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Your MOT Test and Road Tax

If you keep on top of when your MOT Test and Road Tax are due, you’ll avoid having to do without your car at an inconvenient time while it’s being tested. You’ll also avoid invalidating your insurance by not having a current MOT Certificate and be safe from the risk of getting caught out with a fine by inadvertently allowing your Road Tax to lapse.

Your MOT test	If your car is more than 3 years old, the law requires it to pass an annual MOT Test. Your insurance under Your Cover (or any other car insurance policy) is invalid if you do not have a current MOT Test Certificate. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency do not notify you when your MOT is due, so it’s a good idea to check your current MOT certificate, or your registration document if your car is coming up to 3 years old, and note the date that your MOT test is due in your diary. Your MOT Certificate has a dated reminder sticker in the bottom left corner. Peel this off and stick it in the corner of your windscreen where you can check it regularly. There are also various websites which allow you to set an email or SMS reminder for your MOT due date. When your Test is due you can, of course, simply take your car to an authorised MOT centre (you can find your nearest MOT centre here), see whether it passes and, if not, have the work done to rectify whatever it’s failed on, before resubmitting. If the Test Centre has fixed the problems for you, you will not usually be charged for retesting. Many councils run public MOT Test Centres. The Test is carried out to exactly the same standard as anywhere else, and you can be certain that the Centre has not ‘found’ faults in order to create work for their own mechanics.

Your MOT test

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If your car is more than 3 years old, the law requires it to pass an annual MOT Test. Your insurance under Your Cover (or any other car insurance policy) is invalid if you do not have a current MOT Test Certificate.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency do not notify you when your MOT is due, so it’s a good idea to check your current MOT certificate, or your registration document if your car is coming up to 3 years old, and note the date that your MOT test is due in your diary.

Your MOT Certificate has a dated reminder sticker in the bottom left corner. Peel this off and stick it in the corner of your windscreen where you can check it regularly. There are also various websites which allow you to set an email or SMS reminder for your MOT due date.

When your Test is due you can, of course, simply take your car to an authorised MOT centre (you can find your nearest MOT centre here), see whether it passes and, if not, have the work done to rectify whatever it’s failed on, before resubmitting. If the Test Centre has fixed the problems for you, you will not usually be charged for retesting.

Many councils run public MOT Test Centres. The Test is carried out to exactly the same standard as anywhere else, and you can be certain that the Centre has not ‘found’ faults in order to create work for their own mechanics.

What the MOT Test checks	The UK government website Directgov provides a list of points checked in the MOT test, but many of these will be beyond the capability of most drivers to check or fix themselves. However, if you can spare half an hour, you can save yourself inconvenience and expense by checking all of the most common causes of failure for yourself. Blown lightbulbs, for example, account for a higher number of MOT Test failures than any other single cause. Defective tyres and windscreen wipers, and cracked windscreens, are other major reasons for failure.

What the MOT Test checks

The UK government website Directgov provides a list of points checked in the MOT test, but many of these will be beyond the capability of most drivers to check or fix themselves.

However, if you can spare half an hour, you can save yourself inconvenience and expense by checking all of the most common causes of failure for yourself. Blown lightbulbs, for example, account for a higher number of MOT Test failures than any other single cause. Defective tyres and windscreen wipers, and cracked windscreens, are other major reasons for failure.

Pre-Test checks you can do yourself	These pre-Test checks are simple to run through, and it’s easy to rectify these problems yourself. (It’s easiest to do a pre-Test check when you have someone around to help, so one of you can operate controls while the other checks what’s happening.) Check that all bulbs, all around your car, are functioning properly. If you find one that isn’t, replace it. If you find several not functioning, check the fuse list in your owner’s handbook to see whether the same fuse covers all the non-functioning lights. If it does, replace it Check the condition of your wiper blades and, if necessary, replace them Check your windscreen for chips and cracks, if you have included Windscreen cover as part of your personalised insurance product from Your Cover, chips will be repaired for you without cost Check your tyres for depth of tread and signs of wear or damage Replace any that are defective Check that your registration plates are ‘standard’ plates, and have not been customised in any way Check your mirrors are in good condition and replace any that are broken

Pre-Test checks you can do yourself

These pre-Test checks are simple to run through, and it’s easy to rectify these problems yourself.

(It’s easiest to do a pre-Test check when you have someone around to help, so one of you can operate controls while the other checks what’s happening.)

Check that all bulbs, all around your car, are functioning properly. If you find one that isn’t, replace it. If you find several not functioning, check the fuse list in your owner’s handbook to see whether the same fuse covers all the non-functioning lights. If it does, replace it
Check the condition of your wiper blades and, if necessary, replace them
Check your windscreen for chips and cracks, if you have included Windscreen cover as part of your personalised insurance product from Your Cover, chips will be repaired for you without cost
Check your tyres for depth of tread and signs of wear or damage Replace any that are defective
Check that your registration plates are ‘standard’ plates, and have not been customised in any way
Check your mirrors are in good condition and replace any that are broken

How to complain if you feel your car has been failed unfairly	If you are unhappy with the way your MOT Test was carried out, you should contact your MOT Test centre or the local Vehicle and Operator Services Agency office. Directgov publishes full details of how to deal with all problems related to your MOT Test, but if you wish to appeal against a failed Test result, you should complete form ‘VT17’, which you can obtain from your MOT Test centre. You can also download form ‘VT17’ here.

How to complain if you feel your car has been failed unfairly

If you are unhappy with the way your MOT Test was carried out, you should contact your MOT Test centre or the local Vehicle and Operator Services Agency office.

Directgov publishes full details of how to deal with all problems related to your MOT Test, but if you wish to appeal against a failed Test result, you should complete form ‘VT17’, which you can obtain from your MOT Test centre. You can also download form ‘VT17’ here.

Your Road Tax and the DVLA	For each car you own, you must either obtain a Tax Disc from the DVLA, or declare SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) if a car is not using public highways. This applies to cars off road for lengthy restoration, or to investment vehicles kept in storage, for example. Provided your details are accurately held on record, the DVLA will send you a ‘Vehicle Licence Application/Statutory Off Road Notification’ form ‘V11’ about three weeks before your tax disc is due for renewal.

Your Road Tax and the DVLA

For each car you own, you must either obtain a Tax Disc from the DVLA, or declare SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) if a car is not using public highways. This applies to cars off road for lengthy restoration, or to investment vehicles kept in storage, for example.

Provided your details are accurately held on record, the DVLA will send you a ‘Vehicle Licence Application/Statutory Off Road Notification’ form ‘V11’ about three weeks before your tax disc is due for renewal.

How to obtain your tax disc or declare SORN	You can purchase the Road Tax disc to cover periods of either 6 or 12 months at a time. You can do this at any Post Office by presenting the ‘V11’ form, your current MOT Test Certificate and Your Cover (or other valid) insurance certificate, but the DVLA now encourages all drivers to do this online. Directgov provides online facilities for you to: apply for a Tax Disc or declare SORN If you decide to do this online, you will need your ‘V11’ form, your Vehicle Registration document (‘V5C’), your DLA404 if you claim disability exemption, and your debit or credit card. A handling charge of £2.50 is made for credit card payments. You may also apply by phone by calling 0300 123 4321.

How to obtain your tax disc or declare SORN

You can purchase the Road Tax disc to cover periods of either 6 or 12 months at a time. You can do this at any Post Office by presenting the ‘V11’ form, your current MOT Test Certificate and Your Cover (or other valid) insurance certificate, but the DVLA now encourages all drivers to do this online.

Directgov provides online facilities for you to:

If you decide to do this online, you will need your ‘V11’ form, your Vehicle Registration document (‘V5C’), your DLA404 if you claim disability exemption, and your debit or credit card. A handling charge of £2.50 is made for credit card payments.

You may also apply by phone by calling 0300 123 4321.

Making sure the DVLA have your correct details	It’s important to tell the DVLA if you change your address, so that they can write to you to remind you when it’s time to renew your Tax Disc. To do this, take your Vehicle Registration document (form ‘V5C’), fill in your new contact details in section 6, sign it and hand it in at any Post Office along with your ‘V11' Tax Disc application.

Terms and conditions contained in the policy documentation apply. Download the policy documentation here.

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If you need help at any stage whilst you are building your Car insurance cover, our knowledgeable UK customer centre staff are available to assist you on 0800 975 3247.

Your Cover is a product from Allianz Insurance plc, registered in England no 84638 at 57 Ladymead, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1DB, United Kingdom. Allianz Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, registration number 121849 and this can be checked by visiting the FSA website at www.fsa.gov.uk or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.

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