Terms and Conditions

The vehicles subject to test under the regulations are divided into the following classes.

Class 1

Class 1 vehicles are motorcycles and motorcycle combinations up to 200cc and electrically powered solo motorcycles with not more than 4kW maximum continuous rated power and a maximum design speed up to 45km/h (28mph).

They can be category L1, L3 or L4.

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

Class 2

Class 2 vehicles are all motorcycles and motorcycle combinations, including electrically powered variants, other than those in category L1.

They can be category L3 or L4.

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

Class 3

Class 3 vehicles are 3 wheeled vehicles not more than 450kg unladen weight (excluding motor bicycles with side cars).

They can be category L2e or L5e.

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

Class 4

Class 4 vehicles can be:

• cars, passenger vehicles, motor caravans, private hire vehicles, motor tricycles, quadricycles and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with up to eight passenger seats
• goods vehicles not exceeding 3,000kg design gross weight (DGW)
• taxis and ambulances with up to eight passenger seats
• passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles with nine to twelve passenger seats

Cars, passenger vehicles, motor caravans, private hire vehicles, motor tricycles, quadricycles and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with up to eight passenger seats

They can be category L5e, L6e, L7e, M1 or N1.

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

Goods vehicles not exceeding 3,000kg design gross weight (DGW)

They will be category N1.

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

Taxis and ambulances with up to eight passenger seats

They will be category M1.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles with nine to twelve passenger seats

They must either:

• be fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction
• be identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built
• have been tested as class 4A, 5A or 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted

They will be category M2 or M3.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

For the purpose of calculating the seating capacity on a passenger carrying vehicle fitted with bench type seats, allow a length of 400 mm measured horizontally for each seated passenger.

Taxis included in this table are those which are not exempt from MOT testing – see Section C. Designated councils, taxis and private hire vehicles.

Please refer to the appropriate MOT inspection manual to find out the minimum number of seat belts required on a particular age and type of vehicle.

If the vehicle is electrically powered, their unladen weight must not include the weight of the batteries.

If there is doubt about the power output or the weight of the vehicle, the presenter must provide documentary evidence.

Taxis and private hire vehicles may be subject to additional local requirements.

4 x 4 pickup and crew cab type vehicles with a DGW over 3000kg up to and including 3500kg are to be considered dual purpose vehicles for test purposes where no unladen weight data is available if they meet all other criteria in either option A or option B detailed within Section 2.2 Dual purpose vehicles.

American pickup means a motor vehicle with a manufacturer’s declaration (on a plate on the vehicle) that it meets the motor vehicle safety standards applicable under the law in the United States of America or Canada(c) and is capable of carrying a driver and at least one passenger; or is capable of carrying goods in an open load bed separate from the driver/passenger compartment, with or without a removable cover; and has a gross design weight over 3,000kg but does not exceed 6,500kg.

Class 4A

The class 4A test is the normal class 4 test with the addition of a check on the installation of certain seat belts.

It’s for 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 either:

• are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built
• have not been tested as class 4A, 5A or 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted

They will be category M2 or M3.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

For the purpose of calculating the seating capacity on a passenger carrying vehicle fitted with bench type seats, allow a length of 400 mm measured horizontally for each seated passenger.

Please refer to the appropriate MOT inspection manual to find out the minimum number of seat belts required on a particular age and type of vehicle.

Class 4A tests may only be carried out at class 5 test stations.

Class 5

Class 5 vehicles are private passenger vehicles, ambulances and motor caravans, in all cases with thirteen or more passenger seats (including community and play buses, etc.) that are either:

• fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction
• identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation to all seats when built
• previously tested as class 5A or class 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted

They will be category M2 or M3.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

Taxis included in this table are those which are not exempt from MOT testing – see Section C. Designated councils, taxis and private hire vehicles.

Class 4A tests may only be carried out at class 5 test stations.

This guide does not cover the testing of class 6 and 6a vehicles. These vehicles are tested by DVSA testers and are carried out at DVSA testing stations and other designated premises.

Taxis and private hire vehicles may be subject to additional local requirements.

Class 5A

The class 5A test is the normal class 5 test with the addition of a check on the installation of certain seat belts.

It’s for passenger vehicles, ambulances and motor caravans 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 either:

• are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built
• have not been tested as class 5A or class 6A (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted

They will be category M2 or M3.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

Taxis included in this table are those which are not exempt from MOT testing – see Section C. Designated councils, taxis and private hire vehicles.

Class 4A tests may only be carried out at class 5 test stations.

This guide does not cover the testing of class 6 and 6a vehicles. These vehicles are tested by DVSA testers and are carried out at DVSA testing stations and other designated premises.

Class 6 and 6A

Class 6 and 6A vehicles are public service vehicles (PSVs).

They will be category M2 or M3.

Their first test will be required after 1 year.

If the vehicle is electrically powered, their unladen weight must not include the weight of the batteries.

Class 7

Class 7 vehicles are:

• goods vehicles over 3,000kg up to and including 3,500kg DGW – they will be category N1
• zero emission goods vehicles over 3,500kg up to and including 4,250kg DGW – they will be category N2

Their first test will be required after 3 years.

This guide does not cover the testing of class 6 and 6a vehicles. These vehicles are tested by DVSA testers and are carried out at DVSA testing stations and other designated premises.

Taxis and private hire vehicles may be subject to additional local requirements.

4 x 4 pickup and crew cab type vehicles with a DGW over 3000kg up to and including 3500kg are to be considered dual purpose vehicles for test purposes where no unladen weight data is available if they meet all other criteria in either option A or option B detailed within Section 2.2 Dual purpose vehicles.

2.1 Exemptions

Detailed legislation on vehicles exempt from the MOT is set out in the Motor Vehicles Test Regulations 1981 regulation 6 (as amended), and in the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 189.

Examples of vehicles exempted from MOT testing include:

• those constructed or first registered more than 40 years ago and not substantially modified
• track laying vehicles
• vehicles constructed or adapted to form part of an articulated combination
• works trucks
• trailers
• pedestrian controlled mechanically propelled vehicles
• electrically powered pedal cycles

Legislation also exempts vehicles used in particular ways, for example travelling to and from test, or particular places, such as on some islands, from the need to have a valid MOT test certificate.

Trailers constructed or adapted for the carriage of goods or burden with an unladen weight of more than 1,020kg and vehicles forming part of an articulated combination are subject to HGV plating and testing.

2.2 Dual purpose vehicles

A dual purpose vehicle is one that:

• is constructed or adapted for the carriage of both passengers and goods or burden of any description
• has an unladen weight (ULW) not exceeding 2,040kg
• is constructed as defined in either option A or option B below

Option A

The vehicle is so constructed or adapted so that the driving power of the engine, is, or by the use of the appropriate controls can be, transmitted to all the wheels of the vehicle.

Option B

The vehicle is permanently fitted with a rigid roof, with or without a sliding panel.

The area to the rear of the driver’s seat must be:

• permanently fitted with at least one row of transverse seats (fixed or folding) for two or more passengers, and those seats must be properly sprung or cushioned and provided with upholstered backrests, attached either to the seats or to a side or the floor of the vehicle
• lit on each side and at the rear by a window or windows of glass or other transparent material having an aggregate area of not less than 1,850cm² on each side and not less than 770cm² at the rear

The distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the backrests of the row of transverse seats satisfying the requirements specified above, (or, if there is more than one such row of seats, the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the backrests of the rearmost such row) must, when the seats are ready for use, be not less than one third of the distance between the rearmost part of the steering wheel and the rearmost part of the floor of the vehicle.

2.3 Motor caravans

A motor caravan is “a motor vehicle (not being a living van) which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its users”.

Motor caravans are not classed as goods vehicles for MOT test purposes and are therefore in class 4 or 5 depending on their seating capacity but regardless of their size or weight.

2.4 Living vans

A living van is “a vehicle, whether mechanically propelled or not, which is used for living accommodation by one or more persons and which is also used for the carriage of goods or burden which are not needed by such one or more persons for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle”.

Living vans may be type approved as either:

• passenger vehicles (M1, M2 or M3)
• goods vehicles (N1, N2 or N3)

Living vans approved as passenger vehicles must be tested as class 4 or class 5 depending on their seating capacity.

Living vans approved as N1 goods vehicles, are in either class 4 or 7 depending on their design gross weight (DGW).

Living vans approved as N2 or N3 goods vehicles (DGW over 3500kg) are subject to HGV plating and testing.

2.5 Play buses

A play bus is a motor vehicle which was originally constructed to carry more than 12 passengers but which has been adapted primarily for the carriage of playthings for children.

2.6 Ambulance

An ambulance is a motor vehicle which is specially designed and constructed (and not merely adapted) for carrying, as equipment permanently fixed to the vehicle, equipment used for medical, dental, or other health purposes and is used primarily for the carriage of persons suffering from illness, injury or disability.

2.7 Tricycles

A motor tricycle is a three wheeled vehicle with wheels symmetrically arranged, a maximum speed over 45km/h, or engine size over 50cc.

If the motor tricycle has an unladen weight not more than 450kg it is a class 3 test.

2.8 Quadricycles

A light quadricycle is a four wheeled vehicle with:

• a maximum unladen weight of 425kg
• a maximum speed of 45km/h
• not over 50cc for an internal combustion engine or 4kW for any other engine or electric motor

Sub classification category L6e-BP / L6e-BU is a vehicle equipped with:

• a maximum of two seating positions, including the seating position for the driver and enclosed driving and passenger compartment
• access by a maximum of three sides
• a maximum continuous rated or net power of 6kW
• the vehicle type-approval number recorded on the manufacturer’s plate (L6e-BP / L6e-BU)

A heavy quadricycle (L7e) is a four-wheeled vehicle with:

• a maximum unladen weight of 450kg (600kg for goods vehicles)
• a design speed of over 45km/h    
• over 50cc for internal combustion engines, and a net engine power not over 15kW
• payload not over 1000kg if designed for goods

2.9 Moped

A moped is a vehicle with:

• a maximum speed of 45km/h
• not over 50cc for a petrol engine or 4kW for any other engine or electric motor