When is my MOT due? Find out in 30 seconds
Enter your registration, get your official MOT expiry date — free, no sign-up, straight from the DVSA record.
The fastest way to check your MOT due date
You do not need your V5C logbook, your old certificate or a phone call to a garage. Every MOT test in Great Britain is logged centrally by the DVSA, and that record is tied to your number plate.
Use our free MOT checker: type in your registration and you will see your current MOT expiry date, whether the vehicle passed or failed its recent tests, recorded mileage at each test, and any advisories the tester noted. It takes about 30 seconds.
Checking the history — not just the date — is worth doing. Advisories from the last test are often the faults that cause a failure at the next one, so they tell you what to fix before you book.
When an MOT is due: the basic rules
- New cars need their first MOT by the third anniversary of their registration date. (Some vehicles, such as taxis and ambulances, need one at 1 year old — see our guide to the first MOT for a new car.)
- Cars over 3 years old need an MOT every year.
- Your due date is simply the expiry date printed on your current certificate — and shown by the MOT checker.
If your car is under three years old, the checker will show no test history yet. That is normal — there is nothing to show until the first test.
Renewing early: the one-month rule
You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before your current certificate runs out and keep the same renewal date. So if your MOT expires on 15 September, anything from 16 August onwards preserves the 15 September anniversary — your new certificate runs to 15 September next year.
Test any earlier than that window and your new certificate simply runs for 12 months from the test date, which drags your renewal date back through the calendar year by year.
Booking inside the one-month window is the sensible default: if the car fails, you still have a valid MOT while you sort repairs and a retest, and you lose nothing on the renewal date.
What happens if your MOT lapses
Once the expiry date passes, you cannot drive or park the vehicle on a public road. There are only two exceptions:
- driving to a pre-booked MOT test, and
- driving to or from somewhere for repairs.
The penalties are not trivial:
| Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Driving without a valid MOT | Fine of up to £1,000 |
| Driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition | Fine of up to £2,500, 3 penalty points, possible driving ban |
| Insurance | Many policies can be invalidated or reduced if the car had no valid MOT at the time of a claim |
Police forces use number-plate recognition cameras linked to the same DVSA database our checker reads, so an expired MOT is easy to detect. There is no grace period. For the full picture, read our guide to driving without an MOT.
If your MOT has already run out, the safe sequence is: book a test at a nearby centre, drive directly to that pre-arranged appointment (or have the car collected), and only use the road normally again once it passes.
Never miss the date again
- Sign up for free official reminders. The government's MOT reminder service sends a text or email one month before your car, van or motorcycle MOT is due. All you need is your registration and a mobile number or email address.
- Put it in your calendar with an alert a month out — that lines up neatly with the early-renewal window.
- Check the date whenever you buy a used car. Run the plate through the free MOT history check before you hand over money: you will see the due date, mileage record and past failures in one place.
Booking the test
Only DVSA-approved test centres can carry out an MOT, and the maximum fee for a car is capped by law (see our guide to how much an MOT costs — many garages charge less than the cap). You can browse MOT test centres by town to find one near you, or search the garage directory if you want a garage that can test and repair in one visit.
Before you book, it is worth running through a few five-minute checks — lights, tyres, wipers, washer fluid — because simple items cause a large share of failures. Our pre-MOT checklist covers the lot.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out when my MOT is due?
Enter your registration number into our free MOT checker. It pulls the official DVSA record and shows your current expiry date plus the vehicle's full test history. It takes about 30 seconds and you do not need any paperwork.
How early can I renew my MOT and keep the same date?
Up to a month (minus a day) before your current certificate runs out. Test inside that window and you keep the same renewal date; test earlier and your new certificate runs 12 months from the test date instead.
What happens if my MOT expires?
You cannot drive or park the vehicle on a public road, except to a pre-booked MOT test or to or from repairs. Driving without a valid MOT can mean a fine of up to £1,000 — and up to £2,500 with 3 penalty points if the car is judged dangerous.
Can I get a reminder before my MOT is due?
Yes — the government's free reminder service texts or emails you one month before your car, van or motorcycle MOT is due. Sign up with your registration and a mobile number or email address.
Why does my new car show no MOT due date?
Cars do not need their first MOT until the third anniversary of registration, so a car under three years old has no MOT record yet. A blank history on the checker is normal for a newer vehicle.