Hi All it's been a while!

My car is now tax and obviously not MOT Exempt. What should one do? The car was declared Historic a couple of years ago and I have been ticking the MOT exemption box as accurate at the point of 'taxing' the car in this year and last. I know this is not strictly correct as it is a significantly modified vehicle etc. etc.

If I tick the 'this is not correct box' it talks about taxing it at the Post Office. So the car is Historic status but really requires an MOT. Can anyone advise? What are others doing? Many Thanks, Mike

Is this doing it on line or in a PO?

it requires an mot if the significant mods were done less than 30 years ago.

surely you just get an mot, and then tax it online.

ps I prefer to say free tax, not exempt, because you do have to tax it, just at a zero rate.

This does seem to be a grey area. I wasn't aware you could properly have a vehicle that was just taxed as historic but not MOT exempt. Surely if it correctly qualifies as historic it is both free tax and no MOT, if it doesn't it is neither.

I know that there are some odd interpretations for vehicles registered with age related plates and mistakes have been made by DVLA when registering them.

I believe, but may be wrong, that the correct interpretation for a kit car that meets the criteria for an age related plate is that it becomes historic at the later of 40 years from the age related age and 30 years from the significant modification (the building and registering of the kit). If you haven't passed both periods then you shouldn't be tax free or MOT free.

I know some kits were registered incorrectly e.g. a kit registered on an age related plate might say on the V5 that it was first registered on the age related year when in fact it was registered sometime after that. In that case does that mistake by DVLA qualify you for historic status? Morally no it doesn't but maybe the mistake by DVLA stands and it does qualify and in that case it is for both tax and MOT but what it if it were ever challenged?

Basically it's on an age related plate so I went to the post office and changed it to historic vehicle status a couple of years ago. No problem, the system will only allow them to do this if it qualifies. DVLA then send you a new V5 which clearly identifies the vehicle's historic status. From then on you can tax the car (£ Nil) on line. However it is also made plain that if it it is a radically altered historic vehicle (which is indeed stated on the V5) it will still need an MOT. There seems to be no easy way of confirming the historic status as well as the significantly altered bit.

Maybe I should just take it for an MOT. My guess is that no data base check make by Mr Plod would reveal an issue. Age related plate and pretty much a Lotus 7 replica. However if one were to have an accident, the issue might look very different, especially from the point of view of the insurance company. I don't have an issue with taking it for an MOT. I just wonder how the system 'joins all this up'.

Tax exemption should be from date of first reg so when was it registered? Age related plates are within the last 30 years so technically its not tax exempt.
Mot exemption does not include kit cars unless a built from all new parts such as a Catering Van 7 and then some have reported problems. To qualify for MOT exempt the car much not have been modified from original except where original parts such as vital brake parts for example are no longer available.
Any q plate what ever the reason for the q plate can never be mot exempt.
You can check all this out on the relevant .gov websites
I've been all through this as my kit car was registered as new in 1980 and not on a q, but they still wont let me have mot exempt

ok, just tried this myself, with a modified historic car that will be mot exempt from next month, (ie not yet but soon) yes you have to apply at a main post office.
much simpler for a modified car after 30 years...


Not MOT/GVT test certificate exempt
You have declared the vehicle is not exempt from the requirement to produce a MOT/GVT Test Certificate.

To apply for vehicle tax…

You will need to apply at a Post Office® branch that deals with vehicle tax using the registration certificate together with the test certificate (e.g. MOT if applicable) and fee. For vehicles registered to a Northern Ireland address you must also take an insurance certificate or cover note.

[Edited on 13/3/22 by gremlin1234]

[Edited on 13/3/22 by gremlin1234]

My spitfire is significantly modified (ST170 engine being the obvious bit) so althoi=gh Tax exempt, it still requires an MoT.
Nobody would be too bothered if I declared it MoT exempt.
But as mentioned IF anything serious happens, then people would probably get interested, and that could well end badly.
All in all, I REALLY do not like this MoT exemption. Too many old cars are just not roadworthy now. Maybe a less onerous MoT (ie on safety related?) or every 2 years.

quote:

---

Originally posted by cliftyhanger
My spitfire is significantly modified (ST170 engine being the obvious bit) so althoi=gh Tax exempt, it still requires an MoT.
Nobody would be too bothered if I declared it MoT exempt.
But as mentioned IF anything serious happens, then people would probably get interested, and that could well end badly.
All in all, I REALLY do not like this MoT exemption. Too many old cars are just not roadworthy now. Maybe a less onerous MoT (ie on safety related?) or every 2 years.

---

With the low annual mileages of most classics, I can see annual MOTs being OTT, but maybe they should have brought in a requirement for a 3 or 4 yearly inspection, plus an annual requirement if a set annual mileage is exceeded or the last MOT showed the start of corrosion that may have progressed in the meantime.

quote:

---

Originally posted by CosKev3

quote:

---

Originally posted by cliftyhanger
My spitfire is significantly modified (ST170 engine being the obvious bit) so althoi=gh Tax exempt, it still requires an MoT.
Nobody would be too bothered if I declared it MoT exempt.
But as mentioned IF anything serious happens, then people would probably get interested, and that could well end badly.
All in all, I REALLY do not like this MoT exemption. Too many old cars are just not roadworthy now. Maybe a less onerous MoT (ie on safety related?) or every 2 years.

---

Exactly my thoughts.

Why risk a prison sentence if someone dies in a accident you are responsible for for the sake of a £45 MOT.

Really is a stupid thing for them to bring in,some old classics will sit now never seeing any maintenance or inspection and then just be able to drive legally on the road as they fancy on a sunny day

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sanzomat
Being exempt from requiring an MOT test doesn't mean you are exempt from "construction and use" regs. The user still has to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before driving it on a public road and can still be prosecuted if stopped and it is found to not be roadworthy. Same if you have an MOT - it only shows it was roadworthy on the day it was tested. If you are stopped (or heaven forbid have an accident) a month after your MOT and something is found to be illegal it isn't a defence to say it has a recent MOT.

I guess there will be some folks who don't realise this and think that buying a 40 year old car means they don't have to keep it roadworthy but given that most 40 year old cars are likely to need quite a bit of TLC to not break down every othejr ourney then most owners are likely to know which end of a spanner is which and hopefully keep their pride and joy in legal condition too.

---

For me, an MOT is a second set of eyes on the safety aspects of my car. There have been several times for me that they've spotted stuff that I haven't had a chance to inspect, or didn't have a pry bar big enough to test. To me that's worth the MOT cost. I've also had an MOT and the next day had the lower ball joint fail and rip the front wheel off completely, so nothing is foolproof.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sanzomat

quote:

---

Originally posted by CosKev3

quote:

---

Originally posted by cliftyhanger
My spitfire is significantly modified (ST170 engine being the obvious bit) so althoi=gh Tax exempt, it still requires an MoT.
Nobody would be too bothered if I declared it MoT exempt.
But as mentioned IF anything serious happens, then people would probably get interested, and that could well end badly.
All in all, I REALLY do not like this MoT exemption. Too many old cars are just not roadworthy now. Maybe a less onerous MoT (ie on safety related?) or every 2 years.

---

Exactly my thoughts.

Why risk a prison sentence if someone dies in a accident you are responsible for for the sake of a £45 MOT.

Really is a stupid thing for them to bring in,some old classics will sit now never seeing any maintenance or inspection and then just be able to drive legally on the road as they fancy on a sunny day

---

Being exempt from requiring an MOT test doesn't mean you are exempt from "construction and use" regs. The user still has to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before driving it on a public road and can still be prosecuted if stopped and it is found to not be roadworthy. Same if you have an MOT - it only shows it was roadworthy on the day it was tested. If you are stopped (or heaven forbid have an accident) a month after your MOT and something is found to be illegal it isn't a defence to say it has a recent MOT.

I guess there will be some folks who don't realise this and think that buying a 40 year old car means they don't have to keep it roadworthy but given that most 40 year old cars are likely to need quite a bit of TLC to not break down every other journey then most owners are likely to know which end of a spanner is which and hopefully keep their pride and joy in legal condition too.

---

I have an age related plate (1978), but the registration clearly states that first registration (in its current guise) is 2004, so a bit perplexed how the taxation class was allowed to be 'historic'. Basically, the 'real' year is from when the SVA/IVA was passed.

As for no MOT you are obliged to keep it in roadworthy condition otherwise your insurance is null and void, therefore it makes sense as others have said, to take it for an MOT, explaining that although it does not legally require one, you want to be sure of its roadworthiness, and for peace of mind re insurance. I don't know of any MOT facility that would refuse this!

As others have said, the price of an MOT is a small price to pay for peace of mind. I feel that I must also add that it is wise to remember that with every car, an MOT pass means that your car was passed as roadworthy on the day it was presented, and if any recommendations were noted, it is best all round if they are attended too. HTH