When Is My MOT Due? Check Your Expiry Date by Registration

How to check your MOT due date

1. Take the registration exactly as it appears on the plate — spaces do not matter.
2. Enter it into the RegPeek check on the homepage.
3. Read the MOT status card, which shows whether the MOT is valid and the date it runs out.
4. Scroll to the MOT history to see every past test, the mileage recorded and any advisories.

The same data is published by DVSA, so a check on a car you do not own is perfectly legal — it is one of the most useful things you can do before viewing a used car.

When is the first MOT due on a new car?

Most cars need their first MOT three years after the date they were first registered. Until then the vehicle will simply have no MOT history at all, which is normal and not a warning sign on a young car.

Some vehicle types, such as taxis and ambulances, need an MOT from one year old. Vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago can be exempt if they have not been substantially changed, although the owner is still responsible for keeping them roadworthy.

What the expiry date actually means

The MOT certificate is valid until midnight on the expiry date shown. From the following day the vehicle cannot legally be used on public roads, apart from the narrow exceptions covered in our guide on driving to a pre-booked MOT test.

There is no grace period after the expiry date. See Is there an MOT grace period? for what the rules really say.

How to avoid missing it

• Sign up for the free GOV.UK MOT reminder service, which texts or emails you a month before.
• Book the test early in the month before expiry so you keep your renewal date — see how early you can get an MOT.
• Put the date in your phone calendar as soon as the new certificate is issued.
• Check the plate before buying a used car so you know how much MOT is left.

What happens if the date has already passed

Driving without a valid MOT can lead to a fine, and insurers may treat the policy as invalid if the car was not roadworthy. Book a test straight away rather than waiting, and read what happens if your car fails so you know your options if it does not pass first time.

Why the due date is not always twelve months away

Most owners assume the MOT simply renews on the same date every year, and usually it does. The certificate runs to the anniversary of the previous expiry as long as the test happens within the last calendar month of validity. Test earlier than that, or let the certificate lapse and test afterwards, and the new expiry becomes twelve months from the test date instead — quietly moving your renewal date for good.

That matters when a car changes hands. A vehicle bought in spring may have been tested in autumn by the previous keeper, so the plate is the only reliable way to know where you stand. It also matters after a failure: the retest resets nothing, but a long repair gap can push you past the window and shift the date.

Working out the date from the paperwork

• The MOT certificate (VT20) shows the expiry date in full — the vehicle is legal until midnight on that day.
• The V5C shows the date of first registration, which sets the three-year deadline for a car's first test.
• A garage invoice for the last test tells you the test date, but not necessarily the expiry, if the test was done early or late.
• The online record is the authoritative version and updates within a short period of the test being completed.

Special cases worth knowing

Vehicles first registered or built more than 40 years ago can be exempt from testing if they have not been substantially changed, though the keeper still has to keep them roadworthy and must declare the exemption. Taxis, ambulances and vehicles with more than eight passenger seats need testing from one year old rather than three. Trailers and caravans are not MOT tested in the same way, and goods vehicles above 3,500kg follow a separate annual test regime.

In Northern Ireland the equivalent test runs through DVA test centres rather than private garages, and appointment availability can be tighter, so booking further ahead is sensible.

A simple routine that stops you missing it

1. Check the plate today and note the expiry date somewhere you will see it.
2. Sign up for the free GOV.UK reminder, which contacts you a month before.
3. Book the test in the first week of the final month of validity so a failure leaves you time to repair and retest.
4. Recheck the record a few days after the test to confirm the new expiry landed as you expected.

If you are checking a car you are thinking of buying rather than your own, read the mileage recorded at each test alongside the dates. Our free mileage check explains how to read those readings and what an out-of-sequence figure usually means.