VT29M MOT Inspection Checklist & MOT Tester Forms

What is VT29M?

VT29M is the motorcycle MOT inspection checklist published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Its official title is MOT inspection checklist: motorcycles. GOV.UK describes it as the list of items that MOT testers must check during a motorcycle MOT test.

In plain words: it is a one-page sheet a tester can use to tick Pass or Fail for each item and note defects while testing a bike. The MOT testing guide says testers may use it to record information during a test, and must use it when testing in contingency (when the online MOT testing service is down) to record failures and advisories. You can download it from GOV.UK or print it from the MOT testing service. The car version is VT29.

What the VT29M checklist covers

The checklist follows the order a tester works round the machine:

• Sitting on the machine: handlebars, brake controls, switches, throttle, clutch lever, head bearings, horn, suspension (bump test), steering
• Front, offside, nearside and rear of the machine: lamps, indicators, reflector, registration plate, frame, seat, footrests, suspension, final drive, exhaust, fuel system, tyres, brakes, mudguard
• Front and rear wheel raised: steering, head bearings, wheels and bearings, tyres, brakes
• Wheel alignment, brake test (efficiency; bind, grab or judder) and headlamp aim (rider on machine)
• Sidecar (if fitted): tyre, wheel and bearings, brake, suspension, attachment, swivel joints, wheel alignment

Download the official checklists

• VT29MMOT inspection checklist: motorcyclesGOV.UK page. PDF: Plain paper motorcycle MOT inspection checklist (PDF, 67 KB)
• VT29MOT inspection checklist: cars and passenger vehiclesGOV.UK page. PDF: MOT inspection checklist: cars and passenger vehicles (PDF, 167 KB)

Source: GOV.UK (DVSA). CheckMOT is not DVSA. Always use the latest version on GOV.UK.

MOT tester forms and guides

The DVSA forms an MOT tester or test station uses most, with their official GOV.UK titles:

• VT20VT30VT32VT20 test certificate, VT30 refusal of an MOT test certificate (for example after a fail, or a refused or abandoned test) and VT32 advisory notice. These are printed from the MOT testing service, not downloaded. The rules for each are in H. Documentation of the MOT testing guide for test stations.
• VT01Apply to open, run or change an MOT test stationApplication for MOT authorisation or a variation to MOT authorisation. There is no fee.
• VT9AMOT test fees and appeals poster for MOT centresMust be clearly and publicly displayed in every MOT station.
• VT9Replace a lost or damaged MOT centre authorisation certificateThe authorisation certificate. A replacement can be requested online.
• VT17Appeal an MOT test resultNotice of appeal against an MOT result.

Official manuals and guides for testers

• MOT testing guide for test stations – How the MOT scheme runs: authorisation, premises, testing, documents, discipline.
• MOT inspection manual: motorcycles – The standards for testing class 1 and 2 vehicles.
• MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles – The standards for testing class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles.
• MOT manuals, checklists and special notices – All the manuals, checklists and DVSA special notices in one place.
• Testing advice for specific vehicles: guidance for MOT testers
• Appendix 3: Grounds for refusal – When a tester can refuse to test a vehicle.
• N. MOT contingency testing procedures – What to do when the MOT testing service is unavailable.
• MOT equipment approved by DVSA – Lists of approved testing equipment.
• Record MOT test results – Sign in to the MOT testing service.
• Motorcycle parts checked at an MOT – Customer-facing guide to what is checked on a bike.
• Car parts checked at an MOT – Customer-facing guide to what is checked on a car.

All links go to GOV.UK and were checked on 26 October 2026.

Licences and qualifications for MOT testers

MOT testing is split into two groups: group A (class 1 and 2 vehicles, motorcycles) and group B (class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles, such as cars, private buses and light commercial vehicles). To test motorcycles against the VT29M checklist you need to be qualified for group A.

How to become an MOT tester

1. Check you are eligible. You need a current and full UK driving licence for the vehicle classes you want to test, at least 4 years’ full-time employment servicing and repairing those vehicles, no unspent convictions for criminal offences, and to be ‘of good repute’. For class 3, 4, 5 or 7 you also need an accepted qualification or accreditation. Eligibility rules · MOT tester eligibility: acceptable qualifications
2. Take an MOT tester qualification course. You get a Level 2 MOT Testing Award for group A or group B (previously the Nominated Tester training course). The course lasts at least 16 hours for group A and at least 29 hours for group B, and includes a multiple-choice test and a practical assessment. Prices are set by each provider. MOT tester course · Find an MOT tester or manager course
3. Pass a DVSA MOT demonstration test. It is free. You need a basic DBS check certificate first. MOT demonstration test · Book an MOT tester demonstration test · Request a basic DBS check
4. Start testing at an authorised testing station. Class 3 or 5 testers need a further course and demonstration test. Class 3 or 5 MOT tester training

Staying qualified: annual training and assessment

• Complete training and pass an assessment between April and March every year. Your tester status is suspended if you have not passed by 31 March.
• Do at least 3 hours of training a year for each group you test (6 hours and 2 assessments if you test both groups), and record it on the MOT testing service.
• The assessment is 30 multiple-choice questions, usually about 1 hour, taken online. The pass mark for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 is 80%. You can retake it as often as needed within the year.

Take your annual MOT tester training and assessment · MOT tester annual assessment: training topics and sample questions · MOT tester training: check the topics your records need to cover · Returning to MOT testing

MOT roles: AE, AEDM, site manager and tester

• Authorised examiner (AE): the individual, partnership or company authorised by DVSA to run MOT testing. You apply with form VT01; there is no fee. AE status does not transfer when a business is sold. Apply for authorised examiner status
• AE designated manager (AEDM), also called the MOT business manager: represents the AE and is in charge of all MOT testing by the business. They must have taken an approved course, for example the Level 3 Award in MOT Test Centre Management. Appendix 1: MOT management training
• Site manager: responsible for the day-to-day running of one or more test stations (VTS).
• Tester: a person appointed by an AE to carry out tests, approved by DVSA for the vehicle classes they test.

Set up an MOT test station · B. Authorised examiners · Manage your MOT centre · Being an MOT tester

Facts from GOV.UK (DVSA), read 26 October 2026. Rules change: check GOV.UK before you act.

Insurance for MOT garages and testers

General guidance, not advice. CheckMOT does not sell or recommend insurance for MOT garages. Speak to an insurer or broker authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority about your own business.

What GOV.UK says

• Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement as soon as you employ staff (with some family-member exceptions). It must cover at least £5 million, come from an authorised insurer, and the certificate must be displayed where employees can see it. You can be fined £2,500 for every day you are not properly insured. Employers' liability insurance
• Liability for vehicles you test. An authorised examiner is responsible for loss or damage to a vehicle while it is in their custody for an MOT, and for loss, damage or injury that arises from the test, as set out in regulation 14 of the Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981. AEs must not display disclaimers of this liability or ask customers to sign one. Appendix 4: Liability for loss or damage

Other cover garages often look at

• Public liability, for customers and visitors on your premises
• Motor trade (road risks) cover, if staff drive customers’ vehicles
• Premises, tools and equipment, including your MOT test equipment
• Business interruption, if the test bay or equipment is out of action

Which of these you need depends on your business. This list is general information only.

CheckMOT for testers and garages

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