Two free government services will tell you when a vehicle's MOT expires, from the registration alone, in a few seconds. The reason people are unsure is not that the information is hard to get, it is that the rules around the date are slightly counterintuitive: when the first test falls due, how early you can test without losing your anniversary, and what happens to the date if you leave it too late.
The free checks
The DVLA vehicle enquiry returns the MOT expiry date alongside tax status, and the DVSA MOT status and history service returns the same date with the full test record behind it. Both take the registration and nothing else. If you want to be told rather than to remember, the DVSA also runs a free reminder service that will contact you before the expiry, which costs nothing and removes the whole problem.
The first test
A new car does not need an MOT until the third anniversary of its first registration, and then annually. That means a three year old car being sold with its first test just completed has a full record of exactly one entry, and a two year old car has none at all. For a buyer this is the gap where the free mileage evidence does not exist, and it is the point at which the service record and the finance history carry the weight instead.
Testing early without losing the date
A vehicle can be tested up to a month minus a day before the expiry date and keep the same anniversary, so the new certificate runs a year from the old expiry rather than from the test. Test earlier than that and the new date runs from the test, which quietly shortens the cycle. If a car has been tested well before it needed to be, that is usually a sale being prepared, and it is worth reading the test result carefully rather than being reassured by the long remaining validity.
When it has already expired
Driving without a valid MOT is an offence except when going to a pre booked test, and an expired certificate also affects insurance and prevents the vehicle being taxed. There is no grace period. If the date has passed, book the test, keep the booking confirmation, and drive to the appointment and nowhere else. If the vehicle is not going to be used, a SORN keeps it lawful off the road while the test is arranged.
Questions people ask about when is my mot due uk
How do I check when my MOT is due?
Enter the registration in either the DVLA vehicle enquiry or the DVSA MOT status service. Both return the expiry date free, and the DVSA one also shows the full test history.
When does a new car need its first MOT?
On the third anniversary of its first registration, and annually after that. Until then there is no test and no public mileage record for the vehicle.
How early can I get the MOT done?
Up to a month minus a day before the expiry date while keeping the same anniversary. Testing earlier than that resets the date to a year from the test.
What happens if my MOT has run out?
You may only drive to a pre booked test. There is no grace period, the vehicle cannot be taxed without a valid certificate where one is required, and insurance may be affected.