Early nct to get 2 years

reubenreuben

Car is 9 years old. Next nct is 6 may 2024. It is 10 years old on 7 January 2024.

Called nct and they said if you do the test before 5 Feb 2024( more than 90 days before nct due date) then you get 2 years from the pass date.

So if the car passed on 10 January 2024, next test would be January 2026 instead of may 2025(if doing on nct due date).

I was always thought it was 90 days before the 10th anniversary of the cars first registration date, which is not correct.

Atlantic Dawn

Yes it was always 90 days before the 10th anniversary, I'd still be inclined to go with that unless NCT can send you a letter confirming what they said over the phone. I know with Covid they pushed back expiry dates but the 10th anniversary of first registration is what they based the 2 year test on.

Website seems to still say 10th anniversary...

B. The NCT is conducted every 2 years for vehicles younger than 10 years and vehicles that are being presented for their 10th anniversary inspection or older than 10 years must undergo an annual inspection. This regular evaluation of cars will result in a more frequent car servicing culture, which will provide better fuel economy, reduce overall repair costs and lower the risk of breakdowns and hence could result in potentially lower insurance premiums.

https://www.ncts.ie/1106/

Arnout

I tried a few 131 registrations on the NCTS website. It might actually be true, 131D19500 has an expiry date of 20/5/2025, whereas other registrations around that number have August 2023. 131D19502 has an NCT that expires on 23/8/2023, so would have been registered on 23/4/2013, which suggests that 131D19500 was also registered on that date and that would make 20/5 just over 90 days prior to the original expiry date.

Would be interesting to know for sure, we have a 142 car with an NCT that expires early March '25, so if it is true, we could theoretically push the next one to let's say November '26 by getting it tested in November next year?

barneygumble99

The early test to get 2 years on a 10 year old car must be done more than 90 days before its registration date as opposed to its expiry date. Lots of cars got the extension during covid so that’s misleading.

reubenreuben

Got an email back from nct.

" I can confirm following COVID19 and the 4 month extension the 10th Anniversary of your vehicle has been extended until the 06 May 2024. In order for your vehicle to receive the final 2 year certificate it is required to pass by the 05 February 2024 which is out 90 days of the 10th Anniversary. Providing the vehicle passes by this date you will be issued with NCT certificate for 2 years from the date the vehicle passes the inspection. "

Apogee

I wonder if the OP could confirm that a 2 year cert was subsequently issued? Or anyone else who can confirm that it's now effectively 90 days before the end of 10yrs + 4 months extension?

TM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928546#Comment_120928546

Not in my case. Car is 10 years old/10 years since first registration in September 2024. Current NCT valid until end of December 2024 (it got shifted by the three months during COVID). NCT letter arrived yesterday telling me that if I book a voluntary test before the end of August and have it done and pass before the end of September then I'll get a two year cert from the date of the pass. If I get a test/pass after September then it'll be a one year cert. That won't be 90+ days before the 10 year anniversary of the car/first registration. In fact the 10 years will have passed already if the test/pass is towards the end of September. I think that the car/first registration date is within the first two weeks of September.

Arnout

I can now confirm that our 142 (first registered in November 2014, previous NCT expired in March 2025) now has an NCT that expires on 13 November 2026, because I had booked a voluntary early test on the 13th of this month (which it passed) and that was more than 3 months before March 2025.

However I've found another interesting case here:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2014-volvo-v40-1-6-diesel-new-nct/38341999

The 13th photo shows a date of first registration of 3 July 2014. With four months Covid bonus that would get pushed out to 3 November, however the NCT expiry is the 16th of June which indicates a voluntary early test at some point in its past.

However it also shows that it was tested on the 7th of November 2024, so when the car was more than 10 years and 4 months old, and it now has an NCT date that expires in June 2026! Now how does that work? Or is it that the old NCT (probably) expired on 16 June 2024 and they've added two years to that, which was before the car was 10 years and 1 month (9 years and 9 months + 4 Covid-months) old?