MFK inspection notice: checks, costs and missed dates

13.10.2026

At some point the letter arrives: the notice for the periodic vehicle inspection, in Switzerland usually called the MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle). Here you will find when your car is due, what the inspection station looks at, what the fees are in your canton – and why ignoring the notice can cost you your vehicle registration document.

📅 When does my car have to go for its MFK inspection?

The intervals are set out in Art. 33 of the Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (VTS). For most private owners these deadlines apply:

Important:

• The notice is sent to you in writing by your cantonal road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt, the authority that registers vehicles and licenses drivers) (ch.ch). In some cantons you can also book the appointment online, for example in Zurich and Basel-Stadt.
• You can have your vehicle inspected voluntarily earlier, at any time – for example before a sale, so you can advertise it as “inspected”.
• A change of owner does not change the date, unless the vehicle is more than ten years old.
• Inspections take place at the cantonal road traffic office, at licensed private inspection stations or, in the cantons of Aargau, Bern, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Ticino and Zurich, also at the TCS technical centres (TCS).

🔍 What gets checked?

According to the VTS, the inspection covers these areas:

Cantonal additions:

• St. Gallen: also explicitly checks bodywork, load-bearing parts and corrosion (sg.ch).
• Zurich: requires you to present the car at operating temperature and clean; if it is very dirty, the inspection cannot be completed (zh.ch).
• Older cars (roughly model years 1976 to 2006): without a recognised OBD system they also need the exhaust maintenance document.

💡 Tip: you do not have to present the car yourself. Another person or your garage may do it for you.

💰 What does the MFK inspection cost? Fees by canton

Fees vary by canton and vehicle type. Here is an overview of the current tariffs (as of 2026):

Additional fees at a glance:

Good to know:

• In the cantons of Aargau, Bern, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Ticino and Zurich, the TCS technical centres also carry out inspections on behalf of the office.
• TCS members often pay reduced prices for voluntary inspections.

⏳ Postponing the appointment

The rules are cantonal. The most important ones:

How to do it, step by step:

1. Online: if your canton offers it (e.g. Zurich, Basel)
2. By phone: call the cantonal road traffic office
3. In writing: by email or letter to the office
4. Wait for confirmation: you receive a new confirmed appointment

⚠️ Important:

• An appointment cannot simply be cancelled – always ask for a postponement, never ignore the notice.
• Submit the request before the original appointment; some cantons require a valid reason (holiday, illness).
• The postponement itself is usually free of charge.
• Always give the notice number; your garage can also request the postponement on your behalf.
• Re-inspections cannot be postponed in many cantons (e.g. St. Gallen).

⚠️ What happens if I ignore the notice?

In short: it gets expensive – and you lose your registration.

📜 Legal consequences

• The vehicle registration document is withdrawn (Art. 106 VZV) if you fail to appear without sufficient reason.
• A real case: in 2024 the Administrative Court of Solothurn upheld such a case: the owner did not turn up, the office summoned him again and then withdrew the vehicle registration document and number plates with immediate effect (Judgment VWBES.2024.5).

💸 Costs of a missed appointment

⚠️ Important: even if the notice never arrives, for example because of an inspection backlog at the office, you as the owner remain responsible for the condition of your vehicle (TCS via Nau).

✅ MFK preparation: checklist

🔧 Two weeks before the inspection

• Have the service done: take the car to the garage to check brakes, lighting and tyres – ideally together with the next service (ch.ch).
• Pre-test: the TCS MFK pre-test costs from CHF 60 for members and covers the typical defects (TCS).
• Prepare documents: vehicle registration document, insurance policy, if applicable the exhaust maintenance document (older cars without OBD), recent inspection reports.

🚗 The day before the inspection

• Wash the car: in Zurich and other cantons, heavy dirt can lead to the inspection being refused.
• Test all lights: headlamps, indicators, brake lights, tail lights, hazard lights.
• Check the tyre pressure (cold tyres) and the tread depth: minimum 1.6 mm, recommended 3 mm.
• Clean glass and mirrors, check the wiper blades.

🎯 On the day

• Present the car at operating temperature (mandatory in Zurich!).
• Arrive on time (5–10 minutes early), with all documents.

🔧 Typical defects: check them yourself

According to the TCS Bern section, around 15 % of vehicles fail the MFK (Nau). The most frequent complaints:

How to avoid defects:

• Lighting: test all lights every month
• Tyres: check tread and condition before every change of season
• Brakes: have them checked every year by a garage
• Glass: have cracks repaired immediately

🔄 And if defects are found?

1. Re-inspection: normally repair and present the vehicle again within 30 days – you have to arrange the appointment yourself.
2. Minor defects: in some cantons (e.g. St. Gallen) a garage confirmation that the defects have been fixed is enough. In St. Gallen this is called the repair confirmation procedure and takes place within 14 days (ch.ch).
3. Keep the inspection report: it records the mileage and proves, when you sell, that your odometer is correct.

🏛️ News 2026 and cantonal peculiarities

Online services by canton:

The Basel-Landschaft inspection authority is a department of the Security Directorate (SID); together with the Basel-Stadt authority it runs the joint vehicle inspection station (MFP) in Münchenstein for technical re-inspections and practical driving tests (baselland.ch).

📚 More information

• MFK in brief (ch.ch)
• TCS: Motorfahrzeugkontrolle
• VTS Art. 33 (legal text)

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