MOT check.
Is it still valid?

What this MOT check tells you

• Current MOT status — valid, expired, or not yet due.
• Expiry date — the exact day the current certificate runs out.
• Full test history — every test since 2005 with results, mileages, failures and advisories.
• Days remaining — so you know exactly how long you have to book the next test.

How to do an MOT check

• Step 1: Type the registration into the yellow plate box above.
• Step 2: Press CHECK FREE — no account, no payment, no documents.
• Step 3: See the status on screen, then scroll the history for the full picture.

You can check any vehicle — your own car, one you are about to buy, or one you are selling. The record is public, and the owner is not notified.

When is an MOT due?

Cars, vans and motorcycles in England, Scotland and Wales need their first MOT on the 3rd anniversary of registration, and then every 12 months. In Northern Ireland the first test is at 4 years. You can have the test done up to a month (minus a day) before the expiry date and keep the same renewal date — so there is never a reason to run it to the last day.

What if the MOT has expired?

Driving a vehicle with an expired MOT is illegal except for one journey: driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment (or away from one to a place of repair). Police ANPR cameras flag untaxed and untested vehicles automatically, the fine for driving without a valid MOT can reach £1,000, and if the vehicle is also dangerous you risk points on your licence. An expired MOT can also invalidate your insurance claim. If a check shows the MOT has run out, book a test before driving the vehicle anywhere else.

How much does an MOT cost?

The government sets a maximum test fee — for a standard car it is £54.85, and garages may charge less but never more for the test itself. A retest is free when the vehicle is repaired at the same test centre and retested within 10 working days, for the items covered by a partial retest. Repairs themselves are charged on top, which is why reading the advisory list on the last test — shown in this check — is the best way to budget before you book.

MOT check before buying a car

Never take a seller’s word for the MOT — check it. A fresh 12-month pass adds real value; a car with 6 weeks left is a bill arriving soon. More importantly, run your eye down the history, not just the status: repeated failures, growing advisory lists and mileage that goes backwards are all visible in the full record, and all are reasons to renegotiate or walk away. For the complete picture — finance, write-offs and stolen markers — step up to a full report once the MOT record looks clean.

Which vehicles are MOT-exempt?

Vehicles over 40 years old are generally exempt, provided they have not been substantially modified in the last 30 years. Some vehicle types follow different rules — for example, tractors and certain specialist vehicles — but ordinary cars, vans and motorcycles are all in the scheme from their 3rd anniversary. If a check returns no record for a newer vehicle, it may be recently imported and not yet on the UK system.

Frequently asked questions