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?

Type the registration into the box at the top of this page. The answer comes from DVSA's MOT History API, the same record the GOV.UK service at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history shows: whether the MOT is valid, any open safety recall, the mileage recorded at each test and every defect and advisory. Both are free and need no account.

Can an MOT history show if a car has been clocked?

It can show that the recorded mileage does not run in order, which is the question to put to a seller. Testers type the odometer reading in on the day and nobody checks it afterwards, so a lower figure can be a typing slip or a change between miles and kilometres. The check converts kilometres before comparing and says which readings drop, by how much and when.

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.

MOT

MOT history check

Type a registration to see whether the MOT is valid, any open safety recall, the recorded mileage and every test with its advisories.

Check a registration's MOT history

Enter a registration to see its MOT history, mileage and age.

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 the check above reads the vehicle's recorded MOT status and history from DVSA. 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)

What does an MOT history check show?

Type the registration into the box above. The answer comes from DVSA's MOT History API, the record behind the GOV.UK service: every test in Great Britain since 2005, and in Northern Ireland since 2017, with the result, the mileage the tester recorded and every defect and advisory.

Whether the MOT is valid, and until when. A certificate runs to the end of its expiry date.
DVSA's safety recall flag. "Not published" means DVSA holds no answer, which is not the same as no recall.
The mileage at each test, converted to miles, with any reading lower than the one before it pointed out as a question for the seller.
Every defect by category: dangerous and major defects fail the test, minor defects and advisories are recorded on a pass.
Northern Ireland tests carry no defects or advisories in the record, so the check says so rather than showing a clean sheet.

DVSA, MOT history API documentation (as of 25 September 2026)

How do I see a car's MOT history on GOV.UK?

The same record is free on GOV.UK. It asks for the registration and lists every test with its result, mileage, defects and advisories.

Check MOT history on GOV.UK Check 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.

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.

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?: Type the registration into the box at the top of this page. The answer comes from DVSA's MOT History API, the same record the GOV.UK service at https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history shows: whether the MOT is valid, any open safety recall, the mileage recorded at each test and every defect and advisory. Both are free and need no account.
Can an MOT history show if a car has been clocked?: It can show that the recorded mileage does not run in order, which is the question to put to a seller. Testers type the odometer reading in on the day and nobody checks it afterwards, so a lower figure can be a typing slip or a change between miles and kilometres. The check converts kilometres before comparing and says which readings drop, by how much and when.
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.