MOT Cost: Maximum Fees, When It's Due and What Gets Checked

The number on a garage's board isn't a free-for-all. MOT test stations work to a maximum fee set by vehicle type, so the quote you get shouldn't go above it. Here's what GOV.UK says an MOT can cost, when your vehicle needs one, what the test looks at, what it leaves out and which vehicles don't need one at all.

Maximum MOT fees by vehicle class

These are the maximum fees GOV.UK publishes for each vehicle class, as of Nov 2026, along with the age at which a first MOT is needed. Centres can charge less than this, but not more.

Vehicle	First MOT due at	Class	Maximum fee
Motorcycle, engine up to 200cc	3 years	1	29.65 pounds
Motorcycle with sidecar, engine up to 200cc	3 years	1	37.80 pounds
Motorcycle, engine over 200cc	3 years	2	29.65 pounds
Motorcycle with sidecar, engine over 200cc	3 years	2	37.80 pounds
3-wheeled vehicle up to 450kg unladen	3 years	3	37.80 pounds
3-wheeled vehicle over 450kg unladen	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Car with up to 8 passenger seats	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Motor caravan	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Quad (within GOV.UK's weight and power limits)	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Dual purpose vehicle	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Private hire or public service vehicle, up to 8 seats	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Ambulance or taxi	1 year	4	54.85 pounds
Goods vehicle up to 3,000kg design gross weight	3 years	4	54.85 pounds
Private passenger vehicle or ambulance, 9 to 12 passenger seats	1 year	4	57.30 pounds
Class 4 vehicle, 9 to 12 passenger seats, with seat belt installation check	n/a	4a	64 pounds
Private passenger vehicle or ambulance, 13 to 16 passenger seats	1 year	5	59.55 pounds
Private passenger vehicle or ambulance, more than 16 passenger seats	1 year	5	80.65 pounds
Playbus	1 year	5	80.65 pounds
Class 5 vehicle, 13 to 16 passenger seats, with seatbelt installation check	n/a	5a	80.50 pounds
Class 5 vehicle, more than 16 passenger seats, with seatbelt installation check	n/a	5a	124.50 pounds
Petrol, diesel or hybrid goods vehicle, over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg	3 years	7	58.60 pounds
Zero emission goods vehicle, 3,501kg to 4,250kg	3 years	7	58.60 pounds

Notice the vehicles with a 1 in the first MOT column. Taxis, ambulances and passenger vehicles with 9 or more seats need testing at one year old, not three, which is why GOV.UK tells you to check the fees table for your own vehicle.

When your MOT falls due

GOV.UK says you must get an MOT by the third anniversary of your vehicle's registration, or by the anniversary of its last MOT if it's over 3 years old. An MOT lasts for a year. To see when yours runs out, check your MOT history online or look at the date printed on your current certificate, if you have one. You can also sign up for reminders that your MOT is due. Vehicles registered in Northern Ireland follow different rules and processes.

Testing early without losing your renewal date

This is the rule that saves the most hassle. GOV.UK says you can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. Its own example: if your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest you can test and keep that date for next time is 16 April.

Go any earlier and the date moves. GOV.UK's second example has the same 15 May expiry, but the car is tested and passes on 14 April, so the MOT now runs out on 13 April the following year. You can still test early, you just lose a few weeks off the cycle. The keep-your-date rule doesn't apply if your last MOT was in Northern Ireland and the next one is in Great Britain: then the renewal date is based on the GB test.

If the MOT has already run out

You can't drive or park a vehicle on the road once its MOT has run out, and GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted if you're caught. You can be fined up to 1,000 pounds for driving without a valid MOT. The only exceptions are driving it to or from somewhere to be repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. GOV.UK sets out the order to follow:

1. If your vehicle tax is also due to run out, register the vehicle as off the road (SORN), because you can't renew vehicle tax while the MOT has expired.
2. Book an MOT test at an approved centre.
3. Tax the vehicle once it has passed its MOT.

What the test covers, and what it doesn't

During the MOT, important parts of your vehicle are checked against legal standards. You're allowed to watch from a viewing area, but you can't interrupt the tester. GOV.UK publishes separate lists of what's tested for cars and for motorcycles, and the MOT guide and inspection manuals set out everything in full.

Here's the point many drivers don't realise: GOV.UK says the test doesn't cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. A pass certificate tells you the vehicle met road safety and environmental standards on the day. It isn't a mechanical health check on those parts.

Booking at an approved test centre

You must use an approved MOT test centre, and only centres showing the blue sign with 3 white triangles can carry out the test. You book by contacting a centre directly. If you can't take the vehicle in yourself, some centres will collect it and return it after the test, and someone else can take it for you as long as they're insured to drive it. Northern Ireland has a different booking process.

Vehicles that don't need an MOT

You don't need an MOT until a vehicle reaches the age shown in the fees table. GOV.UK also lists other vehicles that don't need one, including goods vehicles powered by electricity and registered before 1 March, 2015, tractors and some historic (classic) vehicles. The full list of exempt types is on the MOT exemption form (V112), which you fill in so that you can tax the vehicle or apply for a tax exemption.

Lorries, buses and trailers are different again: they need an annual test instead of an MOT, sometimes called the annual vehicle test.

A valid MOT is needed before you can tax most vehicles, so see how to tax a vehicle.

Plain advice on paying for your MOT

Look up the maximum fee for your vehicle class in GOV.UK's Getting an MOT guide before you book, and only use a centre with the blue sign and 3 white triangles. Book within the month (minus a day) before your expiry date so you keep the same renewal date, and remember a pass doesn't mean anyone has looked at the engine, clutch or gearbox.

While you're looking at running costs, it's worth reading up on the average cost of car insurance and these ways to reduce your insurance rate. These apps for drivers can help you keep on top of dates and renewals too.

Related: motorcycle (this site).

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MOT cost?

As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK says the maximum fee is 54.85 pounds for a car and 29.65 pounds for a standard motorcycle. Test centres can charge less, and you don't pay VAT on the fee.

When does a new car need its first MOT?

By the third anniversary of its registration for most cars. Some vehicles, such as taxis and ambulances, need testing at one year old.

How early can I get an MOT?

Up to a month (minus a day) before the current one runs out while keeping the same renewal date. Test earlier and the renewal date moves to one year (minus a day) from the pass.

Can I drive my car if the MOT has run out?

Only to or from somewhere to be repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. Otherwise you can be prosecuted and fined up to 1,000 pounds.

Does the MOT check the engine and gearbox?

No. GOV.UK says the test doesn't cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.

Which vehicles don't need an MOT?

Vehicles below the age in the fees table, plus goods vehicles powered by electricity registered before 1 March, 2015, tractors and some historic vehicles. The full list is on form V112.