AA clears confusion over NCT penalties

MOTORISTS will only get penalty points for failing to have a valid NCT disc if they are stopped and charged by a garda, prosecuted in the courts and convicted, the AA has said.

The association said unlike penalty points for speeding, points for not having a road-worthiness certificate are not automatic and can only be handed down by a judge.

Beginning on May 1, drivers, on conviction, face new penalty points, including up to five points for not having an up-to-date NCT (National Car Test) cert and three points for driving without fixing a fault uncovered in an NCT test.