The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will introduce new rules for MOT testers from Friday, January 9, 2026
The DVSA has announced MOT changes which kick in from January 9, 2026. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will introduce the new rules for testing garages in the New Year.
Under the new changes testers and authorised examiner principals (AEP) will be limited from holding MOT roles during a 2-year or 5-year disciplinary cessation.If you are an MOT tester and have been given a 2-year or 5-year cessation, you cannot hold any MOT roles for the entire duration of that cessation, the Labour Party government has announced, BirminghamLive reports.
If you are the AEP of a single-site authorised examiner that has been issued a 2-year or 5-year cessation or multi-site authorised examiner where all sites have been issued a 2-year or 5-year cessation, then you cannot hold any MOT roles for the entire duration of your cessation. The MOT testing guide will be updated on January 9 2026 to reflect these changes.
Announcing the news, the DVSA said: “This special notice tells you about how testers and authorised examiner principals (AEP) will not be able to hold any MOT roles following a 2 or 5 year cessation from 9 January 2026.”
Currently in the UK, all cars over three-years-old must legally have an MOT test carried out every year by an approved testing centre. The test checks the technical elements of your vehicle to make sure it’s safe to drive, and detects toxic emissions that could harm the environment.
The DVSA previously revealed plans to combat MOT fraud through a new trial that involves photography in 2025. When the future strategy for MOTs was outlined in 2023, one of the primary focuses was tackling fraud and making it easier to identify and assist those who make mistakes.
As part of this new initiative, MOT testers will be required to take a photo of the vehicle and submit the details on the Gov.uk website. The photo will be added to the vehicle’s record in an effort to reduce the risk of ‘ghost MOTs’ and help prevent genuine errors.
