ALERT: Some old cars now only need NCT every two years after major rule change

The NCT service has advised people with certain older cars that they only need to get their car tested once every two years rather than every year.

The news was shared on the NCTS social media pages last week and will be music to the ears of some car owners.

They posted: "Is your vehicle 30 years old or more? If your classic car was first registered between 30-39 years ago and isn't used for commercial purposes, it now only needs a NCT test every two years instead of annually."

The NCTS reiterated their new higher fees with an initial test costing drivers €60, a re-test now €40 instead of €28.

Drivers who cancel their appointment with less than five working days' notice or fail to show up will incur a fee of €24 for a full test or €16 for a re-test. 

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Meanwhile, drivers are also being told of other little known visual reasons your car could fail the NCT.

The NCT says: "Taking a few minutes to check some of the visual items below and ensuring they are all working in advance of your NCT could potentially save you valuable time and money."

One of the more obscure items that you could easily forget to check is the little bulbs on your registration plates. It is a legal requirement that your registration is visible at all times and if these bulbs aren't working, it cannot be seen at night.

Your car could fail its NCT if its registration plate lamps are "not working, faulty or not fitted; not white in colour; or if the lens is missing or broken." You can check these bulbs by turning your car on and checking the bulbs are on front and rear before the test.

You can see the full NCT visual checklist below:

Windscreen Wipers and Washers

Reasons for failure:

Missing
Not cleaning windscreen effectively
Wiped areas less than sufficient to give the driver an adequate view
Washer, not working, no water or incorrectly aimed

Seat Belts

Reasons for failure:

Belts cut, badly frayed or repaired
Belts not operating properly

Tyre Condition

Reasons for failure:

tread worn, distorted or damaged
tread depth of less than 1.6mm
Incorrectly seated on wheel rim
Valve Damaged

Registration Plate Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Not working, faulty or not fitted
Not white in colour.
Lens missing or broken.

Stop Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Missing or not clearly visible.
Not working or faulty.
Not brighter than tail lights.
Not red in colour
Insecurely mounted
Contains water/moisture
Lens missing or broken
Switch does not operate correctly

Indicator/Tell Tales

Reasons for failure:

Missing, not working or faulty
Insecurely mounted
Lens broken or missing
Contains water/moisture
Not amber in colour

Horn

Reasons for failure:

Control insecure
Horn insecurely mounted
Not working correctly
Not working or not fitted

Registration Plates Front and Rear

Reasons for failure:

One or both plates missing, insecure or not clearly visible.
Numbers or letters missing or illegible or incorrect size
Numbers, letter or background of incorrect colour

Side Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Missing or not clearly visible.
Not working or faulty.
Not white in colour
Insecurely mounted
Contains water/moisture
Lens missing or broken