A Ministry of Transport test (or MOT) is like an annual health check for your vehicle where mechanics test it against a list of safety requirements.
But how do you know when your car needs an MOT? How do you go about organising it? And what does the test include? Our guide will help you understand everything you need to know about car MOTs.
MOT rules discussed in this article relate to England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has a different MOT system.
Yes, if your car’s three years old or more, it’ll need an MOT every year.
These annual tests must be carried out within a year of the previous MOT, so many people find it helpful to use a diary or a calendar to keep track of upcoming MOTs.
It’s actually much easier than it used to be to remember your MOT now. The simplest way to know when your car needs its next MOT is to use the GOV.UK Check MOT Status tool.
A brand new car needs its first MOT when it reaches three years old. Technically, it’s due the day before the third anniversary of its first registration. That means you can drive your new car for three years without taking it for an MOT. However, there are exceptions for some vehicles:
An MOT certificate proves your car meets the road safety and environmental standards set by the government. Put simply, it’s against the law to drive your car on UK roads without a valid MOT.
So, what happens if you fail to renew your car’s MOT? Apart from the fact you may be putting yourself and other road users at risk, you could face:
When booking an MOT, you must use an approved MOT test centre. Whether it’s a family-run garage or a national chain, businesses approved to carry out MOTs must display a blue sign with three white triangles.
The first thing to do is contact the garage or test centre to book. You might have to do it over the phone at smaller garages, but national chains will likely have easy online booking systems you can use.
Before arriving at the test centre, it’s worth spending some time cleaning and maintaining your vehicle.
When you drop your car off for its MOT at an approved test centre, a qualified technician will test all relevant parts to see if they're working to the legal standard. For cars, this includes checking:
Head to GOV.UK for a full list of the car parts checked at an MOT.
It's also worth knowing how often you need to service your car and how to keep an eye on the health of your vehicle yourself using a car maintenance checklist.
