08/08/2026
Massive surge in MOT bookings as government considers new rule which could see points on licence
Consultation response document to be published in August - with potential fines and having car seized immediately
The government is planning changes to the law around not having a valid MOT(Image: Getty)
Warnings that the Andy Burnham government is considering imposing new tougher penalties on people driving without MOTs including points on licence and car immedialtey seized has sparked a surge in bookings. Police forces and road safety bodies have expressed concerns to the government that certain offences do not carry sufficient sanctions, such as penalty points or vehicle confiscation.
The Andy Burnham administration is set to shortly release the results of a consultation into its Road Safety Strategy. The Department for Transport is contemplating harsher penalties for a variety of offences, including not having a valid MOT, driving without insurance, cases where a vehicle owner cannot be identified, and the use of ‘ghost’ or cloned number plates.
In the wake of reports on MOT booking site said it has seen a big rise in people making sure they get theirs done in time. New analysis of a sample size of over 350,000 bookings from BookMyGarage (a UK comparison site for MOTs, servicing, and repairs, shows a clear drop in advance planning. A year ago, nearly six in ten drivers booked their MOT at least four weeks before expiry. Over the latest three-month period, that figure fell to fewer than four in ten.
350,000 bookings reveals a 60% year-on-year rise in overdue MOT bookings. Nearly 1 in 5 (17.74%) MOT bookings involved a vehicle that was already overdue when booked or became overdue by the appointment date.
The number of drivers planning ahead is dropping, with those booking their MOT four weeks early falling from 59.3% to just 38.1% over the past year. 1 in 4 (26%) motorists book their MOT after 10pm for a next-day appointment.
Jessica Potts, Chief Marketing Officer at BookMyGarage, said, “Modern drivers expect vehicle maintenance to fit around their busy schedules. Around 26% of motorists now book after 10pm for the following morning, with 54% of our partner garages providing rapid same-day or next-day MOT slots to keep drivers safe and legal on the road.
Our data suggests that timely reminders can have a significant impact, with customers who receive a prompt currently 55% less likely to miss their MOT deadline. This shows drivers are not intentionally ignoring their responsibilities but simply forgetting.
“While we never encourage leaving safety checks until the last minute, our data shows how vital round-the-clock access has become. Around 26% of motorists now book after 10pm for the following morning, with 54% of our partner garages providing rapid same-day or next-day MOT slots to keep drivers safe and legal on the road.
“Drivers should be aware that the government is considering stricter penalties for driving without a valid MOT, including the introduction of penalty points and the possibility of vehicle seizure.
Once your MOT has expired, you can only legally drive your car to a pre-booked test or a garage for repairs, and it must remain insured. Driving without a valid MOT risks a £1,000 fine and can invalidate your insurance if you are involved in an accident.
“You can book your MOT appointment months in advance, scheduling the test for anytime within the month before your current MOT certificate expires. For example, if your MOT is due on October 20th, you can book today for a test date of the 21st of September and preserve your original MOT renewal date.”
The Department for Trasnsport consultation ended on May 16, with a promise to publish responses ‘within three months’ with changes to legislation ‘later this year’, meaning the next stage should be reached by August 16.
The policy looks into various areas including drink and drug driving, medical fitness to drive - encompassing mandatory vision tests for those aged over 70 and non-compliance with seatbelt regulations. One aspect under scrutiny pertains to incidents which may necessitate harsher penalties.
The consultation highlighted: “Police and road safety groups have told the government they are concerned that some offences do not carry extra penalties, such as penalty points or vehicle seizure.”
These include offences related to:
• a vehicle’s roadworthiness (no MOT)
• where no current keeper is identifiable
• incorrect, altered or false number plates that prevent justice from being done
The policy suggests that changes are needed as criminals are exploiting legal loopholes. It said: “It’s harder for police to identify who is using a vehicle because some offenders go to great lengths to hide who owns it or who was driving - this makes it harder for the police to keep the public safe and pursue offenders.
“There is a significant amount of evidence of disguising a vehicle’s true ownership to avoid compliance with vehicle excise duty requirements and other payment requirements for the use of certain roads. This places an additional burden on those law-abiding drivers when revenue shortfall to the treasury due to fraud has to be made up.
The police currently have the powers to seize a vehicle from those driving while uninsured, or not in accordance with their driving licence. The use of this power has to be proportionate and allows police to use their discretion not to seize where they feel that is an appropriate decision based on the merits of each situation.”
Concerning motor insurance, the Government has pointed to the disparity in penalties between making fraudulent declarations to obtain motor insurance and driving without cover altogether. At present, while the false declaration offence could result in jail time and fines if pursued through the courts, most instances do not - and there exists no system to impose penalty points or ban the motorist.
By comparison, the punishments for driving while uninsured include a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points, or should the matter reach court, an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. For failing to possess a valid MOT, the Government is consulting on stricter penalties including issuing points and confiscating the vehicle.
A summary of responses will be published this month, the DfT said, ahead of the government moving to 'amend the legislation later this year'.
