Do Caravans Need an MOT? No (Touring Caravans, UK)

Do caravans need an MOT?

Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Last updated 15 September 2026. Prices and rules checked on 15 September 2026; sources at the foot of the page.

No. A touring caravan does not need an MOT and cannot be given one. The MOT scheme tests motor vehicles in classes 1 to 7, and the separate annual test for trailers applies to semi-trailers, horseboxes over 3,500kg, A-frame trailers and converter dollies, and goods trailers over 1,020kg unladen with powered braking, none of which describes a caravan with overrun brakes. Checked against GOV.UK on 15 September 2026. The law still requires the caravan to be roadworthy, which is why an annual service from an Approved Workshop is the usual substitute.

Why there is no caravan MOT

DVSA's MOT testing guide defines the seven MOT classes, and every one of them is a motor vehicle: motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars and motor caravans, larger passenger vehicles and goods vehicles up to 3,500kg. A caravan is a trailer, so it is outside the MOT scheme altogether. Trailers have their own annual test, but GOV.UK lists the ones it covers: semi-trailers, horseboxes with a gross weight over 3,500kg, A-frame trailers and converter dollies made on or after 1 January 1979, and trailers over 1,020kg unladen with powered braking systems. A touring caravan uses overrun (inertia) brakes, not a powered system, so it is outside that test too.

Vehicle	Test	Who is responsible
Touring caravan	None	The owner, for roadworthiness; annual service recommended
Motorhome or campervan	MOT class 4 from the third anniversary of registration, then yearly, maximum fee £54.85	The keeper; see do motorhomes need an MOT
Goods trailer over 1,020kg unladen with powered brakes	Annual HGV trailer test	The operator, through DVSA

What you are still responsible for

The Caravan and Motorhome Club puts it in one line: "It's not a legal requirement to have your caravan or motorhome serviced but it is a legal requirement that it's roadworthy." In practice that means brakes that work, tyres that are legal and not perished, working lights and indicators, a sound hitch and breakaway cable, and a number plate matching the tow car. The Camping and Caravanning Club "strongly recommends you change tyres no later than seven years from the date of manufacture", because caravan tyres age out long before they wear out.

The annual caravan service

The Camping and Caravanning Club recommends a service "at least once a year, or more often for intensive use", and the Caravan and Motorhome Club recommends using a member of the Approved Workshop Scheme. A full caravan service covers the chassis, brakes, hitch and lights as well as the habitation side: gas, electrics, water and a damp survey. Prices read on 15 September 2026: Happy Camper Group £189.95 plus VAT for a single axle and £219 plus VAT for twin axle (mobile, North West England and North Wales); Habcheck £305 for members and £335 for non-members single axle, £339 and £370 twin axle (mobile). Motorhome prices are on motorhome habitation check cost.

Buying a used caravan with no MOT record to lean on

With no MOT history, the paperwork that matters is the service history, the CRiS Registration Document and a recent damp report. The identity and finance side is a £17.95 CRiS check; the physical side is covered on how to check a touring caravan.

Buying a touring caravan?

Tourers use the CRiS register, not a vehicle check. Read our honest guide.

Touring caravan guide

Frequently asked questions

Do touring caravans need an MOT?+

No. The MOT covers motor vehicles in classes 1 to 7 and the trailer annual test covers goods trailers over 1,020kg unladen with powered braking, semi-trailers and horseboxes over 3,500kg. A touring caravan with overrun brakes is outside both.

Is there any legal test for a caravan?+

No test, but a legal duty: the caravan must be roadworthy when towed. Brakes, tyres, lights, hitch and breakaway cable are your responsibility.

Do caravans have to be serviced by law?+

No. Servicing is not a legal requirement, but roadworthiness is, and manufacturers usually require an annual service to keep the water ingress warranty. Both clubs recommend an annual service by an Approved Workshop.

How often should a caravan be serviced?+

At least once a year, or more often for intensive use, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club.

How old can caravan tyres be?+

The Camping and Caravanning Club strongly recommends changing tyres no later than seven years from the date of manufacture, whatever the tread looks like.

Do motorhomes need an MOT?+

Yes. A motorhome is a motor vehicle: first MOT on the third anniversary of registration, then yearly, in class 4 with a maximum fee of £54.85 whatever it weighs.