Guidance

Move to the MOT testing service and claim your account

How the move to the new MOT testing service works for MOT test stations and testers.

• From: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
• Published: 14 October 2014
• Last updated: 14 August 2015 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on 15 September 2015

The move to the MOT testing service has finished, so this guidance is no longer relevant.

You can record MOT test results and buy slots at www.gov.uk/mot-testing-service.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

About the switchover

The new MOT testing service will replace the current MOT Comp system and vehicle testing station (VTS) devices used in MOT testing stations.

The move to the new MOT testing service will be carried out AE-by-AE in phases. Every VTS will be using the new service by the end of September 2015.

Your user ID and role

In most cases, your existing MOT Comp profile (including your user ID and role) will be moved to the new service. You’ll get a new password.

Some existing VTS roles have been removed from the new service.

Check you’re ready for the new service

You need to check and confirm your MOT station is ready before your switchover date is booked in.

Stage 1: Claim your account and check your details

In this stage, you still carry out MOT tests on the existing MOT Comp system.

If you have a VTS role at a site you must:

1. Claim your account for the new service.
2. Check and update your account details (eg name, email, contact details, role etc).

Claim your account

Go to the new MOT testing service and log in using:

• your current user ID
• a one-time password (this will be sent to you via your VTS device)

You’ll be asked to:

1. Claim your account.
2. Enter a valid personalised email address.
3. Create a new 8-digit password.
4. Select security questions from a list (these will be used to check your identity in the future, eg if you need to reset your password).

You’ll then get your 6-digit PIN for the new service. You’ll be asked to use this at important points during the testing process, eg when you finish a test and print a certificate.

The AE is responsible for making sure everyone at your site has done this.

You can also:

• carry out ‘practice’ tests and see how other parts of the new service work
• check your IT equipment, internet connection and printer work with the new service

Contact the MOT testing service desk if you have any problems claiming your account.

MOT testing service desk

Telephone 0330 123 5654

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
(excluding public holidays)

Reset your password and PIN

Find out about the rules for passwords and PINs, and how to reset them.

Stage 2: Prepare and switch over

There are 4 main parts to stage 2 of the MOT testing service switchover

Get your switchover date

Your switchover date will be emailed to the AE’s listed authorised entity (business) ‘correspondence email address’. You’ll be told the date at least one week before.

Prepare for the switchover date

To prepare for the switchover dates, AEs should:

1. Read the guide ‘Get started using the new MOT testing service’.
2. Make sure MOT Comp users have claimed, checked and updated their accounts.
3. Make sure your AE and VTS details have been checked and updated.
4. Make sure NTs know their PIN, password and security questions and how to reset them.
5. Make sure fallback tests have been verified before the switchover.
6. Make sure the authorised examiner delegate (AED) role is allocated to people who need to buy slots.
7. Make a note of your slot balance in your VTS device . This will be transferred to your new AE slot account.
8. Make a note of your financial balance in your VTS device. This will be converted and rounded-up to the nearest slot and added to your new AE slot account.
9. Add www.gov.uk/mot-testing-service to your favourites or create a shortcut to it, and print a copy of the MOT testing service poster (PDF, 199KB) for your testers.
10. Carry out some practice tests using the ‘MOT training mode’.
11. Test your printer by printing a sample MOT test certificate (VT20) and make sure you have enough ink and paper to start testing.
12. Print some contingency forms from the new MOT testing service.

Print the checklist

You can download and print a version of this checklist to help make sure you’ve done everything.

MOT testing service switchover checklist

PDF, 213 KB, 1 page

The day before your switchover

You must stop using your VTS device at 6pm on the day before your switchover date.

On your switchover date

Your actual switchover will take place at 8am on your switchover date. Your VTS device and smart card reader will be turned off.

Log in after your switchover

Go to the MOT testing service and log in. You then need to:

• check everyone’s details are correct - including your AE and VTS details
• check your slot balance
• use the service to carry out MOT tests and other testing activities

All the current MOT Comp testing rules will apply when you start using the new MOT testing service

Find out how to get started using the MOT testing service.

Stage 3: After you’ve switched over

When you switch over to the new service your VTS device will be turned off by Atos. You won’t be able to access the current MOT Comp system.

You need to:

• dispose of your VTS device and smart card reader
• destroy your old emergency MOT test certificates

You can keep any of the other equipment (eg your printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor and cables etc) at no cost, or get rid of it.

VTS device and smart card reader

Before you move or dispose it

You must make sure:

• you’ve done everything you need to on your VTS device before it’s switched off
• the screen says ‘This VTS device has not been installed’

You can dispose of your VTS device and smart card reader yourself because they don’t contain sensitive data.

As they’re electronic equipment you must make sure they’re recycled. Find out where they can be recycled.

You can contact Atos on 0345 071 1973 if you’re unable to locally recycle the equipment. They will arrange for its disposal. However, this may take several weeks.

Printer and other equipment

You’re responsible for:

• the maintenance and repairs of any equipment you keep - you won’t get any warranty or guarantee for them
• disposing of it legally when you no longer want it

The equipment can be disposed of with your VTS device and smart card reader if you don’t want to keep it.

Smart cards

You need to keep your smart card until the end of September 2015. This is to make sure you can still access the current MOT testing system if you need to (eg if you test at another VTS which still uses the current MOT Comp system).

You’ll be told how to dispose of it later.

Published 14 October 2014
Last updated 14 August 2015 + show all updates

1. 14 August 2015

   Added a checklist that authorised examiners can print to help make sure they're ready to switch over.

2. 14 August 2015

   Updated the steps that authorised examiners need to carry out to prepare for the switchover under 'Stage 2: prepare and switch over'.

3. 21 July 2015

   Added guidance on the steps to prepare for the move to the MOT testing service.

4. 8 July 2015

   Update about switchover dates and moving to the new MOT testing service.

5. 30 June 2015

   Updated information about the second stage of the switchover process and the claim account process.

6. 8 June 2015

   Updated information about the second stage of the switchover process.

7. 8 June 2015

   Updated guide with details about disposal of old equipment.

8. 30 April 2015

   Update about changes to the switchover process.

9. 16 April 2015

   Updated about what will happen to the current VTS device equipment

10. 15 March 2015

    Added more information about the switchover process.

11. 14 October 2014

    First published.