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Jamie Dawson

Editor of Logbook.co.uk. Director of Gemini AMPM, a UK fire and security business, so the Fire Safety and Security guides here are written from first-hand experience. Writes plain-English guides to UK record-keeping rules. .

Every guide filed under this byline is written to the standards set out in our editorial standards.

Jamie Dawson
Guides filed
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Guides by Jamie Dawson

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TitleFiledRead
1 When Is a New Car's First MOT? The 3-Year Rule (and the Exceptions)
Three years from first registration — not from when you bought it. Finding the real date, the taxi/ambulance exceptions, and what happens if you miss it.
26 Aug 2026 1 min read
2 Lost Your MOT Certificate? Why It Barely Matters Now (UK)
The paper is a receipt; the database is the record. How to print your MOT history free — and the one situation where a duplicate certificate is worth getting.
26 Aug 2026 1 min read
3 MOT-Exempt Vehicles: The 40-Year Rule and the V112 Declaration (UK)
Rolling 40-year exemption, the 'substantially changed' catch, and the V112 declaration at tax time — plus why exempt never means unroadworthy.
26 Aug 2026 1 min read
4 How Early Can You MOT a Car Without Losing the Renewal Date? (UK)
A month minus a day: the earliest you can test while keeping your renewal date — and the date printed on your certificate that makes it foolproof.
26 Aug 2026 1 min read
5 Failed the MOT? Retest Rules, the Free Window & Driving After a Fail (UK)
The free-retest windows nobody explains properly — and the dangerous-vs-major distinction that decides whether you can legally drive home.
26 Aug 2026 2 min read
6 MOT Advisories Explained: What They Mean and Which Ones Matter (UK)
An advisory isn't a fail — it's a forecast. Which advisories to act on now, which can wait, and how to read a stranger's advisory history before buying.
26 Aug 2026 1 min read
7 Your Fire Risk Assessment Found Problems. What Proves You Fixed Them?
A Brighton landlord was prosecuted after ten months of repeat visits. The offence was not finding faults. It was not closing them out, on the record.
25 Aug 2026 5 min read
8 Changed Your Car's Colour? How to Update the DVLA (Respray & Wrap Rules)
Resprays and full wraps must be notified to DVLA: free, by post, section-and-sign. Decals and stripes don't. The process, the ANPR risk, and the insurer step.
17 Aug 2026 2 min read
9 Car Tax Websites That Charge a Fee: What They Actually Do
Quick answer: vehicle tax is paid to DVLA and to nobody else, and the official service at gov.uk/vehicle-tax charges
14 Aug 2026 3 min read
10 Dacia Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)
Quick answer: Dacia has no public online portal for service history. Dacia is part of the Renault group, so the mechanics are
12 Aug 2026 3 min read
11 Renault Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)
Quick answer: Renault has no public online portal where anyone can look up a car's service history. Franchised Renault dealers
12 Aug 2026 3 min read
12 MG Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)
Quick answer: MG has no public online portal for service history. Franchised MG dealers record work on MG's digital service
12 Aug 2026 3 min read

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One email a week. Every new rule, deadline and record-keeping change that affects you.

Logbook.co.uk is an independent UK publication edited by Jamie Dawson. Guides are checked against current UK legislation and primary sources from gov.uk, HSE, ICO, DVLA, DVSA, CAA and trade bodies. Always confirm against the underlying source before acting. Nothing on this site is legal advice.