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Home MOT inspection Inspection requirements APK

What are the MOT inspection requirements?

The following sections are the Inspection Requirements MOT:

  • Road safety (brakes, suspension, shock absorbers, tires, steering, lighting and bodywork).
  • Environment (exhaust emissions).
  • Part I registration certificate and chassis number.
MOT inspection requirements

Soot measurement

Cars with a diesel engine built in 1980 or later undergo a soot measurement during the MOT. This involves checking the amount of soot emitted by the car by running the engine at no load and full throttle and optically measuring the amount of soot. The measurement takes only a few seconds but must be performed successfully before being approved.

Four-gas measurement

Cars with a gasoline or LPG engine with a "regulated" catalytic converter and a year of construction of 1993 or later must undergo a so-called four-gas measurement. A four-gas tester is used to check that the exhaust emissions do not exceed the legal percentages.

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Mileage

The registration of the odometer reading of cars has been a legally required part of the MOT inspection since 1999. This odometer reading is registered in the database of the Stichting Nationale Auto Pas. The odometer reading is registered not only for inspections, but also for maintenance, repairs or valuations. The odometer readings are registered in the Nationale Auto Pas to prevent fraud with odometer readings and thus contribute to greater certainty about used cars.

MOT inspection requirements RDW

The RDW participates on behalf of the Netherlands in consultations in Europe on European regulations in the MOT. APK inspectors are bound by official regulations. They check whether your car meets all safety and environmental requirements and whether your car is correctly registered in the vehicle registration register. Afterwards, you will receive an MOT inspection report. You cannot view the report online. However, by doing a license plate check, you can see online what the expiration date of your MOT is.

MOT inspection requirements checklist

Is your car due for its MOT soon and do you want to do a check yourself? Then it is useful to go through this checklist of MOT requirements. With the checklist you can easily check the most important MOT requirements. All items must be present and in good condition.

  • General requirements. This means that the car must be sound. For example, there must be no oil leaks
  • Records, such as all paperwork and mileage
  • Brakes
  • Mirrors
  • Belts
  • Steering
  • Exhaust and tailpipe emissions
  • Windows, especially the windshield
  • Locking devices, such as the hinges, doors, hood and tailgate
  • Lighting
  • Bodywork
  • Suspension
  • Wheels and tires. Check tires for cracks, damage and drying out.

MOT inspection requirements PDF

There used to be an MOT handbook where you could find all the inspection requirements. However, this no longer exists. You can find all APK regulations on the RDW website. You can also download a PDF version from the RDW website. You can save this on your computer or print it out yourself.

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