The DVSA MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles is the document that decides whether a vehicle passes. It is authoritative, it is free, and it is not light reading. This page is a map of it: what is in each section, and which one to open when you need an answer with a customer standing at the counter.
This is a companion, not a substitute. Every heading below links to the relevant section on GOV.UK. When the two disagree, the manual is right and we are wrong. Checked 2 August 2026.
Which manual you need
The manual linked above covers classes 3, 4, 5 and 7: cars, private buses and light commercial vehicles. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Northern Ireland uses the DVA light vehicle inspection manual.
- Motorcycles have their own manual.
- HGVs and PSVs have theirs.
How the manual is laid out
Sections are numbered the same way as the defects you record, so once you know the numbering you can go straight to the entry rather than hunting. Each defect carries a reference letter and a category, which is what determines the outcome of the test.
Introduction
Definitions, vehicle classes, reasons to refuse to test, narrow track vehicles, historic vehicles and inspection procedures. Worth reading properly once. The refusal-to-test rules in particular are the ones people get wrong, and they are referenced from elsewhere in the manual. Open it.
0. Identification of the vehicle
Registration plate and VIN rules. Open it.
1. Brakes
Condition and operation, service brakes, secondary brakes, parking brakes, ABS, EBS and brake fluid. Open it.
2. Steering
Mechanical condition, steering wheel and column, forks and yokes, steering play and electronic power steering. Open it.
3. Visibility
Field of vision, bonnet catches, condition of the glass, the view to the rear, wipers and washers. Open it.
4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Headlamps, position lamps, DRLs, stop lamps, indicators, hazards, fog lamps, reversing lamps, tell-tales, trailer socket, wiring and battery. Open it.
5. Axles, wheels, tyres and suspension
Axles, wheel bearings, wheels and tyres, TPMS, and suspension including springs, shock absorbers and arms and joints. Open it.
6. Body, structure and attachments
Structure and attachments including the exhaust system and bumpers, plus body and interior including doors and catches, seats and floor. Open it.
7. Other equipment
Seat belts and restraint systems, airbags, anti-theft devices, horn, speedometer, speed limiter and electronic stability control. Open it.
8. Nuisance
Noise, exhaust emissions, the engine malfunction indicator lamp and fluid leaks. This is where the emissions limits and the MIL rules live, and it is one of the most-visited sections in the whole manual. Open it.
9. Supplementary tests for buses and coaches
Entrance and exit doors, emergency exits, grab handles, steps and stairs. Open it.
10. Seat belt installation checks
For vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats and first used before 1 October 2001. Open it.
The appendices, which are more useful than they sound
- Appendix A: structural integrity and corrosion, including methods of repair. The one to reach for on a difficult corrosion call.
- Appendix B: tyre load index tables for single and dual wheel configurations.
- Appendix C: seat belt fitment requirements and tables.
It changes, and you are expected to keep up
The manual was first published on 20 May 2018 and is revised regularly. Changes arrive through MOT special notices, which is also where the checklists live. Reading the special notice when it lands is considerably cheaper than finding out at a site visit.
When this page and the DVSA manual disagree, the manual is right.
One practical note
Search traffic for the manual peaks sharply in March, which is also when annual training and assessment has to be finished. If you are looking things up in a hurry in March, you are not alone, and it is worth reading what the annual training deadline actually requires before it gets close.