Do you need insurance and tax to MOT a car?

arcon5

I'm pretty sure you don't need tax as you need an MOT to get a tax disc.

But do you need insurance?

I have a car SORNed and want to book it in to be collected for an MOT for which it'll be taken on a trailer but don't really want to have to tax it or insure it (even for the day) as I don't know if i'll be scrapping it yet or not

Nodding_Donkey

If it's going (and coming back) on a trailer then no, you don't need tax or insurance.

force_ten

trailering it to and from the test station you will be fine

if you wanted to drive it to the test station then you would need to pre book the MOT and insure the car then you can leagaly drive it to and from the test station with no road tax and no MOT

andygb

force_ten wrote: »

trailering it to and from the test station you will be fine

if you wanted to drive it to the test station then you would need to pre book the MOT and insure the car then you can leagaly drive it to and from the test station with no road tax and no MOT

I agreed with most of this, but if it has failed in a way which would make it dangerous, then the MOT station can I believe stop you driving it.
I found this out a few years ago, when the rear brake pipes let go and deposited brake fluid on the floor of the testing station.:eek:

vaio

Don't think there is any power for MOT testers to *stop* you driving it away rather than advising that you shouldn't drive it.

Some police and VOSA inspectors can do it but not MOT tetsers

Mankysteve

[IdaTE=andygb;64958744]I agreed with most of this, but if it has failed in a way which would make it dangerous, then the MOT station can I believe stop you driving it.
I found this out a few years ago, when the rear brake pipes let go and deposited brake fluid on the floor of the testing station.:eek:[/QUOTE]

Mot stations can't stop you from leaving if you fail an mot. In fact it's a common scam to pressure people into getting The repairs done by them to claim its unsafe and not let you drive away.

A mechanic friend of mine recently had a van with its rear spring mount completed rusted out very dangerous but there nothing they could do when the owner refused to have it repaired and drove away.

Vosa and police on the other hand can impound and pprosecute for it being in a non road worthy condition.

Ultrasonic

If a car really is dangerous to drive but MOT testers don't have legal authority to stop it being driven then presumably they could inform VOSA/the police if you drove it away. In fact they SHOULD do this I'd have thought.

Lum

Another way around the uninsured thing is if you can persuade the garage to come and collect it. Doesn't have to be a trailer, they can just turn up and drive it away on their insurance.

Not all garages are keen on doing this. Depends a lot on where you live and how well you get on with them, I suspect.

AdrianC

Driving without an MOT is a paperwork offence. Driving to and from an MOT station for a pre-booked test isn't even that.

But driving an unroadworthy vehicle is ALWAYS an offence, whether there's an MOT in place or you don't need one. Whether it's the owner driving or the garage.