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How early can you get an MOT?

You can test up to one month minus a day before the current MOT expires and keep the same renewal date. Test earlier than that and the new certificate runs twelve months from the test date.

Last checked

The one month rule

If your MOT expires on 14 March, you can test it from 15 February and the new certificate still runs to 14 March the following year. You lose nothing, and you gain time to get any repairs done before the old certificate runs out.

Testing earlier than that

Test more than a month early and the new expiry is twelve months from the day of the test, so the days between are simply gone. There are good reasons to do it anyway, such as selling the vehicle, but it is a choice worth making deliberately.

Bring the old certificate

To keep the existing renewal date the test station needs to know it. Take the current certificate, or make sure the garage checks the record.

Check your own vehicle

See the MOT expiry date and full test history for any UK registration.

For example, CU57ABC or ABC1234

Results open in a new tab on the official GOV.UK MOT history service, which is available to UK visitors. Our own results page, with mileage checks and repeat advisories, follows once DVSA approve our data access.

Sources

Related guides

  • When is my MOT due?

    How to find your MOT expiry date, when the first test falls due, and how to be reminded before it runs out.

  • How much does an MOT cost?

    The maximum a garage may charge, what the retest costs, and why most places charge less than the cap.