Finding the date
Every MOT pass certificate carries an expiry date, and it is the same date held on the DVSA record. Checking the record is more reliable than the certificate in the glovebox, which may not be the most recent one.
If the vehicle has never been tested, there is no expiry date yet. The record instead shows the date the first test falls due.
The first MOT
Most cars, vans and motorcycles need their first MOT by the third anniversary of registration. A few vehicle types are tested from their first year, including taxis and ambulances.
Keeping your renewal date
You can take the test up to one month minus a day before the current certificate expires and keep the same renewal date. Test earlier than that and the new expiry runs twelve months from the test, so you lose the difference.
Being reminded
DVSA run a free reminder service that texts or emails you one month before the MOT is due, and two months before for lorries, buses and trailers. It is not available in Northern Ireland, where DVA send a postal reminder instead.
Check your own vehicle
See the MOT expiry date and full test history for any UK registration.
Sources
Related guides
- How early can you get an MOT?
The one-month rule that lets you test early without losing any of your certificate, and when testing early does cost you.
- What happens if your MOT runs out
The fine for driving without a valid MOT, what it does to your tax and insurance, and the one journey you are still allowed to make.