Motorists are set to see another significant change to the MOT system.

The DVSA is preparing to roll out photographic records of vehicles being tested.

The move is designed to crack down on increasing levels of fraud and improve road safety.

Film facts

The new “photos at test” system will require MOT testers to take photographs of vehicles during their tests and upload the images to the DVSA’s computer system.

The nationwide rollout is planned for later this year, although it will initially be voluntary while the agency updates its MOT policy and testing guidance before making the requirement mandatory.

It’s a move primarily aimed at tackling so-called “ghost MOTs” –  fraudulent tests where an MOT certificate is issued even though the vehicle has never been physically examined.

The scale of the problem was highlighted earlier this year when the DVSA successfully prosecuted an MOT tester and mechanic who issued certificates for 223 vehicles that had never been brought to their testing centre.

Investigators discovered the fraud after detecting one MOT being issued in less than a minute, despite the vehicle not being present at the garage.

 

Haunting safety

The DVSA says ghost MOTs account for nearly 80% of fraudulent MOTs, making them a particular priority for improved enforcement.

Photographic evidence is intended to make such fraud considerably more difficult.

A tester will need to physically have the vehicle at the MOT centre and take a photograph of it before a certificate can be issued, creating an electronic record that the DVSA can check.

Trials of the technology have already taken place.

More than 170 testers at 62 MOT centres uploaded more than 13,000 photographs during a six-week trial.

The DVSA said feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with little or no impact on testing times.

Numbers game

The need to protect the integrity of the MOT system is particularly significant given its scale.

More than 42 million light-vehicle MOT tests were delivered in 2024/25, according to the DVSA’s annual report.

Detailed DVSA statistics record 35.23 million initial tests during the same financial year, with 7.90 million failing initially – an initial failure rate of 27.9%.

The difference reflects the way the statistics count initial tests compared with the wider MOT service figures.

For cars and light vans, the most common defect categories recorded at initial tests include lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension, tyres, brakes and visibility.

In 2024/25, 10.89% of Class 3 and 4 initial tests recorded a defect involving lamps, reflectors or electrical equipment, while suspension defects affected 8.73%, tyres 6.39%, brakes 6.63% and visibility 4.54%.

A single vehicle can have more than one defect.

That makes fraudulent MOTs more than an administrative issue.

A vehicle that receives a certificate without being properly examined could have serious defects that go undetected, potentially putting its occupants and other road users at risk.

 

More than a picture

The photographic system is part of a wider programme of changes intended to strengthen the MOT scheme.

The DVSA has introduced tighter disciplinary measures for testers and authorised examiners who are removed from the MOT scheme for serious breaches.

Testers subject to a two- or five-year disciplinary cessation cannot hold MOT roles during the entire period.

Further changes have also been made to the fast-track disciplinary process, including cases where the vehicle or tester is not present at the premises for excessively long-duration tests.

The DVSA is continuing its wider MOT modernisation programme, with digital systems being upgraded and further changes to testing procedures and enforcement expected.

While a photograph taken during a test may appear to be a minor addition, the DVSA believes it could make one of the most damaging forms of MOT fraud far harder to carry out,  helping to ensure that an MOT certificate means the vehicle has actually been tested.