MOT check: your MOT status, history and reminders
Not sure when your MOT is due, or what it covers? This page explains how the MOT works in plain English: when a car needs its first test, how often after that, how early you can get it done, what the test checks and what an MOT history shows. Then you can check your own car in the VeeFive app.
Check your car in the VeeFive app
Add your car’s registration in the app to see its MOT due date, its MOT history and your MOT reminders. You need a free VeeFive account, and VeeFive is free to start. This website does not look up registrations or show any vehicle details, so there is nothing to type in here.
How to check your MOT status and due date
In the VeeFive app, sign in with your free account and add your car’s registration. The car’s reminders screen then shows the date its MOT expires with a countdown, and its MOT history sits underneath. You can add more than one car, and each keeps its own MOT date and history.
A car’s MOT status is a legal matter, so if the date matters, the official MOT record and the car’s test certificate are the final word.
When is the first MOT due?
A car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration. Some vehicles need to be tested at one year old, so if yours is not an ordinary car, check the MOT fees table on GOV.UK to see which group it falls into.
How often does a car need an MOT?
An MOT lasts for a year. After the first test, a car over 3 years old needs another MOT by the anniversary of its last one. Put the date in your diary, or let VeeFive keep it for you.
How early can you get an MOT?
You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before the current one runs out and keep the same renewal date.
Example. If your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest date you can have it tested and keep the same renewal date is 16 April. Test earlier than that and the new MOT runs for one year minus a day from the day you pass, so the renewal date moves earlier.
What does an MOT check?
The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. For a car, the official MOT inspection manual covers these areas:
- Identification of the vehicle, including its registration plates and VIN
- Brakes, including the parking brake and ABS
- Steering
- Visibility, including the windscreen, wipers and washers
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, including dashboard warning lights
- Axles, wheels, tyres and suspension
- Body and structure, including the exhaust system, doors and seats
- Other equipment, such as seat belts, airbags, the horn and the speedometer
- Nuisance, such as noise, exhaust emissions and fluid leaks
The test does not cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox, so a pass is not a guarantee that the car is mechanically sound.
Pass, fail and advisories
A pass is recorded in the MOT database, and so is a fail. A car fails when its result lists a dangerous or major problem. An advisory, or minor problem, is something to keep an eye on or fix later; it does not make a car fail on its own. If a car fails, you can drive it away only if its current MOT is still valid and the result lists no dangerous problem.
What MOT history shows
The official MOT history of a car shows:
- whether each MOT test was passed or failed
- the mileage recorded at each test
- when the next MOT is due
- for tests in England, Scotland and Wales, which parts failed and any minor problems
In the VeeFive app, each test on a car’s MOT history shows its date, its result and its recorded mileage. Open a test to see why it failed, anything that was repaired during the test, and any advisories. Reading the advisories on past tests is a good way to see what might need attention before the next one, and a run of recorded mileages shows how the car has been used.
VeeFive shows only what has actually been recorded. A new car, or one that has never been tested, simply has no tests on record yet.
What happens if your MOT runs out?
You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if its MOT has run out, and you can be prosecuted if you are caught. You may drive it to or from a place where it is being repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT. You also cannot renew the vehicle’s tax while its MOT has run out.
Cars over 40 years old: no MOT required
A vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago can qualify for no MOT, as long as no substantial changes have been made to it in the last 30 years, such as replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine to change the way the vehicle works. Age alone is not enough: the keeper has to declare this on form V112. VeeFive can see a car’s age but not whether that declaration has been made, so for these cars it shows “No MOT required” rather than a warning. The car must still be kept in a roadworthy condition.
Why an MOT reminder matters
Because an MOT lasts a year, the date is easy to lose track of, and a lapse means you cannot legally drive the car on the road. A reminder gives you time to book, and it lines up with the early window above: with a month to go you can have the car tested without losing your renewal date.
VeeFive keeps your MOT date in view and can remind you before it is due, by email and by notification on your phone. MOT reminders are part of the free essentials, and you can switch each kind on or off in the app’s Settings. The car’s reminders screen also has a Book MOT button, and VeeFive can help you find a garage and request a booking.
Ready to check your car?
Get the VeeFive app, sign in with a free account and add your registration to see your MOT due date, MOT history and reminders.
MOT check questions
How do I check my MOT status?
Open the VeeFive app, sign in with a free VeeFive account and add your car’s registration. VeeFive then shows when the car’s MOT expires and its MOT history. This website does not look up registrations, so the check itself happens in the app.
When is my first MOT due?
A car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration. Some vehicles need to be tested at one year old, so check GOV.UK’s MOT fees table if yours is not an ordinary car.
How often does a car need an MOT?
An MOT lasts for a year. After its first test, a car over 3 years old needs another MOT by the anniversary of its last one.
How early can I get an MOT?
You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before the current one runs out and keep the same renewal date. For example, if your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest date to get it tested and keep the same renewal date is 16 April. Test earlier than that and the new MOT runs for one year minus a day from the day you pass.
What does MOT history show?
The official MOT history of a car shows whether each test was passed or failed, the mileage recorded at the test, and when the next MOT is due. For tests in England, Scotland and Wales it also shows which parts failed and any minor problems. In the VeeFive app, each test on a car’s history shows its date, result and recorded mileage, and you can open it to see why it failed, anything repaired during the test, and advisories.
What is an MOT advisory?
An advisory, or minor problem, is something to keep an eye on or fix later. It does not make a car fail on its own. A car fails its MOT when the result lists a dangerous or major problem.
Can I drive without a valid MOT?
No. You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if its MOT has run out, and you can be prosecuted if you are caught. The exceptions are driving to or from a place where it is being repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.
Do cars over 40 years old need an MOT?
Usually not, but age alone is not enough. A vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago can qualify for no MOT as long as no substantial changes have been made to it in the last 30 years, such as replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine to change the way the vehicle works, and the keeper has to declare this on form V112. VeeFive can see a car’s age but not whether that declaration has been made, so for these cars it shows “No MOT required” rather than a warning. The car must still be kept roadworthy.
How do I get an MOT reminder?
Add your car to the VeeFive app. VeeFive keeps your MOT date in view and can remind you before it is due, by email and by notification on your phone. You can switch each kind of reminder on or off in the app’s Settings.
Is VeeFive free to use for MOT checks?
VeeFive is free to start. Adding a car is free, and the free essentials include MOT information and reminders. You need a free VeeFive account to use the app.
Where this comes from
The MOT rules on this page follow GOV.UK guidance: Getting an MOT, the MOT test, after the test, Check MOT history and historic vehicles: MOT and vehicle tax. Rules can change, so GOV.UK is the final word. VeeFive is not part of the government.