NCT question

Itsfixed

Just wondering if anyone else has come across this head scratcher.

My 1980 BMW 525 passed the NCT yesterday, but only realised later that they had marked the date of first registration as Jan 2011, which was when the previous owner had re-registered the car (a UK import) in Ireland, and not August 1980, which was the date of first registration in the UK. I was told by the NCT people that the test dates depends on the date the car was first registered in Ireland.

Naturally, I'm a bit annoyed, because I had held off on booking for a couple of months so that i could get a 15 month NCT, but my NCT is valid for just 7 now.

Bit annoyed about this. Has this always been the case?

quattro777

The "Date of first registration" is the date the car was first registered in Ireland. I have a 2006 car with a 2008 reg date on the NCT.

hi5

Thats correct, its the date first registered in Ireland.

corktina

Yep, it chaged a year or two ago, caught me on the hop too..

macplaxton

I remember them changing it a few years back (2008?), but could find NO legislative document supporting it.

They may have got round to amending the legislation later, but changing the practice, without changing the wording of the regulations was downright shady.

Itsfixed

Thanks, so only a recent thing then. They slipped that under the radar alright...

mgbgt1978

I suppose one consolation is the fact that if your car passed without any issues then you only have to wait 4 months before going for a 15 month cert.:)

Itsfixed

That's certainly a glass half full way of looking at it!

kja1888

The reason it was changed was because a lot of lads were moaning that if the original registration date was used they only got a few months on their cert. The test due date was changed to the importation date to give people the opportunity to get a full length on their cert.