MOT Test

The Ministry of Transport test (usually abbreviated to MOT test) is an annual test of automobile safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions required for most vehicles over three years old used on public roads in the United Kingdom.

The name derives from the Ministry of Transport, a defunct Government department which was one of several ancestors of the current Department for Transport, but is still officially used. The MOT test certificates are currently issued in Great Britain under the auspices of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), an agency within the Department for Transport. Certificates in Northern Ireland are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA). The test and the pass certificate are often referred to simply as the "MOT".

Many local car repair garages throughout Great Britain are authorised to perform testing and to issue certificates. In principle any individual can apply to run an MOT station although in order to gain an authorisation from VOSA, both the individual wanting to run the station as well as the premises need to meet minimum criteria set out on the governments website within the so called VT01 form.

In Northern Ireland tests are performed exclusively at the DVA's own test centres although currently there is an open project investigating bringing Northern Ireland in line with mainland UK.