Each year your vehicle needs a health check – an MOT. What happens during testing? How much does it cost? What if it fails? Here, we explain everything.
Vehicles over three years old legally need a valid MOT certificate
Car MOTs cost a £34.99 fix price
If your vehicle fails its MOT, it needs to be repaired and re-tested until it passes
What is an MOT?
An MOT is an annual check-up for vehicles. It ensures they’re legally roadworthy, safe and meet environmental and exhaust emissions standards.
Selected garages and qualified testers put different parts of your vehicle through their paces to see if they’re up to scratch.
These garages are approved check mot history centers and there are around 23,000 of them across the UK. You’ll find a blue sign with three white triangles displayed on site to prove their authenticity.
What does MOT stand for?
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport. They originally created the test as a means to determine if cars were safe to stay on the roads.
The Ministry of Transport no longer exists. It has been merged into the Department of Transport – responsible for the upkeep of England’s entire transport network.
Which vehicles need an MOT?
When a vehicle is over three years old*, it legally needs to undergo a check mot status every year and hold a valid MOT certificate – granted to you when it passes.
However, some vehicles need an MOT history after only a year. These include taxis and private passenger vehicles with more than nine seats. This is to help maintain emissions standards, as they are on the road more often, as well as the internal condition of these vehicles for members of the public.
There are several exemptions for an MOT test, including:
Goods vehicles that run on electricity (registered prior to 1st March 2015)
Classic cars built over 40 years ago, with no substantial modifications in the past 30 years
Tractors
* In Northern Ireland, vehicles don’t require their first check mot until they’re four years old.
Why do I need an MOT?
Your vehicle legally needs a valid MOT certificate. If you don’t have this, you could receive a fine of up to £1,000.
You also can’t legally drive or park your vehicle on the road if your MOT certificate is invalid. If you do, you run the risk of being prosecuted.
MOTs help ensure your vehicle is safe to drive and everything is in full working order. This not only ensures your peace of mind that you and your passengers are safe, but so are other drivers and road users.
How long can you drive without an MOT?
It's illegal to drive without an MOT certificate.
However, there are a couple of exceptions. These include if you’re driving your vehicle to a:
Garage to get it repaired
Official MOT test centre to be tested
Can having no MOT invalidate my insurance?
Yes. If your car doesn't have a valid MOT, you’ll invalidate your car insurance.
That means if you’re in an accident, your policy won’t cover you and you’ll be forced to pay for costly repairs to your own vehicle – and others involved if you’re at fault.
Plus, if you’re driving with invalid insurance because your vehicle doesn’t have a valid MOT certificate, you could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points.
You might also have to go to court, which could mean paying an unlimited fine and being disqualified from driving.
When do I need an MOT?
You’ll need to book your vehicle in for its first MOT before the date three years after it was first registered.
If your vehicle is over three years old, it’ll need an MOT test before the annual anniversary of its last MOT. It’s best to check its previous MOT certificate, as this will have an expiry date listed on there.
Alternatively, the UK Government has an MOT status check on their website. This lets you see whether your vehicle has a valid certificate and on what date it runs out.