03/06/2026
18 Bookings, 18 Cancellations… and Still No NCT! 🚗
During a checkpoint in Castlebridge today, Gardaí stopped a vehicle displaying an NCT that had expired almost three years ago.
When questioned, the driver produced a future NCT booking confirmation. However, further checks revealed that the vehicle owner had booked and cancelled NCT appointments 18 times over the past three years without ever presenting the vehicle for testing.
An NCT booking is not a free pass to drive indefinitely with an expired certificate. Vehicle owners are responsible for ensuring their vehicles are roadworthy and tested within the required timeframes.
Regular vehicle testing plays an important role in road safety by helping to identify defects that could put drivers, passengers and other road users at risk. Whether you agree with it or not, it is still one of the legal requirements of driving a car in Ireland.