Get Your MOT Date Emailed to You, Free

1. Enter your registration number and email address in the form above.
2. We look up the MOT expiry date for that vehicle from the official records.
3. We email you ahead of expiry. You get a reminder about a month before, around the point you are allowed to book your test without losing your renewal date, and a second one closer to the date as a nudge if you have not booked.
4. You book and pass the test. When the new MOT is recorded, the expiry date in the official record moves on.

To set up a reminder we ask for a registration number and an email address you can access.

What the email tells you

Each reminder includes the vehicle, the current MOT expiry date and a short note on what to do next. Use it as a prompt rather than a replacement for checking your certificate. If you have already had the test, ignore the email, or unsubscribe if you no longer need it.

What the reminder does not do

We do not book the test for you, and we do not know your garage’s diary. We also cannot reschedule a reminder if you retest early and change the date; the official records update after the new test is recorded. If you ever doubt a date, run the free MOT check to see the current expiry straight from the record. We send email reminders only, and we do not offer text message alerts.

Where the date comes from

The expiry date is read from official records, which come from the DVSA MOT history service and the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. The MOT history service holds tests carried out in England, Scotland and Wales since 2005. Our page on how we get our data explains the sources, and the editorial policy explains how we handle corrections.

A new car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, and every 12 months after that. Some vehicle types need their first MOT at one year. The date that matters is the registration date, not the date you bought the car, so a nearly-new used car may be closer to its first test than you expect. Our guide to the first MOT explains the rules in more detail. Once a car is in the annual cycle, every pass sets the next expiry date, which is where a reminder becomes useful.

A little preparation can avoid a failure over something simple. These items are quick to check in the car park.

• Lights and indicators. Check headlights, brake lights, indicators and number plate lights. Ask someone to watch while you press the brake.
• Tyres. Look for damage, bulges and low tread.
• Windscreen and wipers. Check for chips in your line of sight, and make sure wipers and washers work.
• Horn, mirrors and seatbelts. Test each one.
• Warning lights. Any lit warning light on the dashboard can matter. Get it checked first.
• Fluids and fuel. Make sure there is enough fuel and screenwash.
• Tell the garage about known issues. Mention anything you have noticed so it is not a surprise.

Our guide to common MOT failure reasons shows what testers find most often, and MOT advisories explained helps you understand the notes on your certificate. For a longer list, use the how to prepare for an MOT guide and the MOT test checklist. Tyres are a common cause of trouble, so read the tyre guide, and if the car struggles to start, the car battery guide is worth a look before the test.

Before you book: check the history

Look at the vehicle’s earlier tests on the MOT history page before the test. Advisories from last year that were never fixed often become failures this year, and the history shows which ones kept recurring. Our guide on how to read MOT history explains the layout. You can also track recurring notes with the advisory tracker.

If it fails

If the car fails, you may drive it away only if your current MOT is still valid and no dangerous defect was listed. A vehicle with a dangerous defect must not be driven on the road at all, whether or not an MOT is current; driving one risks a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points. Retest rules offer free or reduced-fee retests in some cases, particularly if you leave the car at the test centre for repair and it is retested within 10 working days. Read what to do after a failed MOT for the full picture, and MOT defect categories for what dangerous, major, minor and advisory mean.

This is a good reason to test early in your window. If you test with a few weeks to spare and the car fails, you still have a valid MOT while the repairs are done, and you can book the retest without driving unlawfully.

If it passes

Keep the details of the pass and note any advisories. Advisories are not failures, but they mark parts that will need attention soon, and it is cheaper to plan for them. You can review the full record at any time on the MOT history page, and the MOT certificate guide explains how to get a copy of the certificate.

The reminder works from the MOT expiry date held in the official record, so it suits any vehicle that has one. The practical details differ by type.

Cars

Cars with up to eight passenger seats are the standard case. First test by the third anniversary of registration, then yearly. Use the car MOT check for the record.

Vans

Goods vehicles up to 3,500kg are tested on the same yearly cycle after the first test, with maximum fees that depend on weight. See the van MOT check. Lorries, buses and trailers need an annual test instead of an MOT, so they follow a different system.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles have a lower maximum fee and the same yearly rhythm. Bikes are often laid up over winter, which makes a reminder especially useful at the start of the riding season. See the motorcycle MOT check.

Classic and historic vehicles

Some historic vehicles are exempt from the MOT. To qualify, a vehicle must have been built or first registered more than 40 years ago and must not have had substantial changes, such as replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine in a way that changes how it works. Exempt vehicles must still be roadworthy. Vehicle tax exemption for historic vehicles is a separate rule, based on a different date. Check the MOT exempt vehicles guide and the historical MOT check for older records.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland MOTs are run by the DVA, which is a separate service from the DVSA. Those tests are not in the DVSA data we use, so we may not be able to set a reminder for a Northern Ireland vehicle. Our guide to MOT in Northern Ireland explains the difference.

Other vehicle classes

Dual purpose vehicles, motor caravans, quads, three-wheelers, taxis and 9 to 12 seat passenger vehicles each have their own class. The MOT test classes guide explains them. Tractors and electric goods vehicles registered before 1 March 2015 are exempt.

Our email reminder is one option among several. Pick whichever you will actually act on, or use two.

• A calendar reminder. Put the expiry date in your phone calendar, then set an alert for the first day of your one-month window. Free, and under your control.
• Your garage. Many garages send their own reminders if you gave them your details when you last had a service or test.
• The official GOV.UK reminder. GOV.UK offers its own reminder service at gov.uk/mot-reminder. We are independent and not affiliated with it, and you can use it alongside ours.
• Your MOT certificate and log book notes. Write the date on something you will see, like the inside of the glovebox lid or the service book.
• The car watchlist. Our car watchlist is a way to keep vehicles you care about in one place.

A reminder works best as part of a habit. A routine takes only a few minutes a year and removes most of the stress.

1. When the first reminder arrives, open the MOT history for the car and read last year’s advisories. Note anything that has been waiting for attention.
2. Book the test within your one-month window, ideally in the first week so there is time for a retest.
3. Do the five-minute car park checks for lights, tyres, wipers, horn and warning lights before you go.
4. After the test, check that the new expiry date appears on the MOT check, and put the new date in your calendar.
5. Keep the paperwork with the service history so the next keeper, or you next year, can see what was done.

If you run more than one vehicle, stagger the booking so you are not without both cars at once. A family with two cars whose MOTs expire in the same month can still test one early, but remember that testing earlier than the one-month window resets that car’s renewal date.

MOT

The annual roadworthiness and emissions test most vehicles need once they pass their first test date.

Expiry date

The last day the current MOT certificate is valid.

Renewal date

The date the next certificate will expire. Testing within the final month keeps it unchanged.

Advisory

A note about a component that is not yet defective but may become so. It does not cause a fail.

Major and dangerous defects

Major defects cause a fail. Dangerous defects cause a fail and mean the vehicle must not be driven on the road.

Retest

A second test after a fail. Free or reduced-fee retests apply in some cases.

DVSA

The agency that runs the MOT scheme in Great Britain and holds MOT history data.

DVLA

The agency that holds vehicle registration and tax records.

DVA

The agency that runs MOTs in Northern Ireland.

SORN

Statutory Off Road Notification, which tells DVLA a vehicle is off the road.