MOT Due Date Checker

How to check when your MOT is due

Enter your number plate in the box above to see the date your MOT runs out. An MOT lasts for a year. The checker reads the official DVSA record, so the date is the same as the one DVSA holds.

1. Type your number plate and tap Check MOT. Spaces and small letters do not matter.
2. See the days left and the earliest date for your next test.
3. Tap the calendar button to save a free reminder (an .ics file) to your own calendar. There is no login, and we store nothing: the file is made in your browser.

See where our MOT data comes from.

When is the first MOT due?

In Great Britain, most vehicles need their first MOT by the third anniversary of their registration. In Northern Ireland, cars and motorcycles are due their first MOT at four years old.

Last checked 23 October 2026.

For the first MOT age of every vehicle type in Great Britain, see GOV.UK: MOT costs.

How early can you get an MOT?

You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. The first example below is the one GOV.UK gives. We work out every date with the same rule the checker uses.

Rule from GOV.UK: Getting an MOT. Last checked 23 October 2026.

When the same day does not exist a month earlier (for example 31 February), we count from the last day of that month. GOV.UK gives no month-end example, so this is how we read the rule.

You can get an MOT earlier, but the renewal date for the following year will change to one year (minus a day) from the date the vehicle last passed its MOT.

This does not apply if your last MOT was in Northern Ireland and your next test is in Great Britain. Your renewal date will then be based on the date of the GB MOT test.

Is there a grace period after the MOT runs out?

No. You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out, and you can be prosecuted if caught. The only exceptions are driving it to or from somewhere to be repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test.

You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.

Read the rules on GOV.UK: Getting an MOT. We do not book MOTs: to book a test, see Booking an MOT on GOV.UK.

What if my vehicle has never had an MOT?

If DVSA has a first MOT date for the vehicle, the checker shows "First MOT due by" that date, with the days left. You can add that date to your calendar too.

If DVSA gives no date, the result shows the age of the first MOT for cars and vans and the first annual test for lorries and buses instead, because the record does not say what kind of vehicle it is.

Get a reminder

There are two free ways to get a reminder. We do not send reminders ourselves.

• On the result page, tap the calendar button. It saves a reminder to your own calendar on the earliest date you can get your next MOT (or on the date it runs out, if that earliest date has passed), with an alert 7 days before. If the latest MOT was in Northern Ireland, the reminder goes on the date the MOT runs out, with an alert 7 weeks before. If the latest test was a lorry, bus or trailer annual test, it goes on the date the annual test runs out, with an alert 2 months before.
• GOV.UK sends free MOT reminders by text message or email: one month before a car, van or motorcycle MOT is due, and 2 months before a lorry, bus or large trailer MOT is due. The service is not for people who live in Northern Ireland, who get a reminder by post 7 weeks before the MOT is due. Sign up on GOV.UK.

GOV.UK says you can find out when your MOT runs out by checking your MOT history online, or by checking the date printed on your current MOT certificate, if you have one.

Frequently asked questions