This blog provides an update from our MOT Enforcement team on changes we are making to our reviews process from 1 April 2025.
The lion’s share of our work is targeted enforcement. This is led by intelligence sent to us from garages and the public, and data from assessing MOT garages. This assessment is known as a “site review” – which can either be onsite or offsite.
We’ve done site reviews for many years. It helps us to keep test stations operating as they should and allows us to “risk rate” – helping us target our efforts at garages that are most likely to have problems. The site review process also provides opportunity for advice and guidance.
Changing onsite reviews
For most garages, we will do an onsite review. However, these full onsite reviews can be time-consuming for our examiners and your teams. They don’t always tell us if vehicles tested are receiving the correct result, which is the most important bit.
With that in mind, we’re amending onsite reviews to make the process a bit slicker. This will help us focus on improving poorly performing garages and minimising disruption to your businesses.
What has changed?
Following a review and with feedback from industry, we are changing the onsite review to a more basic compliance check.
We will still be visiting garages for these, but rather than doing a deep dive into the systems and processes of running the garage, our aim is to focus more on the test results.
Why we're making these changes to site reviews
The change means less preparation time for garages and less time undertaking onsite reviews for us. This means we can visit more garages and provide support.
For Authorised Examiners (AEs), streamlining this should mean our visits are less disruptive, focusing on managing the quality of testing in garages.
At a minimum we will check that:
- the authorised “entity” is still running and in control of the site
- all the equipment is present and operational
- any vehicles undergoing tests are present at the site
- MOT Testing service security requirements are compliant
- the general presentation of the site complies with requirements
- vehicles are receiving a full and proper assessment by reinspecting one that has recently been tested
Streamlining our approach
Of course, we still expect good systems to be in place to manage people, quality control and the site. These are the basics that help ensure good quality MOT standards. So we may assess these to make sure they’re in place, checking that managers are taking this responsibility seriously. Where garages don’t provide information or have adequate systems, we will take action.
Our streamlined approach means we can carry out this basic compliance check whenever we visit a Vehicle Testing Station (VTS). Even if we are there to sign off a new tester or carry out an appeal, we can quickly check the site is well-run.
This new approach does not mean a reduction in the support we give to garages. In fact, with more focus on the test we hope that our examiners will be able to support and advise garages even more.
Off-site review to “VTS Self Assessments”
Where garages have a positive record with DVSA, in some cases we will conduct an offsite review instead of visiting the garage.
Following AE feedback, we are making some changes to the offsite review which will now be know as a “VTS Self Assessment”.
Moving to a self assessment form
As you may know, offsite reviews are currently carried out by phone calls. Often, the designated staff member isn’t available or the timing of the call is inconvenient resulting in a poor assessment for the VTS or it being cancelled.
To correct this, we will now email a self-assessment form to the nominated Authorised Examiner Designated Manager (AEDM). They will have 14 days to return the form, which DVSA will assess. This will make the process more flexible.
If there is no cause for concern this will result in no further action or where we have serious queries, it could trigger an on-site follow up visit.
This change will also help free up examiners to focus on other areas that demand their attention, such as new tester signoffs and garage approvals. It will provide more education and advice where needed and allow us to take action on non-compliant garages, so that MOT testing remains a level playing field for all.
Lowering the disciplinary points threshold so points don’t make surprises!
When we were researching what changes to make, we found that some low-level cases (where minor non-compliances were found through some type of DVSA visit or investigation) could have been resolved with advice and education.
To solve this, we are increasing the threshold for triggering consideration of disciplinary action from 30 to 40 points from 1 April 2025.
This helps us identify the best course of action and consider whether additional training is needed before we escalate matters to a disciplinary case.
Our aim is to foster a culture where we can help rectify issues and learn from them, rather than always taking action. Any common areas for retraining we identify will help us prepare better training materials for all VTSs.
Fit for the future
These changes will allow you to improve the quality of the test for your customers, identify issues as they arise, and help us to help you when we’re on-site.
We know that your priority will be to provide the best service possible to your customers and make sure their vehicles are safe to drive, and we want to help you maintain the high standards that you strive for.
However, this doesn’t mean DVSA won’t take enforcement action if we identify material issues, especially if they reoccur.
By focusing on support and streamlining these reviews, we can make the process quicker and provide exactly what’s needed – allowing us to concentrate on solving problems and for you to focus on running the garage well.
17 comments
Comment by Terry posted on
It'll be going along the lines of.. Are you behaving yourself ? = Yes
How likely are we to catch you up to no good ? = Not likely
Can you be trusted? = Of course.
End of assessment .
Not open to even more abuse at all !
Comment by Rabb posted on
Is it a good idea.?? Offsite / remote reviews is the reason that DVSA have changed their approach of vehicle registering on the MTS to verify said vehicle is physically present at time of testing, thus remote reviews doesn’t mean compliance and all regulatory standards of site and management are being sincere in their submission of returned documentation.
I can appreciate the vastness of MOT test facilities across the country which greatly reduce corporeal onsite reviews, maybe an alternating reviews from onsite and non-sited visits would suffice all.
Multiple-classification tester, South West.
Comment by mark mitchell posted on
the last time they checked my places 2/3 years ago it took 3and half hours i raised a complaint about this but no joy by the way they found everything ok and we need to get the prices sorted out as every bill in the garage has went up by 30/40 % this needs sorted out know not later
Comment by martin, motorcycle tester, essex posted on
what you really need to concentrate on is lobbying government to increase the test fees AND fixing them, so everyone charges the same price.
We have have heard from our landlord that at the end of this year our rent will be DOUBLING . That will also fore us to pay business rates, so in effect our outgoings will TRIPLE. Unless the mot prices go up we will be forced to close at the end of the year. Another family run company forced out of business by this government.
Who else is still charging 2010 prices for anything? . no one! in that time all our costs have gone up with no assistance and we cant charge any more because the prices are fixed..
Comment by Richard posted on
Let's say the government say OK we'll raise the price to £80 for a test,great for the mot stations, but not so great for the motorists. So the motorists will complain, the government will say OK, we need to save the motorists money now, so the government will introduce 3,2,2 testing, so now the mot stations have lost out once again.
Comment by Philip Lockwood posted on
All in all anything that lessens the adversarial approach to the checking process will help to lessen the us and them nature of the present system.
Thanks
Philip
Comment by Ian Baillie posted on
This is a positive move and can only help!
Comment by Barry posted on
Hi Chris, will the off-site review use the form DVSA0866
Comment by Mr Keith redman posted on
Very good news for the compliant garages out there,as this attitude to train and encourage testers, rather than a stick wielded over them constantly is definitely a good move and will make for a far less stressful relationship between testers and VEs
Comment by Paul McAlindon MOTCG posted on
You could further this and have garages automatically have to complete a self assessment form 6 monthly/ annually
Comment by RL posted on
Will an AED be able to submit the self assessment report if a large group for example?
Comment by Barry MOT Juice posted on
MOT Juice could pretty much automate this whole process, as our dealer groups already meet all the questions and standards that the form requires, Let's hope DVSA allow us to API back into them, which saves everyone time & money
Comment by Muhammed Rasul posted on
This will for sure keep the VTSs upto date and is a continuous process of monitoring, maintenance, and improvement.
Comment by Andy Reynolds posted on
Great news in stream lining the process and making it quicker. I don't know if I agree with a site being reviewed when a new tester gets his assessment. Surely a site that trains new testers should have positive points and not be penalised with extra time and pressure. It gives those that do nothing an advantage. So in theory 3 new testers a year could lead to 3 assessments, a non training VTS could be assessed possibly once every 24- 30 months.
Comment by Mark posted on
This is good news, education and support is more productive and encouraging rather than instant punishment 👍
Comment by iain atkins MOTQM posted on
any chance we can see a copy of this new form requesting info from the aedm so i can prep my garages i look after and make my online system able to output all the info required automatically.
thank you
Comment by Ian Dean posted on
Thank you. I am happy to do self assessment as the AEDM.