When Can I MOT My Car?
Find out when your MOT is due and how soon you can book a test.
Book an MOT nowEllie Dyer-Brown
Monday August 04 2025
4 min read
You can MOT your car 28 days early without affecting the expiry date. For example, if your MOT expires on 15th November, the earliest date to get your vehicle tested and keep the same renewal date is 18th October.
If you'd prefer, you can book your MOT earlier than this, but it will affect the date, which will be one year (minus a day) from the date the vehicle last passed.
When is my MOT due?
Every year, millions of drivers forget the expiry date of their MOT and find themselves driving illegally without a valid test certificate.
That's why FixMyCar has partnered with Always Check to create a free MOT checker on its website. The complimentary digital service lets you check your MOT due date in less than 20 seconds and set up reminders before that date.
Find out when your MOT is due below.
How much does an MOT cost?
The average price of an MOT on FixMyCar is £46.93.
This guide explores MOT pricing in more detail.
What is checked in an MOT?
A certificate is given to you after your car passes its MOT test. Once passed, it means that at the time of your test, the vehicle met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law to drive it on the road.
But what exactly do the MOT testers check when they have your car on the ramps? Below is a summary of the things they examine - read this guide for a more detailed look at what's involved.
Brakes (including a brake performance test)
Exhaust, fuel and emissions
Mirrors and wipers
Vehicle body and structure (such as body, chassis, engine mountings, seats and doors)
Vehicle registration plates
VIN number and speedometer
Don’t forget that even though your car may have passed its MOT for another year, this should never be seen as a substitute for regular maintenance. Your vehicle should also be serviced at the correct intervals.
What can I do to prepare for an MOT?
An upcoming MOT test often fills drivers with a sense of dread. Failing not only means your car is no longer road-legal, but it also voids your insurance if you fail to make the necessary repairs, which can sometimes be expensive.
Every year, over 30 million cars have an MOT, of which around 64% pass the first time. This figure climbs to about 72% with re-tests. What can you do to increase your chances of passing the first time?
The most common causes of MOT failure fall into four areas:
You can prepare by checking each of these components, ensuring your tyres are correctly inflated and have sufficient tread depth, your lights are all in working order, and your wipers work as they should. Check out this guide for more information about common MOT fails & how to avoid them.
Another great way to make sure your car is MOT-ready is to book a full service or vehicle health check.
If you found this guide helpful, you might also like:
- Related topics:
- Car Ownership
- Mot
- Servicing And Mot
Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Manager. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.