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Vehicle approval
7. Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval
When you must use the scheme
To register your motorcycle, 3-wheeled or light 4-wheeled vehicle, it must:
- comply with European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA)
- have a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) to prove this
It must be inspected under the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme if it doesn’t have a Certificate of Conformity.
You must also use the MSVA scheme if your vehicle has been radically altered or built using a mixture of parts from previously registered vehicles. For example:
- amateur built vehicles
- rebuilt vehicles
- vehicles converted to a different wheelplan
Eligibility for MSVA
You can use the MSVA scheme for vehicles that:
- are under 10 years old
- haven’t been registered before in the UK
- don’t have ECWVTA
The following types of vehicle are eligible:
- 2-wheeled mopeds
- 3-wheeled mopeds
- light quadricycles
- solo motorcycles
- motorcycle combinations
- motor tricycles
- heavy quadricycles
These vehicle types are defined in appendix 1 of the MSVA guide, produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
Partial MSVA
If you have a Certificate of Conformity (CoC), it will say which side of the road and which speedometer units your vehicle is equipped for.
You must modify your vehicle if it isn’t equipped for use in Great Britain. It will then need a Partial MSVA to check the following items:
- headlamp dipped beam pattern - this checks the headlamp is suitable for driving on the left
- speedometer - the speed must be shown in miles per hour (mph) or dual mph and kilometres per hour
- mirror location - on mopeds fitted with a single mirror, the mirror must be fitted to offside (right) of the vehicle
Read more in Partial MSVA frequently asked questions.
Vehicle identification number
Your vehicle needs a vehicle identification number before having an MSVA inspection. Write to the following address if it doesn’t have one.
VC15A/MASET
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1ZZ
Cost of the scheme
You have to pay a fee for DVSA to inspect your vehicle.
Choose a test station
Your vehicle will be inspected by DVSA at one of its approved test stations. You can choose which one as long as it inspects the category of vehicle you want to be tested.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| B | 2-wheeled vehicles |
| T | 3-wheeled vehicles |
| Q | 4-wheeled vehicles |
| Station | Address | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | Cloverhill Road, Bridge of Don Industrial Estate, Aberdeen, AB23 8FE | B, T, Q |
| Beverley | Oldbeck Road, Off Grovehill Road, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 0JW | B, T, Q |
| Bristol | Merebank Road, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 8AQ | B, T, Q |
| Cardiff (Llantrisant) | School Road, Miskin, Pontyclun, Mid Glamorgan, CF72 8YR | B, T, Q |
| Carlisle | Brunthill Road, Kingstown Industrial Estate, Carlisle, CA3 0EH | B, T, Q |
| Chelmsford | Widford Industrial Estate, Chelmsford, CM1 3DR | B, Q |
| Derby | Belmore Way, Alvaston, Derby, DE21 7AY | B, T, Q |
| Edinburgh (Livingston) | Grange Road, Houston Industrial Estate, Livingston, Edinburgh, West Lothian, EH54 5DE | B, T, Q |
| Exeter | Grace Road West, Marsh Barton Trading Estate, Exeter, Devon, EX2 8PU | B, T, Q |
| Gillingham | Ambley Road, Gillingham, ME8 0SJ | B, T, Q |
| Leighton Buzzard | Stanbridge Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4QG | B, T, Q |
| London West (Yeading) | Cygnet Way, Willow Tree Lane, Yeading, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 9BS | T, Q |
| Manchester (Chadderton) | Broadway Business Park, Broadgate, Manchester (Chadderton), Oldham, OL9 9XA | B, T, Q |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Sandy Lane, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE3 5HB | B, T, Q |
| Norwich | Jupiter Road, Hellesden, Norwich, NR6 6SS | B, T, Q |
| Southampton (Northam) | Unit R Centurion Industrial Estate, Bitterne Road West, Southampton, SO18 1UB | B, T, Q |
| Watford | Unit A, Caxton Court, Caxton Way, Watford, WD18 8RH | B |
Application form
Print off and fill in the MSVA application form.
Print off and fill in the Partial MSVA application form.
What happens next
DVSA will inspect your vehicle at the test station you’ve chosen and issue a Minister’s Approval Certificate (MAC) if it passes. You’ll need this certificate when you register your vehicle.
Appeals
You can appeal for a re-test if your vehicle fails MSVA. You must appeal within 14 days of the original decision by completing form MSVA17 and returning it to the station used for the original test.
You’ll have to pay the test fee again, which will be refunded if the appeal is successful. Contact DVSA to find out how to do this.
More information
Read the guide to the MSVA scheme and the MSVA inspection manual.