Book an MOT test near you
If your car is three years old or more, you need its MOT test certificate renewed once a year. Don’t leave yours to chance enter your registration below, choose a date and time, and then get a reliable, simple and affordable MOT online from the Protyre network.
Book a Car MOT from £29.95*
Enter your vehicle registration number
Book an MOT in 4 easy steps:
Enter your registration to identify your vehicle
Select your local Protyre garage
Book an MOT and service online to save money
Choose a convenient date and time or even a same day MOT!
What is an MOT?
An MOT is a mandatory test that makes sure your car meets minimum standards for environmental impact, driver safety and roadworthiness. MOT tests ensure that cars on the road pass standards designed to protect people, infrastructure and the wider environment.
A valid MOT certificate is required three years after your car was first registered and then once every year afterwards, on or up to the anniversary of the previous MOT test. MOT tests have been a legal requirement since 1960.
Do I need to book an MOT test?
Every vehicle that’s three years old or over needs an MOT test certificate and you must renew this once a year. If you have a car, it's your responsibility to make sure it's tested annually.
As well as the obvious safety and performance issues, you cannot legally drive your car on the roads nor renew your road tax if you don’t have a valid MOT certificate. You also face the risk of being fined up to £1,000 for driving a car that doesn’t have a valid certificate.
If your car is involved in any kind of accident, you could be asked to show proof of valid MOT. If you don’t have one, your insurance claim may be affected, especially if third- party is injured as a result.
New technologies have enabled the DVSA to digitise the MOT system. This means that mobile camera units and police patrols can check remotely to determine whether there is a valid MOT certificate associated with any car. All this makes it clear that if your certificate is due to expire soon, you should visit an MOT centre near you as soon as possible.
How much does an MOT cost?
The maximum fee that car owners can be charged for their MOT is £54.85. For, motorcycles, the limit is £29.65. In the UK, the cost of MOTs is regulated by the government.
The cost generally increases as the number of passengers transported by the vehicle rises. For example, booking MOTs for buses with more than 16 passenger seats can cost up to £124.50
You can view the government-set maximum MOT test fees online.
Book an MOT near you, online with Protyre
Our expert network of local UK garages has been bringing low-cost and often same-day MOTs to our customers for decades.
We’re one of the UK’s biggest DVSA-approved MOT test centre networks,When you book an MOT at one of our centres near you, you can drive away safe in the knowledge that you’re getting a professional check at the right price.
At Protyre Autocare, we provide thorough MOT testing to ensure your vehicle meets all safety and environmental standards. During your MOT, it's crucial to have tyres that are in good condition. Explore our range of tyre types, including premium car tyres, rft tyres, best summer tyres, and winter snow tyres. We also offer a variety of trusted premium tyre brands such as Goodyear all season tyres, Michelin tyre, Pirelli tyres, Bridgestone turanza, Conti tyres, and many more. Ensuring you have the right tyres can make a significant difference in passing your MOT and maintaining your vehicle’s safety and performance.
Booking an MOT test online: FAQs
You can find out when your MOT expires by looking at your test certificate or using our free MOT checker. All you need is your registration number and we can tell you straight away if the vehicle has a valid certificate, plus when the MOT expires.
While MOTs and services are often talked about at the same time, they are different.
· MOTs are compulsory tests that make sure your car is operating within the law. Crossover occurs with parts and systems such as brakes, tyres and seat belts. You can find out what's included in an MOT test in our guide.
· Services cover some of the same areas as an MOT but typically go much further, focusing on the overall condition of the car. More components are checked, including those that don’t impact roadworthiness, safety, or the environment. A service also includes checks on consumables (oils and fluids), filters and spark plugs –- these aren’t covered in the MOT.
While there are differences between MOTs and services, both are important for your car. If you only have a service, you can't be sure your mechanic is checking specific parts or functions and you won’t get an MOT certificate – a legal requirement.
On the other hand, your car won’t perform at its best if you only get an MOT. Oils and fluids need to be regularly topped up and changed, or they could start to jeopardise the performance of your car and the condition of its parts. A lack of maintenance can even invalidate your warranty and cause more expensive maintenance problems later down the line.
You can find out what’s included in a Protyre service before you book an MOT test online, just to make sure.
A Class 7 MOT is one designed for 3 to 3.5 tonne (3,000kg to 3,500kg) commercial vehicles, such as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). They differ from regular MOTs in that the test criteria are designed for these large vehicles. –
HGV tyres must be able to hold their immense weight, and their brakes must be powerful enough to stop the vehicles in line with legal requirements.
You can learn more about the class of each type of vehicle via the government MOT fee list.
If your vehicle is over three years old and doesn’t have an MOT, it’s illegal to drive it – apart from if and when you drive to an MOT appointment. Even then, you must be able to prove that you've booked the appointment in case the police stop your car.
Every motorist needs to book an MOT annually – it’s our collective responsibility to keep road users, infrastructure and the environment safe. The penalties can be severe, and you could risk a fine of up to £1,000. This is often more costly than the price of the test and any required maintenance.
We've written a handy guide to explain when your car will need its first MOT.
If your MOT expires, you must stop driving your car and book an MOT test as soon as possible.
You can drive your car to the MOT test centre, but you shouldn’t drive the cartake it on the roads, generallyelsewhere or you could be fined up to £1,000. Your insurance will also be invalidated, which could cost you £300 in fines and up to six points on your licence if you’re caught. That is likely, givenGiven that MOTs can be checked by the police remotely and rapidly while they’re out patrollingon patrol, this is always possible.
As a result, it’sIt's crucial that youYou must check when your MOT certificate is due to expireexpires and plan an appointment accordingly.book an MOT test in good time. You should always be aware of the consequences of driving without an MOT.
Several things can cause a car to fail its MOT. These include faults with components including:
· Headlamps
· Reflectors
· Electrics
· Brakes
· Steering and suspension
· Windscreen and driver view
· Wheels and tyres
· Seat belts and safety features
· Bodywork and chassis structure
· Exhaust
· Fuel and emissions
To learn more about the specific reasons why you may encounter MOT failure, check out our complete guide to MOT failure codes.
It's possible for a car that's still roadworthy to fail an MOT. For instance, if your number plate is the wrong size or colour, your car cannot pass. If your car fails its MOT test before the certificate expires and it's still roadworthy, you can still drive it until the expiry date.
When your car fails any part of its MOT, you need to pay separately for any repairs or parts needed to fix any issues – they’re not covered by the test price.
That means it can be a good idea to have a service carried out on your car before you book an MOT test, especially if there are known issues with the car. Booking a service before your test helps you set it up for success - and avoid paying for a re-test.
View our list of the most common reasons for MOT failures, plus how to get a re-test
All MOT certificates last one year. You must book an MOT every year, on or before the anniversary of the previous test. For new cars, the first MOT test should be booked three years after the car’s initial registration date.
You must have a valid MOT certificate before you tax your car. You won’t be able to tax your vehicle without one as it’s a legal prerequisite.
Insurance firms will not cover your car if it doesn’t have an MOT.
Most car insurance policies will cover your car until its MOT expiry date. Others may cover it if it fails its MOT, but policies differ. If you’re not sure what your conditions are then check your policy documentation or get in touch with your insurer.
You can book an MOT whenever you want
To avoid last-minute surprises and costly re-tests,it makes sense to book an MOT in the final month before your MOT certificate expires. This helps you secure the greatest amount of driving time for your money.
That’s because any tests carried out a month (minus a day) before your current certificate expires will keep the same expiry date. If you book your MOT before this date the expiry date will effectively move back in time, and you’ll lose out on days of certification you've paid for.
For example, if your current MOT certificate runs out on September 15th, the earliest you should have it re-tested to retain the same renewal date in the following year is August 16th.
Checking your car’s MOT history online is easy. All you need to do is use the government’s free MOT history check
To access the details, you’ll need to enter the registration number of the car, as well as the 11-digit log book
You can learn more MOT information after you input those details, including:
· MOT test results and dates
· Specific test locations, including garage name
· Specific test information
· Mileage
· The car's next due MOT date
If your car has failed its MOT, your local MOT test centre will give you a form called a ‘Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate' – otherwise known as a VT30.
This form contains information including your MOT test number, car details and reasons for failure. If you're taking the car for a re-test, this form will tell your garage exactly what they need to focus on when repairing your car to get it ready to pass.
Yes but it's possible to pay less for your re-test. If your car has failed its MOT, you can book a free retest with Protyre.
If you leave your car at the testing station that did the original test and they repair it, they can do a partial retest. This means simply retesting the things that needed fixing and were listed on the VT30. If you don’t leave it with them on the day, you can get a retest performed on certain items if you bring it back within 10 working days.
You can often save yourself time and effort by checking things such as tyres and wiper blades before your MOT takes place. These are relatively simple jobs that can save a load of hassle. Make sure you check the government's guidance before going ahead.