary, the earliest you can put it in is the beginning of the month.
If not, what is to stop someone getting their car MOT'd one month after the previous one was done and then expecting cover for 23 months?

Joe_Horner

WTFH wrote: »

Ok, I can understand the query, but that would explain why they say on the paperwork that to preserve the anniversary, the earliest you can put it in is the beginning of the month.
If not, what is to stop someone getting their car MOT'd one month after the previous one was done and then expecting cover for 23 months?

Because what I'm suggesting is that the exiting month extension, which applies from the date of the new test should apply. So the maximum length would only ever be 13 months.

WTFH

But that way your mot would expire on a different day each time. Some of us have a reminder set in our electronic calendar for the MOT - and I know some car brands have apps which will remind you.

Also, the current process is NOT a month's extension. It's an allowance to do the test up to 1 month early, so if you did the test 3 days before it expires, would you get 13 months, or 12 months plus 3 days?

Nodding_Donkey

the simple answer to that one is that if your MOT is due on, say, 25/03/2014 and you take it for a retest anytime between 25/02/2014 and the expiry date it will then run out on the 25/03/2015.

It's handy because it means you don't loose a few days every year by getting it tested early and you have a bit of flexibility with when you actually go for a test.