When Is My MOT Due? Check Your Exact Date

Your MOT due date is shown on your current MOT certificate and on the DVSA database. Enter your registration number in our free MOT check to see the exact expiry date immediately. If you are asking “when is my MOT due”, the quickest answer is always the online lookup – it takes less than a minute.

How to Find Your MOT Due Date

The quickest way is to use our free online lookup – just type in your number plate. You can also look at the last MOT certificate (the VT20), which lists the expiry date clearly. The V5C logbook does not show MOT expiry — it shows the date of first registration, which is what you need to work out when a new car’s first MOT falls due. The certificate itself shows the expiry date at the top, next to the test result. If you cannot find either document, the DVSA database holds the same information, and our free check will retrieve it for you.

Many drivers also wonder “when does my MOT expire” after a recent test. The answer is always 12 months from the date of the test, unless you used the one-month early rule (explained below). Keep the certificate somewhere safe – you will need it for tax or insurance purposes.

What the MOT Due Date Actually Means

An MOT certificate is valid for 12 months from the date of the test. The due date is the last day you can drive legally without a new certificate. You cannot drive after midnight on that date unless you have a valid MOT. If your MOT expires on, say, 3 July, you must not drive on 4 July until you have passed a fresh test. The due date is not a grace period – it is a hard deadline.

The One-Month Early Test Rule

You can take your MOT up to one calendar month minus a day before the expiry date and still keep the same renewal date. For example, if your MOT expires on 15 June, you can test on 16 May or later and the new certificate will run until 15 June next year. This is useful if you want to avoid a gap or if the garage has limited availability.

If you test earlier than that window, the new certificate starts from the test date, so you lose the remaining time. Testing on 1 May when your expiry is 15 June means your next due date becomes 1 May – you've lost six weeks. That is why it pays to plan ahead. If you are unsure “when is my car due for MOT”, check the date first and then book within the allowed window.

What Happens If You Miss the Date?

Driving without a valid MOT is illegal. The fine is up to £1,000, and if your vehicle is deemed dangerous, it rises to £2,500 plus three penalty points and a possible driving ban. Most insurance policies are invalid without a valid MOT, so you could also be uninsured. That means if you have an accident, your insurer may refuse to pay out – leaving you with repair bills, third-party claims, and potential legal action. In practice the cost of missing the date goes beyond the fine, because you may also face repair bills if the vehicle then fails. The test fee itself is capped at £54.85 for a car. If it fails and you leave it at the test centre for repair, the retest is free; if you take it away and bring it back within 10 working days, a partial retest covering the failed items is also free.

The only legal exception is driving to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage for repairs already arranged. You must be able to prove the booking if stopped. If you are caught driving without an MOT for any other reason, the police can issue a fixed penalty notice or take you to court.

When Does a New Car Need Its First MOT?

Most cars need their first MOT three years after the date of first registration. You'll find this date on the V5C. Some vehicles, like taxis, have different rules, but for a standard car it's always the third anniversary of registration. For example, a car registered on 1 September 2022 will need its first MOT by 1 September 2025. If you are unsure, use the V5C to confirm the registration date, then count forward three years.

How to Check Your MOT Due Date Anytime

Use our MOT history tool to see past test results and confirm the current expiry. The DVSA records go back to around 2005, so you can trace the full history of any vehicle. This is also useful for checking advisories from the last test. An advisory is a minor issue that does not currently fail the vehicle, but it may become a failure by the next test. For example, if the last certificate noted “brake pads worn close to limit”, you should expect to replace them before the next MOT. Checking the history helps you plan repairs and avoid a surprise failure.

If you need to know “how to check my MOT due date” while away from home, the GOV.UK website and our mobile-friendly tools both work on any device. You only need the registration number – no other documents are required.

What If the Vehicle Is Off the Road?

If you are not using your vehicle and it is kept off the road, you can declare it SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) with the DVLA. A SORN vehicle does not need an MOT until you return it to the road. However, you must keep the SORN valid and the vehicle must not be used or parked on a public road. If you later want to drive it again, you will need to book an MOT before you drive it to the test centre (unless you have a pre-booked appointment). The SORN does not cancel the MOT requirement permanently – it simply pauses it while the vehicle is off the road.

Remember, even if your vehicle is SORN, you still need to keep it in a roadworthy condition if you ever intend to use it again. The MOT due date will still be based on the original expiry, so when you re-tax and drive, you must have a valid certificate.

Don't Miss It Again – Set a Reminder

The DVSA runs a free reminder service at gov.uk/mot-reminder. Sign up with your registration number and email or text, and they'll alert you a month before your test is due. It takes two minutes and could save you a fine. You can also set a calendar reminder on your phone for the exact date. The key is to act early – book your test within the one-month window to keep your renewal date unchanged.