NCT
Below are some commonly asked questions answered about the NCT. You can find more information on our blog www.blog.ldrivers.ie. Testing was introduced on a phased basis as follows:
Year 2000: Cars first registered before 1 January 1992
Year 2001: Cars first registered between 1992-1996
Year 2002 onwards: All four year old cars and eligible older cars i.e. pre 92 registered cars tested in the year 2000 will be eligible for testing again in year 2002 because testing is every two years.
The Certificates are valid for up to 2 years. This means that the car is due for a renewal certificate two years from the date the test took place. You must ensure that you comply with this date, otherwise you may incur penalty points and a fine. The NCT does not issue a reminder notice. It is up to the driver/owner of the vehicle to ensure that they follow up on the test.
Commercial vehicles will continue to be D.O.E. tested.
All cars should be tested before the car is four years old from the date the car was first registered in the country of origin. There is no link with motor tax or insurance expiry date. It is possible to organise your first NCT certificate up to six months early while subsequent NCT certificates can be obtained up to three months early. If you are obtaining your first NCT certificate 6 months early it will not be due for renewal for another 2 and half years. All vintage cars and cars which are permanently based on islands not connected to mainland by road do not have to be tested.
If you do not receive any notification from NCTS and your car may be eligible for the NCT, then contact them at Phone: 1890 412 413 or you visit their website www.nct.ie. If your car has been off the road for over 3 months you should notify the NCTS immediately.
There are 43 NCT Centres in Ireland solely for the purposes of car testing. Each centre is independent of the garage and motor trade. Individual motorists with cars eligible for testing will be advised of the nearest test centre, but they may choose any centre within the country.
The Government awarded a 10-year contract to the SGS Group, the world’s largest inspection, testing and verification company. SGS established the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) to take responsibility for the running of the service, including the development and operation of each of the 43 dedicated National Car Test (NCT) Centres.
The Fee
The car test fee is €50.00 and a re-test costs €28.00. These fees are inclusive of VAT and maybe subject to change. Re-tests, which do not require the use of test equipment, will be free. Free re-tests cover minor items, for example, a visual inspection to check that faulty windscreen wipers have been replaced etc. You can pay for the NCT test by any of the following methods: cash, personal cheque with bankers card, all major credit cards and laser cards.
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