Infrastructure Minister has announced the extension of
Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs) in 2026-27 to help manage
MOT waiting times.
Minister Kimmins has extended the use of TECs for certain five-
and seven-year-old private cars for a further year. This will
allow motorists with eligible cars to continue to drive them
legally, provided they are roadworthy, taxed and insured.
Over the past two years, TECs have played an important role in
easing pressure on the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
This measure, together with record levels of testing by DVA, have
reduced the average waiting time from over 100 days in May 2024
to around 32 days currently. Vehicle licensing data shows
that around 88,000 cars may be eligible for a TEC under the
extension. The DVA will process all TECs automatically.
Minister Kimmins said: “TECs have helped to significantly reduce
waiting times for MOTs. This extension will allow the DVA to
continue to manage the increased demand for MOTs until new
testing facilities at Hydebank and Mallusk are open for vehicle
testing, which is expected within the next year. Each
centre will be capable of testing more than 100,000 vehicles
annually, significantly strengthening the Agency's long term
testing capacity.
“Since the introduction of TECs, the DVA has continued to
maximise its vehicle testing capacity at its existing 15 test
centres through a variety of measures, including recruitment and
overtime. TECs have helped improve service delivery while
minimising any risk to road safety.
“As road users we all have a personal responsibility to behave in
a way that keeps ourselves and others safe and, regardless of
TECs, it remains our responsibility to ensure our cars are
maintained in a roadworthy condition.”
Notes to editors:
- The TECs will be automatically applied to eligible vehicles
from the date of expiry of the current MOT certificate.
Further information here: MOT and vehicle testing |
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