NCT Test Ireland

The NCT is a National Car Test carried out on all cars in Ireland that are over 4 years old. It is carried out every 2 years. Since June 2011 all cars over 10 years old require an NCT test every year.

Charges : The NCT fee for a full test is 55.00 Euro a re-test costs 28.00 Euro
Re-tests, which do not require the use of test equipment will be free. but they must be booked within 21 days of the original NCT test otherwise you pay the €55 again. Minor failures such as registation plates or wiper blades will not require a retest fee.
The similar test in the UK is called the MOT – it is an annual test and costs £54.85

Cancellation : If you cancel a confirmed appointment with less than five working days notice or fail to show up for the test, a €22.00 surcharge will be applied when you next bring your car for testing. A charge of €11.50 will apply in the case of a missed re-test.

FREE NCT TEST If you can’t get an appointment for an NCT within 4 weeks – you may be able to get it for free – read more here …. FREE NCT TEST

Car owners are not issued with a reminder that they are due an NCT – the onus is on the car owner. There does not appear to be any central database of which cars have no NCT certificate – it looks like the Gardai just have to try and spot them! In the UK – the police have access to a database of all the cars without MOT- and number recognition computers can alert them to suspect cars. No such thing in Ireland though.

The NCT test is more concerned with safety and gas emissions than with road worthiness. Exhaust fumes are tested – as are headlight alignment, seat belts, tyres, brakes, windscreen.

NCT Failures: Almost half of all cars tested fail first time – In 2012 the overall pass rate in the country was just 48.3%.
After a retest – just under 10% still failed in 2012.

The top 5 reasons for NCT failure in 2012 were 1. Front Suspension 2. Tyre Condition 3. Headlamp Aim 4. Brake Line/Hoses 5. Stop Lamps

The Vehicle Registration/Licensing Certificate must be brought to the NCT test. Any discrepancies will be notified to the owner/presenter and Vehicle Registration Unit. Even if the vehicle passes all other aspects of the test, a test certificate will not be issued until the discrepancies are corrected.
Cars vehicles registered before to 1 January 1980 will not be liable to testing.
The owner/presenter of the vehicle will be required to produce a driving licence or passport, and, if relevant, details of the garage/company on behalf of which the vehicle is presented.

It is up to the owner of a vehicle to ensure that their car has a valid NCT. Drivers without an NCT certificate face a €1,500 fine, but, and from May 2009 drivers will be issued with five penalty points when convicted in court of driving faulty vehicles, driving vehicles without a certificate of road worthiness and for failing to have an up-to-date NCT certificate.

Motorists who fail to address defects identified by the NCT will receive three penalty points if convicted in court.