Aline Motor Care, Chelmsley Wood B37
The first MOT is still three years
In England, Scotland and Wales, cars still need their first MOT three years after first registration, then every year. The government consulted on moving that to four years and decided not to. That decision still stands. Ignore social posts that say “from 2026 it is four years”. It is not.
Northern Ireland is different. This workshop and this post are about Great Britain rules, which is what Birmingham drivers follow.
What did change in 2026
From 9 January 2026, DVSA tightened rules on testers and authorised examiners who have been given a disciplinary cessation. That stops banned people holding MOT roles during the ban. It does not change what is inspected on your car.
From 3 August 2026, DVSA started a national rollout of Photos at Test. Testers at participating garages can upload a photo of the vehicle at the time of test. The aim is to cut “ghost MOTs”, where a certificate is issued without the car being there. At the time of writing the feature is voluntary and does not replace any part of the inspection. It may become mandatory later. DVSA has not set that date.
From 1 June 2026, some heavier zero-emission goods vans moved into Class 7 testing. That matters to van operators, not to a normal car MOT.
What has not changed
Tyres, brakes, lights, suspension, emissions, DPF presence, seatbelts, corrosion. The failure items you already know. Diesel particulate number testing has been trialled. It is not a live extra MOT item for standard cars at the time of writing.
Removing a DPF still fails the test. So do bald tyres and seized brakes. Those fail more Birmingham cars than any 2026 admin change.
What you should do
Know your due date. Book a pre-MOT inspection if you want the failures found before the test, not during it. We are not writing this as an MOT station advert. We are writing it so you do not plan around a four-year first test that was never introduced.
See the pre-MOT post for what a proper check catches. Servicing prices are on the servicing page.