MOT Fines: The Laws Explained



Along with servicing and general maintenance, an MOT makes sure that your car is safe to drive. However, MOTs are also a legal requirement, so if you’re caught driving a car without an MOT, or if the car isn’t roadworthy, then you could be faced with some serious fines and penalties.

To try and reduce the amount of people driving dangerous and unroadworthy cars, the government updated the MOT laws in 2018, meaning stricter rules and steeper fines. The changes also mean that even if your MOT is still in date, you could face a penalty if your car isn’t deemed roadworthy.

Following the changes in 2018, defects found during an MOT fall into three categories:

Dangerous

A direct and immediate risk to road safety or has a serious impact on the environment.

Do not drive the vehicle until it’s been repaired.

Major

It may affect the vehicle’s safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment.

Repair it immediately.

Minor

No significant affect on the safety of the vehicle or impact on the environment.

Repair as soon as possible.

If you receive a minor fault, your vehicle will pass with repairs advised, but both a major and dangerous faults will result in an automatic fail. Your MOT tester will determine what category each fault falls under by the type and severity of the problem. You may also have ‘advisories’ – these are things you should monitor that may become a fault in the future.

Driving after an MOT with major or dangerous failures is strictly against the law. MOT failures are stored immediately in the DVSA’s national database which can be accessed by anyone with your number plate. The information is also used by police forces and other officials - Automatic Number Plate Recognition, or ANPR, will flag your car as having failed an MOT and could lead to you receiving a fine. You could also be fined if your car has a serious defect, even if your last MOT is still in date.

There are a few exceptions to driving a vehicle after an MOT expires – the only legal journeys include travelling to a pre-booked MOT test or for scheduled MOT repairs. Some cars are also exempt from MOTs – you can find a full list on the Government website.

MOTs can be carried out up to one month - minus a day - before the existing MOT expires with your renewal date staying the same. For example, if your MOT is due on the 10th of November, you can have your car tested on the 11th of October and your MOT will still be valid until the 10th of November the following year.

The DVSA sets a maximum amount that MOT test stations can charge – for cars (class 4), this is £54.85. However, an MOT here at Halfords will cost you a lot less, and you could save even more by booking your MOT and service together. If you aren’t sure what class your vehicle is, check out our MOT Classes article for a full breakdown.

The current fine for driving with no MOT is up to £1,000. However under the new rules you could receive a fine of more than double this for driving an unroadworthy car, even if your MOT is still valid.

You’ll receive up to a £1,000 fine for driving with a major fault or continuing to drive after your MOT has expired, but the updates to the classification system in 2018 mean that it’s now possible to receive a far higher fine.

This is because driving a dangerous car carries a £2,500 penalty. If your car receives a dangerous classification, you will be unable to drive the vehicle until it’s repaired and tested again – even if your previous MOT is still in date.

Most road users will want to avoid this hefty fine if possible, so it’s best to organise alternative travel arrangements in case your car doesn’t pass straight away.

If your car receives a dangerous classification, you’ll get three points on your license if you drive it. What’s more, if you are fined for this twice in three years, you could receive a six month driving ban.

These types of penalties were added in 2018 and were unprecedented for MOTs - they’re aimed at cracking down on vehicles deemed extremely dangerous or harmful to the environment.

Your MOT tester will use their expertise to determine if a car is dangerous.

A car is dangerous if:

  • There is a direct and immediate risk to road safety
  • The car will have a serious impact on the environment

A dangerous fault will immediately invalidate your current MOT, even if it’s still in-date, and the fault has to be fixed before your car can be declared road legal again.

Find out when your MOT is due to avoid being in the position of driving an unroadworthy car and incurring a fine. Be prepared to carry out essential repairs straight away, and never drive after your car fails an MOT, whether it receives a major or dangerous rating.

Always plan alternative travel arrangements before an MOT, just in case your car fails. Arranging a regular service is the best way to ensure longer lasting vehicle health.

To make sure you stay safe on the road and avoid any fines, book an MOT with Halfords and get free reminders of when your test is due. For extra savings, you can book a Full Service and MOT together for ultimate peace of mind.

Join the halfords motoring club

For MOT deals, as well as plenty of ways to keep your car roadworthy and safe, join the halfords motoring club today. You’ll get access to a range of amazing benefits and discounts that will help to keep you moving, keep you safe and keep you saving.

It’s free to join and you’ll receive instant benefits worth £35. Or upgrade to our Premium membership for just £49 (or £4.99 per month) to unlock 5% off member pricing on all motoring products and services online and across our stores, garages and Halfords Mobile Experts, as well as benefits worth £100.

With MOT deals, free car health checks, welcome vouchers and always-on discounts to enjoy, this is too good an opportunity to miss!

Join the halfords motoring club today at www.halfords.com/motoring-club.