UPDATE: UK MOTs for cars extended by six months

UPDATE 25 Mar 2020: The UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that it will grant an automatic six month MOT extension for cars, bikes and light vans. 

"From 30 March 2020, MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans will be extended by 6 months," the DVSA said. "This is being done to help prevent the spread of coronavirus."

So, let's say your MOT was due to expire on 3 April, it will now automatically expire on 3 October. You do not need to do anything to obtain a certificate - it's all being handled automatically.

If your vehicle is brand new and was due for its first MOT, then the extension will apply from whenever that first MOT was scheduled. However, cars that have already failed their MOTs will not be granted an extension and will need to get a new one. For this reason, MOT test centres will still remain open.

Elsewhere, MOT testing for lorries, buses and trailers has been suspended for up to three months, effective 21 March. All heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles will be issued with a three-month temporary exemption certificate.

The DVSA notes that these vehicles “must be maintained, kept safe to drive (roadworthy) and operate within the terms of operators’ licence conditions”.

Also, all car, motorcycle, lorry, coach and bus driving tests will be suspended for three months, unless you have a “critical need” for a test – if you work for the NHS, or as a delivery driver, for example.

And ‘Vehicle Approval Tests’ – where you’ve either built, rebuilt, altered, reconstructed a classic or imported a car – have also been suspended for three months.

“We are having to take big decisions to protect the public in our national battle against COVID-19,” the transport secretary Grant Shapps said.

We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.