Police cars don’t need MOT registration

29 April 2021

What was claimed

A police car pictured has an expired MOT.

Our verdict

The vehicle in question did, but it doesn’t matter, as police vehicles are exempt.

A widely-shared Facebook post questions why a police car does not appear to have an up-to-date MOT registration. 

It is true that the pictured police car’s MOT has expired (you can check this here), but as we have reported before police vehicles are exempt from MOT certification. 

MOT tests are enforced under the Road Traffic Act 1988, but some categories of vehicles, including police cars, do not have to be registered through MOT certification. The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981 states all of the exemptions including police vehicles.

Related topics

Crime Social media The police

Full Fact fights bad information

Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.

Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.