Why Have The Done Away With The Paper Copy Of An Mot?

[Quenched]

Had my car MOT today. 

Luckily it passed with only an advisory due to a slight crack in the passenger side wing mirror. 

 

But when I went to collect the car, I said to the guy in the MOT centre, where is my MOT certificate, and he said we have gone paperless, and all the details are online. 

 

I'm thinking but I'm planning on selling the car soon, but I won't have a certificate to show the potential buyer. Of course as a buyer I like to see if there are any advisories I need to worry about before buying it. 

 

How can someone pull up these details online if its just a private sale?

 

Or am I missing something here? 

[tomus42]

Anyone can go online and check the MOT status of a vehicle. You just need the reg no. Same with road tax.

[Buenchico]

As has been said, MOT test results are in the public domain.  So, for example, if you were thinking of travelling some distance to view a secondhand car, then (as long as you've got its registration number) you can check up on its MOT history before you set out.  

Unlike the paper document, if a vehicle fails its MOT test because (say) it needs a lot of welding done before then subsequently passing, an online check will show the initial failure as well as the later pass.  That could be a useful warning to a potential purchaser that the vehicle is nearing the end of its life.

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

[Maydup]

And all the advisories are listed too.

[barry1010]

It's a great system

[netherfield]

I've an app on my phone called 'Vehicle Smart' type in a reg number and it brings up details, reminds me when my car is due a test or licence, Great if you want details of an old vehicle you spot or check if the taxi you're in has any defects, works with all vehicles trucks, buses, motorbikes.

[barry1010]

I use Vehicle Smart to see if the vehicles on Car SOS, Wheeler Dealers and Bangers & Cash are on the road.

Handy to refer to all my old MOT s too, all the advisories 

[davebro3]

In autotrader etc. adverts some of the (usually bigger) dealers put their own logo sticker over the car's number plate. I'm sure the cars are probably fine & you could get the MoT details if you asked them but it does make me think "What have they got to hide?".

[barry1010]

If I was interested in buying the car, I'd certainly ask the dealer for the reg before I left home. No reg, no inspection.

 

[windywillow]

If you ask, the garage will print you a paper copy (well they did for us last month when we had the MOT done).

[Quenched]

windywillow, 

Believe it or not I did ask that favour, but they said sorry the whole idea of this is to go paperless. 

 

My only complaint with this is it doesn't feel like I have an official MOT certificate I can file away. 

 

I actually was bummed out when they stopped issuing the paper tax discs we all had to by law display in the bottom left hand side of the windscreen. 

 

I often wonder what will happen one day when we all suffer a major Internet outage, how will we ever cope? 

[bednobs]

Davebro, maybe it's because a lot of n bigger garages will do an MOT when they have sold it so it comes with 12 months worth?

[jourdain2]

I'm still very uneasy that I haven't got a paper copy of my Car insurance to carry around.  I've written out the basic details on paper so I have it.  Electronics are so unreliable - or I am... I'd be as likely to delete the paperwork as share it.

[ToraToraTora]

https://vehiclesmart.com/?vrm=N123BOF

you don't need paper.

[Quenched]

bednobs, 

But by law you can't present your car for a new MOT until so many days before the old one expires. 

 

So for example if I only have 6 months MOT left I can't present it to be MOT 'd again until another 6 months or close to it.

 

This was so that garages couldn't just stick a new MOT on the vehicle to sell them, its been that way for as long as I can remember. Even with the paper certificate. 

[ToraToraTora]

21:11 not true, you can have a new MOT every day if you like. If you present you car for MOT within 28 days of expiry the new MOT will be tacked on so you can have almost 13 months MOT in theory. The paper means nowt anyway these days everyone checks on line.

[Quenched]

ToraToraTora, 

Thats debatable though isn't it for reasons I have mentioned. Internet outage, or no signal where you go to see the car. Which would include no way of haggling. 

 

Plus I agree with what someone else said about having your insurance online only. The problem with no paperwork to show the police if they need to see it if your stopped in a zero signal area could be embarrassing. We have lots of areas around here that has zero mobile data. 

[Quenched]

ToraToraTora, 

Well I dont check everything online, I much prefer a paper copy. 

 

I think we're heading into a very weird era myself. 

[ToraToraTora]

I check as much as I can before I even think about contacting the seller. Past MOTs are invaluable to know what's happened.

[bednobs]

Of course you can get an MOT whenever you want!

[barry1010]

If you've got a printer, print off your MOT, tax and insurance if you must have a paper copy.