Exempt from MOT

[Johnathan Rees]

Hello!
My Land Rover is old enough not to need an MOT anymore, how do I notify DVLA?
Reg number KBU 796L.
Cheers
Jonathan

[Gordon Lowe]

Following.  I was just talking about this with someone last night

[autorover1]

I didnt tell anyone . DVLA know how old the vehicle is  but its up to you to get an MoT if its not exempt for any reason

[GlenAnderson]

When the time comes to tax it, just tick the box declaring it exempt from MoT.

[Old Hywel]

Tax it as Historic at a Post Office. They will send off your V5 and, magically, a new one will arrive bearing the new tax class.

[Peter Holden]

What everyone has told you is true but if you have any difficulties email me my email address is in B2L

Peter

[Gibbo103]

Surely it depends when during the L reg period it was registered. If it was registered in 73, my understanding is that it will become historic on 1st April next year.

[Old Hywel]

Catch up Gibbo!
Historic is into the 80s now.

[2286]

Unless there is something irregular about the date of first registration, if it has been in service or used off highway.

That is when the year of manufacture comes in, and if the vehicle is as built or cannot be substantiated.

That is where Peter would come in as VRO.

[AlexB]

Seems a little confusion in the previous posts regarding Historic Vehicle (road "tax" class) and declaration of VHI (Vehicle of historic interest) which is MOT exemption

Glen had the simplest answer regarding MOT exemption (VHI)

[2286]

Ok so simple dvla check reveals

Vehicle Details
Vehicle make   LAND ROVER
Date of first registration   December 1972
Year of manufacture   1972
Cylinder capacity   2286 cc
CO₂ emissions   Not available
Fuel type   DIESEL
Euro status   Not available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)   Not available
Export marker   No
Vehicle status   Taxed
Vehicle colour   BLUE
Vehicle type approval   Not available
Wheelplan   2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight   Not available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued   28 January 2023

Both Registration and manufacture both 1972, so assuming vehicle is not substantially altered as per declaration will be both mot and tax exempt.

[Ian F]

Of interest to our Scottish readers, and only going off at a slight tangent:

I just checked my 1991 Volvo 945 in relation to the Scottish LEZs, and to my surprise found that it is exempt from a charge. All vehicles over 30 years old are likewise exempt (but not"historic" according to the UK rules).

Very unexpected!

Ian F

[Kevswb]

I just don't get why so many people are so keen to get their vehicle MOT exempt. Surely having an inspection once a year is good from an insurance & safety point of view and yes I know it's only at that particular moment in time.
Recently I have seen several vehicles on the road declared as MOT exempt which would have failed spectacularly!
Not a rant just an observation. 👍
Cheers

[diffwhine]

Its a fair point when it comes to Land Rovers. The statistics suggest that classic car owners maintain their vehicles to a high standard and would pass a standard inspection. Land Rovers are an odd one in that they also are often daily drivers and take a hammering. Add DIY maintenance and you are right - I too have seen some horrors.

Statiscally, exempt vehicles are less of a risk per mile than those newer vehicles running normal average mileages. The MOT actually can be counterproductive as it is no longer set up to cater for this sort of vehicle and often the testers are ignorant of the idiosyncrasies of classic cars. The onus remains on us to run safe vehicles on the road irrespective of any MOT test, so exception must not be regarded as anything more than a small annual cost saving. It does not negate our obligation to run roadworthy vehicles.

There is currently insufficient capacity in the MOT system to cater for all vehicles and this is one of the prime reasons why this exemption was introduced. For years, I've advocated a lesser annual check for these vehicles so that at least the basics are covered. The problem is one of liability - the MOT is a defined process with strict guidelines. An informal check by your local garage will uncover most things, but if they miss something, there is a public liability issue - especially if there is no written report.

A difficult one, but currently I think a standard modern MOT on a classic vehicle serves little purpose and could lull the owner into a false sense of security given the knowledge levels of the average tester.

I'd advocate paying a local Land Rover specialist for half an hour labour to bung it up on a lift and have a good look around.

[AlexB]

Ok so simple dvla check reveals


Both Registration and manufacture both 1972, so assuming vehicle is not substantially altered as per declaration will be both mot and tax exempt.

A small but important point,
MOT exemption is via the declaration Free Tax is a change of taxation class to Historic vehicle, which involves more that a declaration.