Every vehicle that is three-years-old or over must have a current MOT test certificate and you must renew this once a year. If you have a car, it is your responsibility to make sure that it is examined annually.
 
You can find out when your current MOT expires by looking at your test certificate. If you can’t find it, however, or you simply don’t want to waste time looking, you can make use of our free MOT Checker. All you need is your vehicle registration number and we can tell you straight away if the vehicle has a valid certificate and when your MOT expires.

Once you have found out when your MOT expires, you can book your next test. This can be carried out a month (minus a day) before your current certificate expires. The expiry date associated with your new MOT will still be a year from when your old one expires rather than a year after the date of the test.
 
In simple terms, this means that if your MOT is due within a month or less, you won’t 'lose' days if you choose to have your car tested early. For example, if your current MOT certificate runs out on May 15, the earliest you can have it retested and retain the same renewal date in the following year is April 16.

When does my car need its first MOT?
 

In addition to the obvious safety and performance issues, if you don’t have a valid MOT certificate you cannot drive your car lawfully on the road and you won’t be able to renew your road tax. You also face the risk of being fined up to £1,000 for driving a car that doesn’t have a current certificate.
 
If your car is involved in any kind of accident, you could be asked for your MOT certificate and, if you don’t have one, any insurance claim may be affected, especially if an injury is involved.
 
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has also computerised the MOT test system. This means that mobile camera units and police patrols can check remotely to determine whether there is a current MOT certificate associated with your car.

Which of the following items do you think you’ll need to take with you when you deliver your vehicle to one of our testing centres for an MOT test?
 
The appointment letter; vehicle registration logbook V5C(NI); current tax disk; vehicle insurance certificate; previous MOT certificate; driving license; proof of address; service history; any current Certificate or Notice of Refusal; the bus fare home.
 
The answer is, in fact, none of the above. All approved testing centres can now access the necessary documentation online thanks to a recently concluded Government scheme. And you shouldn’t need the bus fare home because, provided that you’ve come at the time you’re booked in for, our efficient and experienced mechanics won’t keep you waiting.
 
Even if remedial works are agreed with the garage, you can still book a convenient time to return the vehicle for them to be carried out.

The vast majority of vehicles that are more than three years old are required to pass an MOT test every year to ensure that they are safe for use on the road. There can be some confusion as to exactly what parts of the vehicle are checked in an MOT and what areas are not covered.
 
If you want to ensure that your car passes its MOT first time, it can be a good idea to run through a checklist beforehand to confirm that everything works properly. However, you don’t want to be spending your time or hard-earned money on elements that won’t affect the outcome of an MOT.
 
When your car is MOT tested, the testing station is required to run through a series of standard checks to ensure that it meets with the safety and environmental legislative standards applicable in the UK. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the car is in the best possible condition or that it’s running as efficiently as it could be.
 
Some of the most significant areas of a vehicle that are not assessed in an MOT include the condition of the clutch, gearbox and engine (apart from the engine mountings). This is because they are not regarded as safety-critical.
 
The condition of the tyres fitted to your vehicle, together with the size, type and tread depth, are checked in an MOT, but any spare tyres are not.
 
The MOT will also exclude any examination of the condition of aftermarket accessories unless they fall within the main test components. For example, an aftermarket exhaust will be checked for condition and will affect the emissions components of the test.
 
If your car fails on any element of the MOT, spare parts and repairs are not covered by the test and remedial work will need to be carried out before the vehicle can be re-tested.

Find out whats incluced in an MOT test check. 

If you want to ensure that your car is running correctly and in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations then you will need to book a service. In contrast with the MOT which focuses on safety and emissions, a vehicle service ensures that the car is maintained in good working order in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
 
There is some overlap. A service will look at some aspects covered by the MOT, such as brakes, seat belts and tyres, but it will go far deeper and will include consumables such as engine oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid.
 
A full car service may also include a replacement fuel filter, air filter (if applicable) and spark or glow plugs to maintain the performance of the vehicle.
 
A service differs from an MOT in that it is designed to maximise the working life of the vehicle; without regular servicing, you may experience breakdowns or poor reliability and, in some circumstances, a failure to maintain the vehicle could cause long-term damage or invalidate your manufacturer's warranty.
 
An MOT test does not provide you with a guarantee as to the mechanical condition of a car and, whilst carrying out regular servicing is not required by law, it could end up saving you a great deal of money in the long-run. Why not contact us today to find out more.

Find out the top 10 things to check before your next MOT. 

Find out whats included in a Protyre service. 
 

It’s not legal to drive with an invalid MOT certificate. However, if you have some unexpired time left on last year’s MOT certificate, you can drive the car until the certificate expires. But only if it’s roadworthy. It's best to organise your MOT as early as possible in the month in which it expires.
 
If you haven’t got any time left on your previous certificate, you’re only allowed to drive the car to a garage to be repaired, or to an MOT station for testing. Again, it has to be roadworthy, which begs the question somewhat, because if was completely roadworthy, it wouldn’t have failed the MOT. However, if it has failed on something that doesn’t affect roadworthiness, such as an incorrectly sized number plate, you should be OK.
 
If you drive outside of these two situations, repair or repeat MOT, you aren’t insured. And again, check your insurance in any case as some insurers may not even allow you to drive in the two situations outlined and may want the car transported.

My car failed its MOT...what next? Protyre offer free retests. 

Please also checkout our list of MOT Failure codes and most common reasons for MOT failures. 

If your car has failed its MOT your Protyre test centre will give you a form called a VT30 “Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate”. It lists the number of the MOT test, your car’s details, and tells you why the car failed the MOT. Hang on to the VT30 because you’ll need it for your retest, and it tells the garage what work needs doing.
 
If you leave your car at the testing station that did the original test, and they repair it, they’re allowed to do a partial retest. Logically enough, this means simply retesting the things that needed fixing and were listed on the V30.
 
You can save yourself a great deal of hassle by checking items such as tyres before the MOT. A significant percentage of MOT failures have nothing to do with the car's mechanics; they’re just maintenance failures such as worn tyres or windscreen wipers.