MOT Station Given Five-Year Ban After DVSA Finds False Calibration Certificates

An MOT testing station in Scotland has been given a five-year ban following a DVSA investigation that uncovered serious breaches involving faulty equipment, expired calibration and falsified calibration certificates.

Porter’s MOT Station in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, was sanctioned by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency after an investigation earlier this year.

The breaches reportedly included carrying out MOT tests using emissions equipment with an expired calibration certificate, knowingly testing vehicles using faulty or uncalibrated equipment and producing falsified calibration certificates.

The station was also found to have produced false documents and/or false statements to the DVSA or MOT training providers.

The five-year cessation came into force in April, with details of the case subsequently emerging publicly.

For MOT garages, the case provides a stark reminder that equipment calibration isn’t simply routine workshop administration. It forms a fundamental part of an Authorised Examiner’s responsibility for ensuring MOT tests are conducted correctly.

DVSA Takes ‘Strongest Possible Action’

Responding to the case, the DVSA reiterated that its priority is ensuring MOT tests are carried out consistently and to the correct standard.

The agency said every MOT garage must have the correct equipment and ensure it is calibrated to the required specification.

Faulty or incorrectly calibrated equipment can potentially result in an unsafe vehicle passing an MOT when it should not.

The DVSA said that where wrongdoing or negligence is identified, it will take the strongest possible action.

In serious cases, that can mean losing the ability to operate an MOT testing station for years.

What Were the MOT Station’s Reported Breaches?

According to reports surrounding the DVSA investigation, the station was sanctioned for several serious issues.

These included:

• MOT testing using emissions equipment with an expired calibration certificate
• Knowingly testing vehicles using faulty or uncalibrated equipment
• Falsifying calibration certificates
• Producing false documents and/or false statements to DVSA or MOT training providers

Each issue should concern an Authorised Examiner.

Combined, however, they illustrate why the DVSA treated the case so seriously.

There is an important difference between accidentally allowing an administrative deadline to pass and deliberately falsifying evidence suggesting equipment has been correctly calibrated.

What Do DVSA Rules Say About MOT Equipment Calibration?

The DVSA’s MOT Testing Guide places clear responsibilities on Authorised Examiners.

All testing equipment must be maintained in good working order and measuring equipment must be calibrated regularly in accordance with DVSA requirements.

The AE is responsible for ensuring required calibrations are completed.

Crucially, if mandatory MOT equipment has not been recalibrated by its due date, testing that requires that equipment must stop.

Testing must also stop if mandatory equipment develops a fault that could prevent an MOT from being conducted correctly.

The station cannot simply continue testing until somebody gets around to arranging a repair or calibration.

What Happens If Equipment Fails During an MOT?

The rules also cover equipment that fails while an MOT is already underway.

If mandatory equipment fails during a test before its use has been completed, the test must be aborted and the fee paid returned.

Testing cannot resume until the equipment has been properly repaired.

For busy MOT stations, this can clearly be inconvenient.

Cancelling tests can disrupt workshop schedules and potentially mean lost revenue.

However, continuing to test vehicles using equipment that is incapable of performing its required function exposes both the station and individual testers to far greater risks.

How Often Does MOT Equipment Need Calibrating?

There isn’t one universal calibration interval covering every piece of MOT equipment.

The requirements depend on the type of equipment involved.

For example, exhaust gas analysers can require calibration every three, six or 12 months depending on their make or type.

Roller brake testers, plate brake testers, certain weighing equipment and headlamp aim testers operate under their respective DVSA calibration requirements.

Decelerometers calibrated from 1 April 2023 onwards must generally be calibrated at intervals not exceeding one year.

This makes it essential that an MOT station maintains an accurate schedule covering every applicable piece of equipment rather than relying on somebody remembering when a calibration is due.

Calibration Records Must Be Kept for at Least Two Years

Calibration isn’t only about arranging for an engineer to inspect the equipment.

The paperwork matters too.

DVSA requires calibration records to be readily retrievable and retained for a minimum of two years.

Records can be held digitally or as hard copies.

Calibration certificates are also expected to contain specified information, including details identifying the equipment and the calibration provider.

An AE should therefore be able to demonstrate not only that equipment has been calibrated, but when it was calibrated and that the appropriate records exist.

What Should MOT Garages Record?

DVSA guidance for managing an MOT centre recommends maintaining information covering:

• Equipment calibration
• Calibration certificates, including expired certificates
• When equipment is next due for calibration
• Repairs carried out on equipment
• Planned equipment maintenance
• Procedures to follow if equipment breaks down

The last point is particularly important.

Everyone involved in MOT testing should know what happens when mandatory equipment fails or becomes unavailable.

A tester should not feel under pressure to continue simply because customers are booked in and the workshop has a full diary.

Why False Calibration Certificates Are So Serious

There is a fundamental reason calibration records exist.

MOT testers rely on specialist equipment to make decisions about whether vehicles meet legally defined standards.

If the equipment isn’t accurate, the test result itself can become unreliable.

Consider emissions testing.

An emissions analyser that has not been correctly calibrated could potentially produce inaccurate measurements.

Likewise, problems with brake-testing equipment could affect the reliability of brake performance measurements.

A calibration certificate provides evidence that the equipment has been checked to the appropriate requirements.

Falsifying that evidence undermines one of the controls designed to maintain confidence in the MOT testing system.

The AE Is Responsible

The case is also an important reminder for Authorised Examiners.

An AE cannot treat calibration entirely as somebody else’s problem.

Even where an external calibration company carries out the physical work, the Authorised Examiner remains responsible for ensuring required calibration takes place and appropriate records are maintained.

That means MOT businesses need management systems capable of identifying upcoming expiry dates well before they become a problem.

Waiting until the day a certificate expires is unnecessarily risky.

Build Calibration Into the MOT Centre’s Compliance System

The practical lesson from this case is straightforward: calibration should form part of an MOT station’s routine compliance management.

A sensible system should identify every mandatory item of MOT equipment, its calibration requirements, the most recent calibration date and the next deadline.

Reminders should be set sufficiently far ahead to allow an engineer to attend before the deadline.

The business should also have contingency plans for equipment failure.

Depending on the item involved, that may mean suspending certain tests until the equipment is repaired or recalibrated.

Losing several appointments is frustrating.

A DVSA disciplinary investigation is considerably more serious.

DVSA Can Ban MOT Businesses for Up to Five Years

DVSA guidance makes clear that penalties depend on the seriousness of a failure to meet MOT standards.

In the most serious cases, an operator can be banned from running an MOT centre for up to five years.

The disciplinary procedures within the MOT Testing Guide also specifically address equipment calibration and maintenance.

Failing to provide valid calibration records, overdue calibration and major equipment incapable of carrying out its required testing function can all result in disciplinary action.

The circumstances of the Kilwinning case go considerably further because investigators reportedly identified falsified documentation and knowingly continued testing with faulty or uncalibrated equipment.

Wider Concerns About MOT Fraud

The case has also prompted renewed criticism of fraudulent MOT testing.

Scottish Motor Trade Association chief executive Alan Gall has argued that bogus MOT operators present a serious road safety risk and called for stronger action against those issuing fraudulent certificates.

The concern extends beyond individual garages.

The MOT system relies on motorists, insurers, vehicle buyers and enforcement authorities being able to trust that a vehicle recorded as having passed an MOT has actually undergone a legitimate inspection.

Fraudulent testing damages that confidence and puts legitimate MOT businesses at a disadvantage.

What Should Authorised Examiners Do Now?

There is no suggestion that this case introduces a new calibration rule.

The value for other MOT businesses is as a reminder to check existing compliance arrangements.

AEs should consider reviewing:

• The calibration status of every relevant item of MOT equipment
• Upcoming calibration expiry dates
• Whether certificates can be retrieved quickly
• Whether records covering the previous two years are available
• Equipment maintenance records
• Procedures for dealing with equipment failures
• Whether testers know when testing must stop
• Who within the business is responsible for monitoring calibration deadlines

Finding an administrative problem during an internal review gives the business an opportunity to correct it.

Finding it during a DVSA investigation is a very different situation.

The Bottom Line

The five-year ban imposed on Porter’s MOT Station demonstrates how seriously DVSA can treat breaches involving MOT testing equipment and documentation.

The reported combination of expired calibration, faulty or uncalibrated equipment, falsified certificates and false documentation goes to the heart of whether an MOT result can be trusted.

For legitimate MOT stations, the lesson is not complicated.

Keep equipment maintained.

Know when every calibration expires.

Keep the required records.

Make sure testers understand when testing has to stop.

And never allow commercial pressure to override the requirements of the MOT scheme.

Calibration paperwork might appear to be one of the less exciting parts of operating an MOT station, but this case demonstrates just how serious the consequences can become when those requirements are ignored.

Internal Links

https://motester.co.uk/10-things-dvsa-inspectors-are-focusing-on-right-now/

https://motester.co.uk/dvsa-begins-national-rollout-of-mot-vehicle-photos-to-tackle-fraud/

External Sources

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-testing-guide/appendix-2-facilities-and-security

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-testing-guide/appendix-8-disciplinary-procedures

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-your-mot-centrehttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-testing-guide/b-authorised-examiners

https://www.gov.uk/become-an-mot-station/approved-testing-equipment

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/motors/16728553/scots-garage-banned-five-years-dodgy-mot/