The ITV (Technical Vehicle Inspection) is a mandatory procedure that is carried out periodically to ensure that vehicles comply with the safety and emissions standards established by legislation. This legal maintenance is regulated by Royal Decree 2344 of 1985 and its subsequent update by Royal Decree 2042 of 1994, which grants management to each autonomous community, hence there is a disparity in rates depending on the region where the revision.
Any motor vehicle must be inspected periodically so that it can circulate legally. The frequency of these inspections varies depending on the category and age of the vehicle. Private passenger cars, for example, must pass the first inspection four years after the date of their first registration and repeat it every two years until they are 10 years old. From that moment on, it must be passed annually.
One of the most frequent questions that owners of a vehicle that is stored in a garage and not used usually have is whether they should undergo an MOT if the car is inactive. It seems logical to think that it is not necessary, but the legislation establishes that it is mandatory to do so. In the same way that it is mandatory to pay the insurance or pay the road tax even if the car is stationary, it is also strictly necessary to pass the ITV when applicable.
For administrative purposes, it is not taken into account if a car is not going to be used in a certain period. Therefore, you must comply with all your obligations, including reviewing the ITV in the corresponding periods, so that it is ready when the time comes to drive with it again.
The only legal way to avoid passing the MOT is to manage the temporary deregistration of the vehicle. It is a procedure that must be done at the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), online or in person by making an appointment, which only costs 8.67 euros (the price of the corresponding rate in 2023).
When temporarily deregistering the car, it is not necessary to pay road tax, civil liability insurance or have a valid MOT, as long as the vehicle is parked in a private place (a garage, for example). However, if the car is on public roads it must have insurance and a valid MOT.
Since 2021, the maximum time to have a vehicle temporarily deregistered is one year. Previously there was no time limit, but the new regulations establish this restriction to guarantee greater control and registration of vehicles out of circulation.
The abusive use of temporary withdrawal in some workshops, as a measure to avoid the process of taking a vehicle to the Authorized Treatment Centers (CAT) and managing its permanent withdrawal, led to the appearance of thousands of inactive cars known as zombie cars. . With the time limitation of the temporary suspension, the DGT wants to prevent these inactive cars from being used for fraudulent activities (especially the marketing of old spare parts) or even to commit traffic crimes.
As previously stated, the maximum time for a vehicle to remain on temporary license is one year. Until the deadline expires, there is the possibility of registering it, although to circulate with it again it is mandatory to have the ITV up to date, pay the circulation tax for the current year and have at least third-party insurance contracted.
