MOT Test Prices – Introduction
The MOT Fee is fixed periodically by the Government's executive agency the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA), in conjunction with the MOT industry. Working together, the MOT Test is carried out on a variety of vehicles of different ages, using a variety of workshop configurations - all strictly defined and monitored. Having established an average time for carrying out the MOT Test in all of the various scenarios, a Statutory Fee is negotiated and set, usually for a period of one year.
The reason that the fee is reviewed annually is to accommodate the many changes which are taking place in vehicle technology and, for example, the more more stringent emission checks which are being carried out on modern vehicles - some of these changes result in either more or less time being taken to carry out the Test, while others require the purchase of expensive equipment, and all of these factors, plus inflation, are taken into consideration.
However, although a Vehicle Testing Station (VTS) may charge the full Fee as defined, and no more, it is left to individual businesses to charge less than the full fee at their own discretion, although VOSA officials may well view this as a cause for concern and further investigation.
Jump to Test Classes Explanation
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Revised fees as of 6 April 2010
(No Price rise announced for 2011)
| Class of vehicle |
Fee |
Class 1 and 2
|
Motorbicycle
|
£29.65 |
| Motorbicycle with sidecar |
£37.80 |
| Class 3 |
Three Wheeled Vehicles (up to 450kg U.L.W). |
£37.80 |
| Class 4 |
Cars (up to eight passenger seats) and Motor Caravans
3 Wheeled Vehicles (over 450kg U.L.W.)
Quads (max. U.L.W 400kg – for goods vehicles 550kg and max. net power 15kW)
Dual Purpose Vehicles
Private Hire Vehicles and PSVs (up to 8 seats)
Goods Vehicles (up to 3000kg D.G.W.)
Ambulances and Taxis
|
£54.85
|
| Private Passenger Vehicles and Ambulances (9 – 12 passenger seats) |
£57.30 |
| Class 4A |
Includes seat belt installation check
(9 – 12 passenger seats) |
£64.00 |
| Class 5 |
Private Passenger Vehicles and Ambulances (with 13 or more
passenger seats)
Playbuses
|
13 – 16 passenger seats
more than 16 passenger seats
|
£59.55 |
| £124.50 |
| Class 5A |
Includes seat belt installation check |
13 –16 passenger seats
More than 16 passenger seats
|
£80.50 |
| £124.50 |
| Class 7 |
Goods Vehicles (over 3000kg up to 3500kg) |
£58.60 |
| Partial Retest Fee |
Half Test Fee |
| Maximum fee for duplicate certificate |
£10 |
A note about VAT on the Test Fee
The MOT Fee itself is not subject to VAT if the issuing garage is an MOT Testing Station. However, from the HMRC website: "The unapproved garage will, however, have to account for VAT on the full amount of the invoice if it chooses not to treat the amount charged by the test centre as a disbursement, does not satisfy all the disbursement conditions, or makes a profit on the MoT transaction".
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Test Classes
The vehicles subject to test under the Regulations are divided into the following classes:
| Class |
Description |
Age at which first test is required (years) |
| 1 |
Motor bicycles (with or without sidecars) up to 200 cm3 |
3 |
| 2 |
All motor bicycles (including Class 1) (with or without sidecars). |
3 |
| 3 |
3 wheeled vehicles not more than 450 kg unladen weight (excluding motor bicycles with side cars). (3 wheeled vehicles more than 450 kg unladen are in class 4.) |
3 |
| 4 |
Cars, passenger vehicles, motor caravans, Private Hire Vehicles, Motor Tricycles, Quadricycles and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with up to eight passenger seats |
3 |
| Goods vehicles not exceeding 3,000 kg Design Gross Weight (DGW). |
3 |
| Taxis and ambulances in either case with up to eight passenger seats. |
1 |
|
Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with nine to twelve passenger seats that;
- are fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction; or
- are identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or
- have been tested as class 4A, 5A or 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.
|
1 |
| 4A |
The class 4A test is the normal class 4 test with the addition of a check on the installation of certain seat belts. Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with nine to twelve passenger seats that:
- are fitted with more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction and:
- are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or
- have not been tested as class 4A, 5A or 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.
|
1 |
| 5 |
Private passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with thirteen or more passenger seats (including community and play buses, etc.) that:
- are fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction; or
- are identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation to all seats when built; or
- have been tested as class 5A or class 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.
|
1 |
| 5A |
The class 5A test is the normal class 5 test with the addition of a check on the installation of certain seat belts. Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with thirteen or more passenger seats (including community buses, etc.) that:
- are fitted with more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction and:
- are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or
- have not been tested as class 5A or class 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.
|
1 |
| 7 |
Goods Vehicles over 3,000 kg up to and including 3,500 kg DGW |
3 |