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MOT

MOT check

Type a registration to see when its MOT falls due, then open its full history on GOV.UK.

Check a registration

Enter a registration to decode its age and issuing office.

When is your MOT due?

Enter the date the car was first registered. It is on the V5C logbook.

15 June 2027

Next MOT due, if tested on time

First MOT due
15 June 2022
Earliest date to test and keep the renewal date
16 May 2027
After that
Every year on the same date
Calculation details

Assumptions

  • Every test was taken on time.

What is not included

  • A test taken late starts a new twelve months from the day it passed, so the real expiry date is the one on the car's MOT record.

When is an MOT due?

A car in Great Britain needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of first registration, then every year; Northern Ireland uses a different first test rule. The calculator estimates the first due date from registration information, while GOV.UK holds the vehicle's recorded MOT status and history. DVSA caps a car MOT at £54.85.

GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: when to get an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: retest after a repair (as of 30 July 2026); DVSA, MOT testing guide for test stations: L. Accounts and fees (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: if your vehicle does not have an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); nidirect, How the MOT scheme works (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: MOT test fees (as of 6 April 2010); legislation.gov.uk, The Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/449) (as of 6 April 2010)

How do I see a car's MOT history?

The full record is on GOV.UK and it is free. It lists every test since 2005 with the result, the mileage the tester recorded and every advisory and failure. Enter the registration when it asks.

Check MOT history on GOV.UKCheck MOT status

Can I test early, and is there a grace period?

You can test up to a month minus a day before expiry and keep the renewal date, but there is no grace period after expiry.

  • There is no grace period. From the day after an MOT expires the vehicle cannot legally be used or parked on a public road, and you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid one.
  • Two exceptions let you drive on an expired MOT: to a test you have already booked, and to or from somewhere for repairs.
  • You can test up to a month minus a day before the current certificate runs out and keep the same renewal date, so the new certificate still expires on the same date the following year. Test earlier than that window and the new expiry becomes twelve months from the test date, which quietly moves your anniversary forward and throws away the rest of the cover you had paid for.
  • The same window applies to a first MOT. Testing a nearly three year old car in the month before its third anniversary keeps the anniversary as the renewal date.

GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: when to get an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: retest after a repair (as of 30 July 2026); DVSA, MOT testing guide for test stations: L. Accounts and fees (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: if your vehicle does not have an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); nidirect, How the MOT scheme works (as of 30 July 2026)

What happens after a failure?

The failed items must be repaired, and the retest fee depends on whether the vehicle stays at the centre and when it returns.

  • Leave the vehicle at the test centre for the repair and have it retested within 10 working days and you get a partial retest, covering only the items that failed. No fee may be charged for it. The vehicle has to stay on site the whole time.
  • Take the vehicle away for the repair, bring it back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day it tests on, and the partial retest is also free, as long as everything it failed on comes from a set list of straightforward items. That list includes lamps, mirrors, wipers and washers, registration plates, the horn, seats, doors, the fuel filler cap and the battery.
  • Take it away and bring it back to the same test centre later than that but still within 10 working days of the original test and you still only need a partial retest. The centre may charge for this, up to half the maximum fee for the class.
  • Anything else means a full test at the full fee again. That includes going past the 10 working days and taking the vehicle to a different test centre, because both of the free routes depend on returning to the station that failed it.
  • These are ceilings rather than prices. A centre can charge less than the maximum for a partial retest, or nothing at all.

GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: when to get an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: retest after a repair (as of 30 July 2026); DVSA, MOT testing guide for test stations: L. Accounts and fees (as of 30 July 2026); GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: if your vehicle does not have an MOT (as of 30 July 2026); nidirect, How the MOT scheme works (as of 30 July 2026)

Prices and the full fee table are on the MOT costs page.

Common questions

When is my first MOT due?
In England, Scotland and Wales a car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of the date it was first registered, then every year after that. The date is on the V5C logbook. In Northern Ireland cars are tested from four years old.
How do I check a car's MOT history for free?
Use the official GOV.UK service at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history. Enter the registration and it shows every MOT since 2005 with the result, the recorded mileage and any advisories. It is free and needs no account.
Can I MOT my car early?
Yes. You can take the test up to a month minus a day before the current certificate runs out and keep the same renewal date. Test earlier than that and the new certificate runs for twelve months from the test day, which moves your renewal date forward.
Is there a grace period after an MOT runs out?
No. From the day after it expires the car cannot legally be used on a public road, and the fine is up to £1,000. You may drive to a test you have already booked, or to or from a garage for repairs.
How much does an MOT cost?
The most a test centre can charge for a class 4 MOT, which covers cars and most vans, is £54.85. Many centres charge less, and a partial retest within 10 working days is often free.

Sources

Related pages