An annual test carried out on all motor vehicles over a certain age to ensure that they comply with certain legal requirements relating to vehicle maintenance. The test covers brakes, steering, lights and indicators, windscreen wipers and washers, the exhaust system, horn, tyres (and to some extent, the wheels), bodywork and suspension (in so far as they affect the brakes and steering), and seat belts. It is an offence to use a motor vehicle that has been registered for over three years (five years in Northern Ireland) without a valid test certificate. A certificate is issued for twelve months and must be renewed annually; a vehicle that is subject to a test cannot be licensed without a test certificate. It is not an endorsable offence not to have an MOT certificate. An MOT certificate does not indicate that the vehicle is roadworthy in all respects and is not a defence to charges brought under the vehicle construction and maintenance regulations.
The Oxford Dictionary of Law Enforcement. © 2007
Oxford University Press.
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