The MOT Scheme is managed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport. Vehicles covered by the MOT Scheme include motorcycles, cars and light goods vehicles.
The MOT scheme is primarily a road safety measure designed to ensure as far as possible that all cars, motorcycles and light goods vehicles more than 3 years old:
- Are properly maintained
- At least once a year are examined at an authorized MOT test station to make sure that they comply with certain important requirements of the law
If you have a car that is more than 3 years old it will need an MOT test each year to ensure that it meets at least the minimum road safety and environmental standards. Records of MOT test results are now held on a secure central computerized database called MOT Computerization.
Motinfo.gov.uk provides information about MOT tests carried out by garages using MOT Computerization. Results of MOT tests carried out before the new system was introduced in April 2005 are not held on the database. You may use this site to obtain information about a test on a vehicle in which you have a legitimate interest. For example, you are the owner, registered keeper or are about to buy the vehicle.
We have read that many believe that an out of date MOT voids your insurance coverage and that if you make a claim you must have valid tax and MOT. With further research it appears that with a MOT you may invalidate your insurance but it will depend upon the terms of your policy.
In the UK some insurance policies say that it is a breach of your insurance policy if the vehicle is not in roadworthy condition while others say specifically you must have an MOT to keep your insurance in place. Though if you are only in an accident with minor damage and your vehicle is not written off, then MOT may not be requested.
Insurance agents in the UK note that if the vehicle is written off due to a situation such as yours, where the car was stolen, there is the possibility that you may get a lower value for the car, typically the trade in value you would expect from a dealer. The insurer's motor engineer will check the car for roadworthiness. An issue you might have is if there is a defect on the car that would have been picked up by the MOT.
Also we saw in our research a situation where a person had her car stolen and the lack of an MOT did not invalidate her insurance in any way since it does not require a MOT to prove roadworthiness to have you car sitting in your driveway. The lack of an MOT could not contribute to the fact that the car was stolen. You would need to speak with your insurance agent about the value of the vehicle however the value paid out by your insurance company, as in other similar circumstances, would then depend on the proof which you could provide to them of the value of the stolen car.
Speak your insurance agent to make sure the terms of your insurance policy does not keep them from paying you for your stolen car due to your out of date MOT. Likely it will not, however since you did not have this certificate of roadworthiness you may need to prove the worth of your car at the time it was stolen.
A person in your position stated that they had to go to their normal mechanic's garage to get an estimate from them as to how much (in their opinion) the car would be worth along with any supporting documentation of repair bills, servicing, photographs of the car etc. Because the person could supply the last MOT and all the supporting documentation their insurance provider requested, they agreed to pay the full market value (ACV) of the vehicle at that time.
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