MOT rules

How Early Can You Get an MOT and Keep Your Renewal Date?

You can take your MOT up to a month (minus one day) before the current one expires and the new certificate still runs from the old expiry date.

Published

The one-month-minus-a-day window

If your MOT expires on 20 June, the earliest you can test and still keep a 20 June renewal date is 21 May: a month minus one day before. A pass inside that window gives you a certificate that runs for another year from the old expiry date, so you lose nothing by being early.

Test any earlier than that and a pass still counts, but the new certificate runs for twelve months from the test date, so you give up some of the time you had left.

If the MOT has already run out

The window only helps while there is still a valid MOT. Once it has expired, a pass starts a fresh twelve months from the day of the test, and the car should not be driven except to a pre-booked test or to a repair following a failed one.

Why use the window

Booking inside the window leaves time to fix any failures without the car going off the road. It also helps if testing slots near you fill up. Check your current expiry date first, because everything is counted from it.

How to work out your earliest date

  1. 1

    Find your MOT expiry date

    Look it up with the registration plate on GOV.UK or in the box on this page.

  2. 2

    Count back one month, minus a day

    From an expiry of 20 June, the earliest date is 21 May.

  3. 3

    Book inside the window

    Any test from that date up to the expiry keeps the same renewal date.

  4. 4

    Check the new expiry

    After the test the MOT status should show the new date. Check it matches what you expect.

Look up your MOT expiry date

Enter a UK registration to see the current MOT status and expiry date.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I lose any time by getting my MOT early?

Not if you test within one month minus one day of the expiry date. The new certificate runs from the old expiry date.

What if I test more than a month early?

A pass is still valid, but the new twelve months starts from the test date rather than the old expiry date.

Can I drive with an expired MOT to get it tested?

Only to a pre-booked MOT appointment or to a garage for repairs required after a failed MOT. Otherwise the car needs a valid MOT to be used on the road.

Where can I see my MOT expiry date?

On GOV.UK's MOT status check, on your last certificate, or in the vehicle check on this site, all of which draw on the same official records.

Sources

General information only. Rules can change, so confirm the current position on GOV.UK before you rely on it.

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