When Is My MOT Due? How to Check the Date

When Is My MOT Due?

Your MOT is due on the expiry date of your current certificate. That date is the anniversary of your last test in most cases. It is the day by which your car must be tested again to stay legal. The quickest way to find it is the free online MOT checker.

Enter your registration number into the government checker and it returns your MOT expiry date along with the full test history. That expiry date is your due date. There is no charge and no need for any documents beyond your number plate. If you are new to the test, our overview on What Is an MOT explains what an MOT is and why the date matters.

For a brand new car the first MOT falls three years after the date of first registration. After that the car is tested every year, so once you know your first due date the pattern repeats on the same date annually as long as you renew within the last month each time.

Finding Your MOT Due Date

Checking your due date takes less than a minute and needs nothing more than your registration. The steps below walk through it.

The same tool shows past advisories and any previous failures, which is handy for spotting work that may come up at the next test. Our guide on How to Check MOT History explains how to read that history in full.

Set Up Free MOT Reminders

Because there is no legal obligation on anyone to remind you, the responsibility to know your due date sits with you. The good news is that the government runs a free reminder service that does the remembering for you. You sign up once with your registration and contact details, then it sends a text or email before your MOT is due each year.

A reminder is well worth setting up, since an expired MOT carries a fine of up to 1,000 pounds and there is no grace period. Pairing a free reminder with a note in your own calendar makes it almost impossible to miss the date. Our guide on When Your MOT Expires explains exactly what happens if the date does slip past.

When Should You Actually Book?

Knowing the due date is only half the job. The other half is booking at the right time so you keep your date and leave room for any repairs. For most drivers a week or two before the due date is ideal.

Booking inside the last month is the sweet spot. It keeps your annual date steady and gives a buffer to fix any faults before the current certificate runs out. If you want to confirm your car is currently valid, our guide on Is My Car MOT shows you how.

When Is the First MOT Due?

The first MOT catches out a lot of new owners, because there is a gap of three years before it applies. A car registered new does not need any MOT until the third anniversary of its first registration date, which is shown on the V5C log book. Until then the car is legal to drive without one, provided it is taxed and insured.

Once that first test is done the annual cycle begins and never stops for the life of the car. It is worth marking the three year date in advance, since it is easy to forget when the car has been trouble free from new. After the first test the free reminder service will then keep you on track each year without any effort.

Stay Ahead of Your MOT

This guide is part of our full MOT Guides hub, where the testing, cost and rules articles sit together so you can move to the exact detail you need next. When it is time to book, our team offers full MOT testing and repairs from our centre in Ely. You may also find it useful to read When Your MOT Expires, Is My Car MOT and How to Check MOT History.

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