MOT oldtimer
Normally, every car that goes on the road must be MOT approved. However, different rules apply to vintage cars. Oldtimers do not have to be inspected as often as younger cars anyway. Moreover, not every oldtimer is subject to an MOT requirement. From a certain age, oldtimers no longer need to be inspected at all. Oldtimer insurance, however, is always mandatory. Wondering which category your vintage car falls into? Read here about the MOT inspection of an oldtimer.
Does my vintage car need to be MOT inspected?
How often an old-timer needs to be inspected depends on the year of construction of the car. Some old-timers do not even need to be inspected at all. These are oldtimers of 50 years and older. They are exempt from MOT requirements. Cars younger than 50 years old must be APK inspected once every two years. Oldtimers introduced before Jan. 1, 2005, must be inspected every year. MOT remains mandatory for old cabs, public transport cars and ADR (hazardous materials) vehicles, due to the function of these types of vehicles.
In the above situations, the weight of the car must be a maximum of 3500 pounds. Heavier cars prior to 1960 remain exempt from MOT requirements. Other cars over 3500 kilos must be re-inspected every year. You can check with the RDW when a vehicle's APK expires. That way you will be well prepared to hit the road.
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Do I have APK obligation after suspending my license plate?
The moment you suspend the registration number of your vintage car, you do not have to pay a road payment and the vintage car insurance can also be stopped temporarily. Many people do this during the period when they are working on their vintage car. During this suspension period you also have no MOT obligation. Important is that during this period you are not allowed to drive with your oldtimer. Do you still drive the old-timer while the license plate is suspended? Then you risk a hefty fine. Are you going to end the suspension of your old-timer? Then you must ensure that it has been MOT-tested before that time. You may drive a car without a valid MOT to the garage. This is only allowed around the time of the inspection. In addition, you must have an appointment confirmation and the car must be insured.
Oldtimers are also subject to special event regulations. Oldtimer events are regularly organized. Based on the event regulation you may drive your oldtimer once to an event, without a valid MOT. You must register for the event and this registration must be approved by the organizer of the event. Then you may drive the oldtimer to the event.
RDW exemption letter
Owners of vintage cars will receive an exemption letter from the RDW starting January 1, 2021. Because there are daily vehicles that reach the age of 50 years, the number of vehicles with an APK exemption will increase every day. Therefore, the RDW checks the register daily and any exemption letters are sent out. From the moment the vehicle reaches 50 years of age, the owner will no longer receive an APK reminder letter.
Inspection by the RDW?
The RDW performs regular registry checks, including on compliance with the inspection obligation. The inspection obligation is not linked to using the road, but to being registered in the RDW vehicle registration register. The RDW checks all vehicles subject to inspection. Failure to comply with the inspection obligation is punishable! An exception to this are vehicles whose registration register shows that the validity of the registration certificate has been suspended. A suspended vehicle may not stand or drive on public roads. The MOT inspection obligation is then void. It is therefore not necessary to take out old-timer insurance for an old-timer with a suspended license plate.
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