When your first MOT is due, how early you can test, when a retest is free, and whether you can drive after a fail. The UK MOT rules in plain English.
Most drivers think about the MOT once a year, which is why the rules catch people out. Everything below comes from the official gov.uk guidance and applies to cars in England, Scotland and Wales.
When is an MOT due?
- First MOT: by the third anniversary of the car's first registration.
- After that: every year, by the anniversary of the last MOT.
The government consulted on moving the first MOT to four years and decided in January 2024 to keep it at three.
You can check any car's MOT due date and full history, including past advisories, with the gov.uk MOT history service, and sign up for free MOT reminders.
Can I have my MOT early?
Yes. Test up to one month minus a day before the current MOT runs out and you keep the same renewal date. If yours expires on 15 May, the earliest test that keeps that date is 16 April. Test before that and the new certificate runs a year from the pass date.
Testing early is sensible: if the car fails, you still have time to fix it before the old certificate expires.
How much does an MOT cost?
The maximum fee for a car is £54.85. Test centres can charge less, but not more.
What the results mean
| Result | What it means | Can you drive? |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous | A direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The car fails. | No, not until it's repaired, even if your old MOT is still valid |
| Major | Could affect safety, other road users or the environment. The car fails. | Only if the old MOT is still valid and the car is roadworthy. Get it repaired |
| Minor | No significant effect on safety or the environment. The car passes. | Yes. Repair it soon |
| Advisory | Something that could become a problem. The car passes. | Yes. Keep an eye on it |
Driving with a dangerous defect can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and three penalty points.
Retests: when are they free?
- Leave the car at the test centre for repair and it's retested within 10 working days: the partial retest is free.
- Take it away and bring it back within 10 working days: partial retest, which the centre can charge for.
- Bring it back to the same centre by the end of the next working day for certain simple items, such as lamps, mirrors, wipers and washers, wheels and tyres, number plates, the horn, seatbelts or the windscreen: free partial retest.
- Anything else: a full retest at the full fee.
This is the practical advantage of a test centre that also carries out repairs: the car stays put, gets fixed and is retested.
Driving without an MOT
- Driving without a valid MOT can mean a fine of up to £1,000.
- If your MOT has expired you can still drive to a pre-booked test, or to have repairs done, as long as the car is roadworthy.
- Driving an unroadworthy car may also invalidate your insurance.
Which cars don't need an MOT?
Cars built or first registered more than 40 years ago are exempt, provided they haven't been substantially changed, for example with a replaced chassis, body, axles or engine. The 40-year point rolls forward each year. The car must still be kept roadworthy, and you can choose to have an MOT anyway.
Before your test
Many failures are simple: bulbs, tyres, wipers and warning lights. Our guide to why cars fail their MOT lists the checks you can do yourself. If a warning light is on, read what to do when your check engine light comes on first, because an engine management light that stays on is a fail.
MOT testing at Mitsiland
We carry out Class 4 MOT testing on site at our Denton workshop, with DVSA-approved testers. If your car needs work we can usually repair it in the same visit, and we'll always explain what's needed, and what it costs, before starting. Many customers book an MOT alongside a service: see interim, full and major services.
Mitsiland is an independent specialist at Tameside Business Park, 4 Windmill Lane, Denton, Manchester M34 3QS. Call 0161 320 7788 or book online.
