MOT Check: When is My MOT Due?

Instantly find your MOT due date and check your vehicle's history for free

How to Check When Your MOT is Due

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Enter your reg number and click 'Check My MOT Now'

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You will instantly see your MOT due date, along with confirmation that we’ve got the right car, with no sign-up or registration required. You can also check what MOT class your vehicle is and view its entire MOT history. See whether it passed or failed and any advisories that were outlined.

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You then have the option to book an MOT or sign up for our MOT email reminder service.


If you don’t know when your MOT is due, enter your vehicle’s registration into our free MOT checker to find out instantly. There’s no sign-up or registration required.

Our MOT checker takes information straight from the DVLA database and allows you to check the current MOT due date and status of any vehicle registered in the UK.

We also show you any advisories from last year’s test and allow you to book your MOT in just 2 steps.

If you’re worried about your MOT status, enter your reg number into our checker now.

How Do I Find Out When My MOT is Due?

You can find your MOT due date on last year’s test certificate, if you have a paper copy. Similarly, if you have recently bought a car, the paperwork should include your MOT due date.

The DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) also knows your MOT status. They have all expiry dates on file and our free check accesses these records to instantly provide you with your vehicle’s MOT expiry date.

Just enter your registration into our tool above to instantly check when your MOT is due.

Free MOT Advisory Check

When you enter your car’s reg into our MOT checker, we’ll instantly find any outstanding advisories from previous tests. These advisories are issues that didn’t cause your vehicle to fail its last MOT but may cause a failure in future if they get worse.

Use our free check to find out whether your vehicle has any outstanding MOT advisories to fix them before your next test to increase your chances of passing first time.

What is an MOT Check?

An MOT check ensures that you know the status of your vehicle’s MOT certificate, so you know when you next need to book an MOT test to ensure your vehicle is always road legal.

What is an MOT History Check?

An MOT history check provides a record of your vehicle’s previous MOT tests, going into more detail than a standard MOT check. Checking your vehicle’s history also includes any failures and advisories and an accurate mileage of when each test was sat.

Our MOT checker provides both an MOT check & history check as standard.

What Does an MOT Check Include?

Our MOT check provides the following information:

  • Accurate basic details about your vehicle
  • MOT expiry date (including number of days until next test due)
  • Yearly mileage recordings
  • Yearly advisory notes
  • Yearly refusal notes
  • Current MOT status

Why Check MOT History?

There are plenty of reasons why you should check a vehicle’s MOT history:

See When Your Next MOT Test is Due

Check your own car’s MOT history to see when you need to book its next test and to remind yourself what issues (if any) have been flagged in previous years that you might need to address now.

Check the History of a Used Car You Wish to Buy

Make sure a vehicle you’re looking to purchase has been maintained properly by checking for a full MOT history. If there are any gaps or suspicious entries, you can raise them with the seller and decide whether you wish to continue with the deal or not.

What Can I Find Out From a Vehicle’s MOT History?

You can find out whether a vehicle is road legal and ensure it has been maintained properly. This is especially important when buying a used car.

If a car has advisories logged from a previous test, you can look for evidence that these repairs have been done when you view the vehicle. If they haven’t, you may be able to negotiate the price down.

You can also check that the advertised mileage is accurately reflected in the MOT history to ensure you don’t fall victim of ‘clocking’. This is when the mileage is deliberately altered to make it seem as though the car has been driven less than it has.

Finally, you can use a vehicle’s MOT history to study its usage patterns. If it covered 25,000+ miles in a 12-month period or was hardly driven at all for three years, there could be problems with it. If there is no service history to prove it has been well cared for, you may be able to negotiate a lower price or simply walk away from the deal.

If you are looking to buy a used car, we would strongly recommend entering the registration into our checker at the top of the page to ensure its MOT history is up to date.

How to Check a Car’s MOT History?

Simply enter the car’s registration into our history checker at the top of this page to receive instant results detailing every recorded MOT test for the vehicle. You can run this as many times, and for as many different vehicles, as you like.

You do not need to own the vehicle or be the registered keeper to check its MOT history.

What MOT Class is My Vehicle?

Class 4 is the most common UK MOT class. Most passenger vehicles are class 4, including all cars and most vans.

Here are the UK MOT classes in full:

Class 1

Motorcycles (with and without sidecar); engine size up to 200cc

Class 2

Motorcycles (with and without sidecar); engine size over 200cc

Class 3

3-wheeled vehicles (up to 450kg unladen weight)

Class 4

3-wheeled vehicles (over 450kg unladen weight)

Cars

Caravans

Quadbikes

Dual purpose vehicles

Private hire and public service vehicles (up to 12 seats)

Ambulances (up to 12 seats)

Taxis

Goods vehicles (up to 3,000kg gross weight)

Class 4a

Class 4 vehicles with 9-12 passenger seats and a seatbelt installation check

Class 5

Private passenger vehicles and ambulances with 13+ seats, Playbuses

Class 5a

Class 5 vehicles with 13+ seats and a seatbelt installation check

Class 7

Goods vehicles between 3,000 and 3,500kg gross weight

When Does My MOT Expire?

Your MOT expires at midnight on the due date. For example, if your expiry date was the 14th of August, then your MOT would expire at midnight on that day.

When Is My MOT Due?

Your MOT is always due exactly a year after your previous expiry date. It is not always 12-months from the date of your last test because you can book up to a month, minus a day, in advance..

Check My Car

It’s not just your MOT expiry date and history you can check through our free tools. We offer all UK drivers the ability to check the following in a few easy steps:

Tax Check

If you can’t remember when your vehicle’s tax is due, enter your reg into our FREE Tax Checker and get instant peace of mind.

ULEZ Check

You must drive a ULEZ (Ultra-Low Emissions Zone) compliant car to move around certain UK cities without being charged. Find out whether your vehicle meets the standards by entering your reg into our FREE ULEZ Checker.

Car Check

For a FREE vehicle report, enter your reg into our Car Check tool. We provide a comprehensive report of your vehicle’s basic specifications, estimated average servicing costs and more.

FAQs

What Do I Do if My MOT is Overdue?

If your MOT is overdue, you must book a test immediately. It is illegal to drive on public roads in the UK without a valid MOT certificate.

You can book an MOT online today by entering your vehicle registration and postcode into our comparison site.

Can I Drive After a Failed MOT?

You can only drive your car after a failed MOT if:

  • The MOT certificate from the previous year is still valid
  • No 'dangerous' faults were recorded during the failure

You must not drive your car after a failed MOT if it doesn’t meet the above requirements

How Long Does an MOT Take?

An MOT usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes. Many garages offer an ‘MOT-while-you-wait’ service with waiting rooms and refreshments onsite.

If your car fails and needs extra repairs, it will take a lot longer. The test centre will be able to give you a time estimate based on the severity of your repairs.

Do New Cars Need an MOT?

New cars do not need an MOT, by law, for the first three years after they were registered. This is because new cars are deemed to be extremely safe and roadworthy and are covered by a warranty.

If you wish to book an MOT for your new car, you can but there is very little benefit to doing so

What is Tested In an MOT?

The following car parts are all checked during an MOT:
  • Seats & Seat Belts
  • Warning Lights
  • Switches (position lamp, headlights, hazard lights)
  • Windscreen Condition, Wipers & Washers
  • Brake Controls
  • Steering Wheel & Column
  • Doors, Mirrors & Horn
  • Speedometer & Driver Controls (Class 5 only)
  • Licence Plates
  • Lights & Licence Plate Lights
  • Indicators & Hazard Lights
  • Headlights & Aim
  • Brake Lights, Fog Lights & Reflectors
  • Wheels & Tyres
  • Shock Absorbers
  • Mirrors, Wiper Blades & Fuel Tank Cap
  • Glazing (Class 5 only)
  • Doors, Boot Lid, Loading Doors, Bonnet
  • Towbars
  • Bodywork Condition
  • Chassis
  • Brake System
  • Exhaust & Fuel Systems
  • Speed Limited (if applicable)
  • Steering & Power Steering Components
  • Suspension Components
  • Fuel Tank
  • Drive Shafts (if applicable)
  • Emissions
  • Wheel Bearings

How Much is an MOT?

An MOT can cost as much as £54.85, but many test centres set their prices lower to encourage more customers to choose them. While you can pay less than £54.85 for a class 4 test, you will never pay more as it is a fixed upper limit as set by the UK Government.

Class 4 covers all cars and light commercial vehicles registered in the UK.

How Long is MOT Valid?

An MOT is valid for 12 months. This is calculated from the date of your test to the exact same date the following year.

If you book your MOT early, it becomes valid for up to 13 months (the 12 months from your expiry date this year to the following year, plus up to an additional 30 days. This depends on how early you booked your MOT).

Do I Have to Pay For an MOT Retest?

An MOT retest is free if your car fails on one or more of the areas outlined in the table below and the repair(s) is completed within 1 working day.

  • Access Panels
  • Battery
  • Bonnet
  • Bootlid
  • Brake Pedal Antislip
  • Break Glass Hammer*
  • Doors (including hinges, catches, and pillars)
  • Door Open Warning Device*
  • Dropsides
  • Electrical Wiring
  • Emergency Exit & Signs*
  • Entrance Door Remote Control*
  • Entrance/Exit Steps*
  • Fuel Filler Cap
  • Headlamp Cleaning or Levelling Devices (that don't need a headlight aim check)
  • Horn
  • Lamps (excluding headlight aim)
  • Loading Door
  • Main Beam 'Tell-Tale'
  • Mirrors
  • Rear Reflectors
  • Registration Plates
  • Seatbelts (not anchorages)
  • Seatbelt Load Limiter
  • Seatbelt Pre-Tensioner
  • Seats
  • Sharp Edges or Projections
  • Stairs*
  • Steering Wheel
  • Tailboard
  • Tailgate
  • Trailer Electrical Sockets
  • Towbars (excluding body around anchorage points)
  • Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
  • Windscreen Glass
  • Windscreen Wipers
  • Windscreen Washers
  • Wheels and Tyres**

*Class 5 Only
**Excluding Motorcycles & motorcycles with sidecar

If the repair is completed within 10 working days, either by the original garage or elsewhere and then you return to the original garage for a retest, you only need to pay for a partial MOT retest. This costs less than the full fee.

If you complete the repairs yourself and choose to take your car into a different test centre, you will need to pay for the full test again.

What Do I Need to Take To An MOT Test?

You do not need to take anything except your car to an MOT test. The tester will use the DVSA database to find your existing MOT details and any other information they may need about your car.

You may wish to provide a locking wheel nut in case any repairs are needed to the wheels or tyres.

Why Is My MOT Expiry Date Incorrect?

If the new expiry date on your MOT certificate is not the one you were expecting, it may be because you had your vehicle tested more than 1 month, minus a day, in advance. Testing too early means you no longer keep the original expiry date.

If you tested your vehicle within the correct time frame to keep the same expiry date and the date is significantly wrong, we recommend contacting the garage that completed the test or the DVSA to see if they can help change it.

How Do I Correct a Mileage Error on My MOT Certificate?

If you notice the mistake within 28 days, you should contact the MOT test centre where the inspection was conducted. If the mileage mistake on the certificate was their fault, they should reissue a replacement MOT certificate with the correct mileage on it.

If you notice the mistake after 28 days, you will need to report the error to the DVSA by emailing motreplacement@dvsa.go.uk. To make this change, they will need photographic proof of what the mileage should be as well as proof that the photo was taken on the day of the MOT test.

What Happens If My Vehicle Doesn’t Have a Valid MOT?

If your vehicle doesn’t have a valid MOT, you can be prosecuted if caught by police. This accounts to:

  • Up to a £1,000 fine for driving without an MOT
  • 6-8 points on your driver’s licence and an unlimited fine for driving without car insurance (as your insurance is invalid without an MOT certificate). You may also face a disqualification from driving.
  • An additional £2,500 fine if your vehicle is found to be unroadworthy
  • 3 points on your driver’s licence if your vehicle is deemed to be dangerous

Why is There No Information Available For My Car?

If your car has recently sat its first MOT, it may be that the results haven’t been uploaded to the DVLA database yet. While test centres usually do this within a couple of hours, sometimes it can take longer. If it has been a few days and there is still no MOT information available for your car, we would recommend calling the garage to ask whether there has been a system error their end.

If you are looking at buying a second-hand 3+-year-old car that has limited or no MOT history, we would recommend querying this with the seller. If the information is not available, you should strongly consider walking away from the deal.

Do Any Vehicles Not Need an MOT Test?

Some vehicles are exempt from needing an MOT test. Most MOT exemptions apply to vehicles registered more than 40 years ago, but some tractors, electric goods vehicles and most lorries, buses and trucks are also exempt from a traditional MOT.

If you’re not sure whether your vehicle qualifies for an MOT exemption, there is more information about historic vehicles on the UK Government website.

Can I Drive My Car if My MOT Expires Today?

As an MOT certificate expires at midnight on the due date, you can only legally drive your car if your MOT expires today to take it to a pre-booked test.

If you are caught driving a car with an expired certificate for any other reason, even if it expires today, you can be prosecuted by the police.

Why Does a Car Need an MOT?

A car needs an MOT to ensure it is safe and roadworthy to be driven on the UK’s roads.

Without this regular checkup, there is no guarantee that a car is safe to drive or that drivers aren’t neglecting their vehicles through a lack of maintenance.

How Long Can You Drive a Vehicle Without an MOT?

There is no MOT grace period. If you don’t have a valid MOT certificate, you can be prosecuted if caught by the police, even if it expired yesterday or even today.

As you can’t legally drive a vehicle without an MOT on public roads, we recommend booking an appointment as soon as possible to get a valid certificate. We also would recommend that you avoid driving your car until the test and park it on private land to reduce your risk of prosecution.

How Up to Date is the MOT Expiry Date Information?

The DVLA database is kept very up to date, meaning that any changes to your expiry date will be available almost instantly.

MOT results are available through this service as soon as the garage uploads the test result. This is usually done within a couple of hours of the test.

Can I Park My Car on the Road If it Doesn’t Have an MOT?

You cannot park your car on the road if it doesn’t have an MOT. You must always have a valid MOT certificate to use your car on public roads, even if it is parked and you have applied for a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice).

Do I Need an MOT if My Car is Kept on Private Land?

If you keep your car solely on private land, you do not need a valid MOT certificate. However, you will also need to apply for a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice) to ensure you’re not fined for owning an untaxed or uninsured vehicle.

You will also not be able to take your car onto a public road if it doesn’t have a valid MOT certificate.

Can You MOT A Car Before It’s Due?

Yes, you can MOT a car before its due date. We recommend that you have your MOT test done at least 2 weeks before the expiry date to allow for any repairs your car may need.

You can book an MOT up to 1 month, minus a day, before the expiry date and keep the same expiry date for next year. If you wish to book your MOT more than a month before the current expiry date, the due date will change to your last test date.

When Do You Need an MOT On a New Car?

A new car will need its first MOT, by law, three years after it was first registered in the UK. If your car was registered on the 1st September 2023, it will need its first MOT on the 1st September 2026.