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You take your car in for its MOT and notice the tester photographing it in the test bay. Is this a new requirement? And what happens to the picture?
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) began rolling out a feature called Photos at Test on 3 August 2026. It gives participating MOT testers a way to upload a photo of the vehicle to the official MOT testing service. The rollout is happening in stages, so you may see the process at one garage but not another.
The photo provides extra evidence that the vehicle was at the testing station when its MOT was carried out. According to the DVSA, the aim is to deter fraudulent tests, including cases where an MOT certificate is issued without the vehicle being present.
It is an additional check on the testing process. The photo does not replace any part of the MOT inspection: the tester still needs to examine the vehicle against the applicable MOT standards.
No. The DVSA gave around 2,500 garages access during the first phase of its national rollout, which began in August 2026. It plans to extend access to more testing sites.
Taking and uploading a photo is currently optional. A tester can still record an MOT result without one. The DVSA has encouraged garages to use the feature when available, but it has not announced a date when photos will become mandatory.
That means the absence of a photo does not, by itself, tell you that your MOT was carried out incorrectly.
DVSA guidance asks testers to show the vehicle in the testing bay, with its number plate clearly visible and legible. The image is uploaded directly to the MOT testing service. The DVSA says it is not stored in the device’s camera roll or photo gallery as part of this process.
For a driver, there is no separate app to download and no new photo to supply. The feature is handled by the MOT tester.
No. The photo helps show that the vehicle was present for the test; it is not a pass certificate or a record of the car’s condition. Your MOT result still depends on the inspection.
If you want to check whether a vehicle passed, failed or has a current MOT, use the official GOV.UK MOT history service. It shows past test results and when the next MOT is due.
Photos at Test is a recent change to how MOT tests can be recorded, rather than a change to what your car must pass. If your MOT is approaching, you can book a Class 4 or Class 7 MOT with H & A MOT Testing Centre in Leicester.
No. The DVSA began rolling out Photos at Test in August 2026, but taking and uploading a photo is currently optional. Garages are receiving access in stages, and the DVSA has not announced a date when it will become mandatory.
The photo provides additional evidence that your car was at the testing station at the time of its MOT test. The DVSA introduced the feature to help deter fraudulent MOT activity and improve confidence in the testing process.
No. If the garage uses Photos at Test, the MOT tester takes and uploads the photo during the test. You do not need to bring or submit an image yourself.
The DVSA says the image uploads directly to its MOT testing service. The Photos at Test process does not save it to the device’s camera roll or photo gallery.
Yes. At this stage, a tester can record the MOT result without uploading a photo. The photo supports the test record; it does not replace the vehicle inspection or determine whether the car passes.
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