Getting an MOT During the COVID-19 Crisis

The Government has confirmed that motorcycle and scooter owners will be granted with an MOT exemption in battle against coronavirus in the UK.

They have introduced the temporary exemption to enable vital services to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people to get essential food and medicine during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Motorcycle and scooter owners have been granted a 6-month exemption from MOT testing, enabling them to continue to travel to work where this absolutely cannot be done from home, or shop for necessities such as food and medicine.

All motorcycle and scooters (also cars and vans) which usually would require an MOT test will be exempted from needing a test from 30 March 2020. Motorcycles and scooters must remain in a roadworthy condition as rider can be prosecuted if driving riding bikes.

We must ensure those on the frontline of helping the nation combat COVID-19 are able to do so. Allowing this temporary exemption from vehicle testing will enable vital services such as deliveries to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people to get essential food and medicine.
Grant Shapps (Transport Secretary)

Legislation was introduced on 30th March 2020 and has come into immediate effect for 12 months, following a short consultation with key organisations.

How the 6-month extension works

Your motorcycle or scooter’s MOT expiry date will be automatically extended by 6 months if it’s eligible. This will be done just before it’s due to expire.

The extension means that:

• your vehicle will still have a valid MOT certificate for an extra 6 months
• you still must tax your vehicle – you might need to wait to do this until later in the month if both your MOT and vehicle tax run out this month
• your insurance will still be valid
• your vehicle’s record will be updated so the police can see you have a valid MOT

You will not get a new paper MOT certificate with the new expiry date on it.

What do you need to do?

Your motorcycle or scooter’s MOT expiry date will only be updated a few days before it was originally due to expire.

• Three days before your MOT was originally due to expire, check the expiry date has been extended.

If the expiry date has not been extended 3 days before it was due to expire, email [email protected]. In your email, make sure you include the date your MOT expired and your motorcycle or scooter’s registration number (number plate).