The first test is required once a vehicle is three years old. . When your vehicle is tested, the MOT looks at some important items to see if it meets the legal requirements. You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a guarantee of the general mechanical condition of a vehicle.

If a vehicle is registered with no prior use on the road, the MOT will be required three years after the date of registration. For example, a vehicle registered ‘from new’ on 1 April 2004 will require its MOT no later than 1 April 2007.

An MOT can be carried out at any time. If the vehicle is tested within the calendar month prior to when the MOT is due, the test certificate will run from the date of the test to one year after the expiry date of the current certificate. For example, if the current certificate was due to expire on 1 April 2007, and the vehicle was presented on or after 2 March 2007, the certificate would run from the test date until 1 April 2008.