MOT Check

A Ministry of Transport (MOT) test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. An MOT test involves multiple checks on your car, including the brakes and fuel system, seatbelts, windscreen wipers and mirrors.

Find out more in our MOT checklist

An MOT lasts for a year. The date it runs out is shown on your most recent MOT pass certificate. You can book an MOT near you up to one month (minus a day) before the due date and still keep the same renewal date.

For example: if your MOT runs out on 16 September, the earliest you can MOT your car and keep the same renewal date next year is 17 August. You can book an MOT earlier than this. But if you do, the renewal date will change to one year (minus a day) from the date your vehicle passed this MOT.

Book an MOT at an approved RAC Approved Garages

An MOT test usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes. Just keep in mind that the garage could ask you to drop off your car in the morning and come back when it’s ready. This means you may be without your car for the whole day.

If your car fails the test and needs repairs, it can take longer. The test centre won’t let you drive away until the issues are fixed – unless your MOT certificate is still valid, or you’re driving the car to get repairs.

Although the test can be carried out quickly, to minimise disruption, you should find a local MOT garage near you.

✓ You’ll get a ‘refusal of MOT certificate’ (VT30).

✓ You can only drive away if your current MOT certificate is still valid and no ‘dangerous’ faults were listed in the MOT.

✓ You need to have your car repaired and retested.

✓ Your ‘refusal of MOT certificate’ will explain why your car failed its MOT test and will show what needs to be fixed for it to pass. Ask your local garage for information on whether you require a full or partial MOT retest, as how much you pay will depend on the current state of your vehicle.

If you get your car tested, repaired and retested at the same test centre within 10 working days, you usually won’t have to pay an MOT retest fee. Sometimes there will be a partial retest fee to pay. Just ask your garage for more information.

If you drive a car that’s failed its MOT because of a ‘dangerous’ fault, you can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get three points on your licence.

We make it easy to find out when your MOT is due – all you need to do is enter your registration into our MOT checker above.

Our mobile mechanics can’t carry out MOTs. But we do have a network of local RAC Approved Garages that can do MOTs.

No, it’s illegal to drive a car without a valid MOT certificate. You could be prosecuted for doing so.

The only time you can drive without an MOT is if you’ve booked an MOT and are driving your car to the test. If you own a car but aren’t planning on driving it, you need to register your vehicle as off the road (SORN). Find out more about driving without an MOT.

If you have the faults in your car fixed at the test centre and re-tested no more than 10 working days after your MOT, it’s free. This is called a ‘partial retest’ – in other words, the garage just tests the parts that they’ve repaired.
If you take your car away for repairs somewhere else and get a partial retest within 10 working days, you’ll have to pay the partial retest fee (which is cheaper than a full MOT).

But if you don’t get your repairs finished within 10 working days, you’ll need to pay the full price for a full retest.

There are over 850 RAC Approved Garages across the UK who can run MOT tests, so it’s easy to find a trusted local garage for your MOT. Find an approved garage near me.