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The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.

You must get an MOT for your vehicle by either:

• the third anniversary of its registration
• the anniversary of its last MOT, if it鈥檚 over 3 years old

Some vehicles need to be tested at one year old - check the MOT fees table to see which.

Check your MOT history to see when your vehicle鈥檚 MOT expires.

If the MOT has run out

1. If your tax is due to run out, register your vehicle as 鈥榦ff the road鈥� - you cannot renew your vehicle tax if your MOT has expired.

2. Book an MOT test.

3. Tax your vehicle once it has passed its MOT.

The only exceptions are to drive it:

• to or from somewhere to be repaired
• to a pre-arranged MOT test

Earliest date you can get an MOT

An MOT lasts for a year.

To find out when it runs out you can either:

• check your MOT history online
• check the date that鈥檚 printed on your current MOT certificate, if you have one

You can sign up to get reminders that your MOT is due.

You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date.

You can get an MOT earlier, but the renewal date for the following year will change to one year (minus a day) from the date the vehicle last passed its MOT.

You must use an approved MOT test centre to get your MOT.

How you can book

Contact an MOT centre to book an MOT.

There are maximum fees that the MOT centre can charge.

If you cannot take your vehicle in person

Some MOT centres will collect your vehicle for the MOT and then return it. Contact an MOT centre to see if this service is available.

You can also get someone else to take your vehicle into a test centre if they are insured to drive it.

There鈥檚 a maximum amount MOT test stations can charge. This depends on the type of vehicle.

You do not pay VAT on the fee.

During the MOT, important parts on your vehicle will be checked to make sure they meet the legal standards.

You can watch the test from a viewing area but you鈥檙e not allowed to interrupt the tester.

Parts that are tested

You can read more about:

• what鈥檚 tested for cars
• what鈥檚 tested for motorcycles

The MOT guide and inspection manuals tell you everything that鈥檚 tested.

Your vehicle can either pass or fail the MOT.

Passing the MOT

If your vehicle passes, your result will be recorded in the MOT database.

You can:

• check your MOT history to see the result online
• ask the test centre to give you a printed MOT certificate

You might also get a list of 鈥榤inor鈥� or 鈥榓dvisory鈥� problems to monitor or fix in the future.

Failing the MOT

Your vehicle will fail if the test result lists 鈥榙angerous鈥� or 鈥榤ajor鈥� problems with your vehicle. You might not be allowed to drive until you fix the problems.

You might also get a list of 鈥榤inor鈥� or 鈥榓dvisory鈥� problems to monitor or fix in the future.

If your vehicle fails, your result will be recorded in the MOT database.

You can:

• get a 鈥�refusal of an MOT test certificate鈥� from the test centre

• check your MOT history to see the result online

You can appeal the result if you think it鈥檚 wrong.

Driving a vehicle that鈥檚 failed

You can take your vehicle away if:

• your current MOT is still valid
• no 鈥榙angerous鈥� problems were listed in the MOT

Otherwise, you鈥檒l need to get it repaired before you can drive.

If you can take your vehicle away, it must still meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times.

In some cases your vehicle can have a partial retest for free or a reduced MOT fee.

Leaving your vehicle for repair

You only need a partial retest if you leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and it鈥檚 retested within 10 working days. There鈥檚 no fee for this.

Taking your vehicle away for repairs

You can take your vehicle away if your MOT is still valid.聽

Check your MOT history to find out when it runs out.

If your MOT has run out you can take your vehicle to:

• have the failed defects fixed
• a pre-arranged MOT test appointment

In both cases, your vehicle still needs to meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times or you can be fined.

Taking it back for a retest the next working day

You will not have to pay again if you take it back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day for a partial retest on one or more of these items:

• access panels
• battery
• bonnet
• bootlid
• brake pedal anti-slip
• break glass hammer (class 5 vehicles only)
• doors (including hinges, catches and pillars)
• door open warning device (class 5 vehicles only)
• dropsides
• electrical wiring
• emergency exits and signs (class 5 vehicles only)
• entrance door remote control (class 5 vehicles only)
• entrance/exit steps (class 5 vehicles only)
• fuel filler cap
• headlamp cleaning or levelling devices (that does not need a headlamp aim check)
• horn
• lamps (excluding headlamp aim)
• loading door
• main beam 鈥榯ell-tale鈥�
• mirrors
• rear reflectors
• registration plates
• seatbelts (but not anchorages), seatbelt load limiter and seatbelt pre-tensioner
• seats
• sharp edges or projections
• stairs (class 5 vehicles only)
• steering wheel
• tailboard
• tailgate
• trailer electrical sockets
• towbars (excluding body around anchorage points)
• tyre pressure monitoring system
• vehicle identification number (VIN)
• windscreen glass, wipers and washers
• wheels and tyres (excluding motorcycles and motorcycles with sidecar)

Taking it back for a retest within 10 working days

You鈥檒l only need a partial retest if you take the vehicle from the test centre for repairs and take it back within 10 working days. You can be charged a partial retest fee for this.

You can appeal the results of an MOT with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if either:

• your vehicle failed the MOT
• your vehicle passed the MOT, but you think it should have failed

You should not have any repairs made until the appeal process has finished.

Appeal if your vehicle failed an MOT

You need to discuss your test results with the test centre before anyone starts repairs.

You can appeal against the failure if you think it鈥檚 wrong. Fill in the complaint form and send it to DVSA within 14 working days of the test.

DVSA will contact you within 5 days to discuss your appeal.

If DVSA decides to recheck your vehicle, you鈥檒l need to arrange a date and pay the full test fee again. They鈥檒l send you an inspection report listing any vehicle defects.

If your appeal is successful, you鈥檒l be refunded the test fee.

Appeal if your vehicle passed, but you think it should have failed

You鈥檒l need to appeal to DVSA if you do not think your car should have passed its MOT. Fill in the complaint form and send it to DVSA within the time limits below.

DVSA will contact you within 5 days to discuss your appeal.

If DVSA decides to recheck your vehicle, you鈥檒l need to arrange a date. You will not need to pay the test fee again. They鈥檒l send you an inspection report listing any vehicle defects.

Time limits

If your vehicle passed, you need to appeal within:

• within 3 months of the MOT if it鈥檚 a corrosion-related problem
• within 28 days has passed for other defects

If you think your MOT certificate is not genuine

You can check that your MOT certificate is genuine by checking its MOT status.

If you鈥檙e unhappy with your MOT service

Contact DVSA if you鈥檙e not happy with your MOT service.

You do not need to get an MOT for a vehicle until it reaches the age shown in the MOT fees table.

Exempt vehicles

Other vehicles that do not need an MOT include:

• goods vehicles powered by electricity and registered before 1 March 2015
• tractors
• some historic (鈥榗lassic鈥�) vehicles

A list of exempt types of vehicles is on the MOT exemption form (V112). You need to fill in the form if your vehicle is listed so that you can either tax it or apply for tax exemption.

Lorries, buses and trailers

You must get an annual test for lorries, buses and trailers instead of an MOT. It鈥檚 sometimes called the 鈥榓nnual vehicle test鈥�.

You can get information corrected on your MOT (such as the mileage or vehicle details) if it鈥檚 wrong.

Get the wrong mileage corrected

The way you get the mileage corrected depends on when your MOT was.

If your MOT was within the last 28 days

Ask the MOT centre that did the MOT to update the mileage.

They鈥檒l need to see the vehicle again to check the mileage. They鈥檒l update the record in the MOT database to what the mileage is at the time of checking the vehicle.

If your MOT was more than 28 days ago

to get it corrected.

You鈥檒l need all of the following:

• your driving licence number
• the MOT test number
• the date of the MOT
• the vehicle鈥檚 number plate
• the vehicle identification number (VIN) - also known as the vehicle鈥檚 chassis number
• the make, model and colour of your vehicle

You must have evidence that the mileage is wrong to get the mistake fixed.

It needs to show:聽

• what the mileage should be
• a date within one day of the MOT test聽

Your evidence needs to be one or more of the following:

• an invoice for the MOT
• an emissions printout
• a service receipt
• a vehicle job card from the MOT centre

Once DVSA has updated the mileage, you can check your vehicle鈥檚 MOT history and download or print a corrected MOT certificate.

Get vehicle details or the MOT centre corrected

if your MOT has the wrong:

• vehicle make or model
• vehicle colour
• country where the vehicle was registered
• MOT test centre

You鈥檒l need all of the following:

• your driving licence number
• the MOT test number
• the date of the MOT
• the vehicle鈥檚 number plate
• the vehicle identification number (VIN) - also known as the vehicle鈥檚 chassis number
• the make and model of your vehicle

Add or remove test records

If there鈥檚 an MOT test missing from your vehicle鈥檚 MOT history, or a test that does not belong there, email or call DVSA to have it corrected.

You鈥檒l need to give your:

• name
• telephone number
• vehicle number plate
• vehicle make and model
• date of the MOT
• MOT test number (if you know it)
• MOT test centre name and address