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Ghost MOT loophole targeted as DVSA demands photographic proof vehicles reached the test bay
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has begun the national rollout of photographic evidence at MOT tests, targeting fraudulent certificates issued for vehicles that never entered a testing station.
Known as a “ghost MOT”, the fraud involves a tester recording a pass without physically examining the vehicle. Registration details can be sent to a corrupt tester, who enters a result into the MOT Testing Service despite the vehicle remaining elsewhere. The resulting certificate appears genuine on official records, even though no roadworthiness inspection has taken place.
DVSA began expanding its Photos at Test feature on 3 August 2026, initially giving another 2,500 garages across Great Britain access. The agency expects to add the facility to all vehicle testing sites over the coming months, although its use remains voluntary and there is currently no timetable for making photographs compulsory.
When registering a test, an MOT tester can scan a QR code using a phone or tablet before photographing the vehicle on the testing equipment. The image uploads directly to the MOT Testing Service and must show the vehicle inside the test bay with its registration plate fully visible and legible. A further image is required when a vehicle returns for a retest.
DVSA said the photograph provides evidence that the vehicle was at the testing station when the test was recorded. It added that the measure is intended to “help deter fraudulent MOT activity” and “reduce the risk of MOT certificates being issued when the vehicle is not at the testing station”.
The change has particular relevance to the taxi and private hire vehicle industry because licensed vehicles generally cover much higher mileages than ordinary private cars and carry members of the public for payment. A ghost certificate can allow an unchecked vehicle to continue working while concealing defects that could place passengers, drivers and other road users at risk.
The photographic record will make it harder to obtain or unknowingly rely on an MOT issued without the vehicle attending. Operators should ensure vehicles are physically presented for every test and retain appointment confirmations, invoices and maintenance records, particularly where responsibility for testing is delegated to drivers or vehicle managers.
The precise impact will vary between licensing areas. Some taxis and PHVs require conventional MOT certificates alongside local licensing inspections, while vehicles licensed by certain authorities are exempt from holding an MOT certificate because the authority operates an approved Certificate of Compliance system. Those local arrangements must be at least equivalent to MOT testing standards.
The Photos at Test rollout does not replace council compliance examinations or additional licensing requirements covering matters such as vehicle condition, cleanliness, signage and accessibility. Licensing authorities may also inspect a licensed vehicle during its licence period to confirm that it remains roadworthy and suitable for public hire.
Trials involving more than 300 garages produced over 60,000 uploaded images, with a 92% success rate. DVSA said the additional process had minimal effect on testing times, with initial tests remaining at about 40 minutes and retests taking only slightly longer. Some 88% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the system’s ease of use.
The rollout follows enforcement action against testers issuing certificates for vehicles they had not examined. In January 2026, two men were sentenced after a scheme resulted in 223 vehicles being passed without being tested. DVSA has also said it can use automatic number plate recognition data to establish whether a vehicle was near a garage when its test was supposedly conducted.
Photographs will not prove that every required inspection was conducted correctly, but they remove one of the central weaknesses exploited in ghost MOT fraud by creating a time-linked record of the vehicle inside the testing station. For legitimate taxi and PHV businesses, the immediate operational burden should be limited, while the longer-term effect could be stronger scrutiny of certificates and garages associated with suspicious testing patterns.
