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:

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.

Print entire guide