Comprehensive MOT Test Centre Information Near Me

Find the nearest MOT Test Centres. Enter your postcode in the search box and we'll find all the MOT Stations near you ordered by distance. In addition to a handy map we will also include booking telephone numbers and, where possible, opening times. If you have a car, van, motor bike, private passenger vehicle or, even, a trike, we'll list all the M.O.S. Test Centers near you.

MOT Test Centre Counties

UK MOT Test Centres in County Durham

DL13 4JD
DL13 4JJ
DL13 4JE
DL13 4JB
DH8 9HD
DL13 4JH
DH8 9HN
DH8 9HB
DL13 4JF
DL13 4JL
DL13 4JA
DL13 4HZ
DH8 9HE
DL13 4HY
DH8 9AX
DL13 4JQ
DL13 4BL
DH8 9HA
DL13 4HX
DL13 4HU
DL13 4HT
DL13 4HR
DH8 9HF
DL13 4HS
DL13 4JX
DL13 4HP
DH8 9HJ
DL13 4JG
DL13 4JW
DH7 0TN
DH8 9HL
DH8 9HG
DH8 9EZ
DH7 0TE
DH7 0TD
DH7 0TA
DL13 4JN
DL13 4HW
DH8 9EX
DH8 9EU
DH8 9HH
DH8 9HP
DH8 9AH
DH8 9AL
DH8 9AJ
DH8 9HS
DH8 9ET
DL13 4JP
DH8 9EY
DH8 9HR
DH8 9AQ
DH8 9AN
DH8 9HW
DH7 0RH
DH8 9AB
DH7 0RP
DH8 9EL
DH8 9AF
DH8 9AG
DH7 0SZ
DH8 9HQ
DH8 9AE
DH8 9AD
DH7 9EN
DH8 9EJ
DL13 4HN
DH8 9EH
DH8 9DA
DH8 9EW
DH7 9EP
DH8 9AA
DH8 9RD
DH8 9EP
DH8 9RJ
DH8 9QD
DH7 0RW
DL13 4JR
DH8 9ES
DH8 9RB
DH8 9ER
DH8 9EN
DH8 9RA
DL13 4QG
DH8 9QU
DH8 9QX
DH8 9AP
DL13 4HL
DH8 9QB
DH8 9EA
DH8 9RF
DH8 9QE
DH8 9EE
DH8 9QZ
DH8 8JB
DH8 8EX
DH8 8JA
DH8 9RG
DH8 9HU
DH8 9RE
DH7 0RR
DH8 9QY
DH8 9QS
DH8 9QF
DH7 0RG
DH8 9QG
DH8 9QT
DH8 8HF
DH8 9QA
DH7 0SY
DH8 9QJ
DH8 8HG
DH8 8DG
DH8 8DQ
DH8 9QQ
DL13 4JU
DH8 9QH
DH8 8DJ
DH8 9HT
DH8 9QW
DH8 8DW
DH8 9QL
DH8 9DB
DH8 8DL
DH8 9QP
DH8 7PA
DH7 0SX
DH8 8DA
DH7 9EW
DH7 9EL
DH8 9QR
DH8 7PE
DH8 8EU
DH8 8HQ
DH8 8DB
DH7 9EJ
DH8 9AW
DH8 8DD
DH8 9EB
DH8 9RL
DH8 8DS
DH8 8DT
DH8 8DP
DL13 4HJ
DH8 7AT
DH8 9PW
DH8 8DU
DH8 8DF
DH8 9QN
DH8 7PD
DH8 7AU
DH8 8ET
DH8 7AP
DH8 8HH
DH8 8LG
DH7 9ER
DH8 9AR
DH8 8DH
DH8 8HJ
DH8 8EY
DH8 8HE
DH8 8DZ
DH8 7AS
DH8 8DE
DH8 8LH
DH8 7AX
DH8 7AW
DH8 8DR
DH8 8ES
DH8 7DD
DH8 8HD
DH8 8HL
DH8 7AR
DH8 7AN
DH8 8HX
DH8 8EE
DH8 9AS
DH8 8LJ
DH8 8EJ
DH8 7AZ
DH8 7AY
DH8 7BA
DH8 7AG
DH8 8HS
DH8 8HY
DH8 8DX
DH8 8ED
DH8 8EA
DH8 8HT
DH8 8LQ
DH8 7AF
DL13 4JS
DH8 8ER
DH8 8LL
DH8 9AT
DH8 7NG
DL13 4JT
DH7 0RJ
DH8 8EQ
DH8 8HZ
DH8 8HN
DH8 7NH
DH8 7DE
DH8 7AE
DH8 8EB
DH8 7DB
DH8 8EF
DH8 8DY
DH8 7BB
DH8 7AD
DH8 7AL
DH8 8EP
DH8 9DD
DH8 7AJ
DH8 8HR
DH8 8HU
DH8 7DA
DH7 0RN
DH8 7NT
DH8 7BQ
DH8 8HW
DH8 8EH
DH8 7BJ
DH8 7NU
DH8 7AH
DH8 9DE
DH8 7DF
DH8 7BH
DH8 7NS
DH8 7AQ
DH8 8BE
DH8 9AU
DH8 7PF
DH7 0RQ
DH8 7NZ
DH8 8HP
DH7 0RL
DH8 7AB
DH8 7DQ

When to get an MOT

The MOT test is designed to check that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards defined by the Department for Transport.

The rules that determine when you need to MOT your vehicle depend on the type of vehicle you have and what you use it for. These rules are grouped into Classes which currently include 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a, 5, 5a and 7. Broardly speaking you need to MOT your vehicle on;

  • the third anniversary of its registration
  • the anniversary of its last MOT, if it's over 3 years old
The exception to this is vehicles that are categorised as Class 4, 5 and 5a which need to be MOT tested every 12 months.

Driving a vehicle without an MOT can attract a fine of up to £1,000

Expired MOT certificate

It is not acceptable to drive a vehicle if its MOT has certificate expired. Doing so can result in a prosecution. Exceptions to this rule are;

  • to or from somewhere to be repaired,
  • to a pre-arranged MOT test1.

1A pre-arranged MOT test is one that has been arranged in advance. If you are stopped on the way to a drop in MOT test centre without an appointment you may not qualify for an exemption.

MOT renewal

An MOT lasts for a calendar year. The MOT expiration date is printed on the MOT pass certificate.

It is important to ensure your vehicle's MOT test certificate is renewed before the MOT test due date. This is can be done as early as a month minus 1 day before the expiration of the current certificate or anniversary of the registration of the vehicle. It is acceptable to get a new MOT test certificate at any time, however, the start date of the certificate will change if the renewal date is more than a month minus a day before the expiration of the current certificate.

MOT Test Fees and Class Descriptions

The Department for Transport has specified maximum fees that MOT test centres can charge. These are broken down by the Class of the vehicle as this roughly equates to the amount of effort required by the MOT Test Centre to carry out the test. The following table explains the Classes and associated costs.

ClassVehicle TypeAge before
MOT (years)
Maximum
Fee
1Motorcycle (engine size up to 200cc)3£ 29.65
1Motorcycle with sidecar (engine size up to 200cc)3£ 37.80
2Motorcycle (engine size over 200cc)3£ 29.65
2Motorcycle with sidecar (engine size over 200cc)3£ 37.80
33-wheeled vehicles (up to 450kg unladen weight)3£ 37.80
43-wheeled vehicles (over 450kg unladen weight)3£ 54.85
4Cars (up to 8 passenger seats)3£ 54.85
4Motor caravans3£ 54.85
4Quads (max unladen weight 400kg - for goods vehicles 550kg and max net power of 15kw)3£ 54.85
4Dual purpose vehicles3£ 54.85
4Private hire and public service vehicles (up to 8 seats)3£ 54.85
4Ambulances and taxis1£ 54.85
4Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (9 to 12 passenger seats)1£ 57.30
4Goods vehicles (up to 3,000kg design gross weight)3£ 54.85
4aClass 4 vehicles (9 to 12 passenger seats) with a seat belt installation check£ 64.00
5Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (13 to 16 passenger seats)1£ 59.55
5Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (more than 16 passenger seats)1£ 80.65
5Playbuses1£ 80.65
5aClass 5 vehicles (13 to 16 passenger seats) with a seatbelt installation check£ 80.50
5aClass 5 vehicles (more than 16 passenger seats) with a seatbelt installation check£ 124.50
7Goods vehicles (over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg design gross weight)3£ 58.60

Test Failures and Retests

If your vehicle has failed its MOT Test you may qualify for a free or reduced retest.

If the MOT Test Centre carries out the repair then ordinarily they would retest the vehicle at a reduced cost or no cost at all, depending on the nature of the work and the time between the two MOT tests.

If you decide to take your vehicle away for repair you will need to ensure that your vehicle's current certificate is still valid. If your certificate is no longer valid then you will only be able to take your vehicle to a repair agent to get the defects corrected and to an MOT Test Centre with a pre-arranged MOT test appointment. You will not be able to take your vehicle to any other location.

If you have taken your vehicle away for repair and manage to return it to the same test centre before the end of the next working day for a retest, the MOT Test Centre will not charge for the partial retest, assuming the repair is one or more of the following items;

  • access panels
  • battery
  • bonnet
  • bootlid
  • brake pedal antislip
  • break glass hammer (class 5 vehicles only)
  • doors (including hinges, catches and pillars)
  • door open warning device (class 5 vehicles only)
  • dropsides
  • electrical wiring
  • emergency exits and signs (class 5 vehicles only)
  • entrance door remote control (class 5 vehicles only)
  • entrance/exit steps (class 5 vehicles only)
  • fuel filler cap
  • headlamp cleaning or levelling devices (that doesn’t need a headlamp aim check)
  • horn
  • lamps (excluding headlamp aim)
  • loading door
  • main beam 'tell-tale'
  • mirrors
  • rear reflectors
  • registration plates
  • seatbelts (but not anchorages), seatbelt load limiter and seatbelt pre-tensioner
  • seats
  • sharp edges or projections
  • stairs (class 5 vehicles only)
  • steering wheel
  • tailboard
  • tailgate
  • trailer electrical sockets
  • towbars (excluding body around anchorage points)
  • tyre pressure monitoring system
  • vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • windscreen glass, wipers and washers
  • wheels and tyres (excluding motorcycles and motorcycles with sidecar)
If the repair is for another fault or you do not get your vehicle back within the time period then you are eligible for a charge.

If you return your vehicle, after a repair, within 10 working days of the original test then the MOT Test Centre can complete a partial test which may be free or at a reduce charge. If it is not within this period then the MOT Text Centre will need to carry out a full test for which a full charge can be made.

Booking an MOT

MOT Test Centres offer a variety of methods for booking your vehicle in for a test. The primary means of booking is by phone. Our website offers a handy click to call facility if you are using a compatible device saving the need to save or write the number down. It is also worth noting that many sites now have online booking capabilities making it quick and easy for you to book your car in for a test.

MOT Test Centre maximum fees are controlled. Familiarise yourself with the Class of your vehicle and ensure that the MOT Test Centre does not charge you more than the maximum fee specified.

How does the MOT Test work?

An MOT test is an annual check of qualifying vehicles by an approved agent of items the Department of Transport has deemed essential for the safe operation of the vehicle on the public highway. Checks vary by vehicle category but all include essential items like headlights, seatbelt and tyres.

The MOT Test is designed to ensure the vehicle meets road safety and emission standards as defined by the Department for Transport. The test ensures your vehicle is in appropriate condition for use on the road. The MOT Test focuses on elements of the vehicle that ensure the safety of the driver, passengers and other road users. The Test does not concern itself with the condition of the vehicle's engine or gearbox, for example, but does focus on items such as seat belts, breaks and lights. For a full guide please read the MOT Inspection Manual.

Whilst the MOT Test is being performed you are allowed to view the Test from the MOT Public viewing area. You are not, however, allowed to interact with the Tester during the course of their duties.

MOT Test Completion

When the MOT Tester has completed the inspection you will be issued with a certificate. This can be an MOT Certificate, if the vehicle has passed, or a refusal of an MOT Test Certificate. In either case the outcome, along with the vehicles odometer reading will be recorded in the MOT test database, which is a national register.

If the vehicle has passed the MOT Test the MOT Certificate will be issued with, amoungst other things, the epiration date of the Certificate. You will need to repeat this process again before this date.

If the vehicle has NOT passed the MOT Test the refusal of an MOT Test Certificate will be issued which contains the reasons why the vehicle failed the test. If you decide to take the vehicle away for repair then please ensure you have familiarised yourself with the rules related to retesting your vehicle, especially if your MOT Test Certificate has expired.

If you feel you vehicle has been incorrectly failed then you may lodge an appeal with the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) by calling them on 0300 123 9000 week days between 7:30am to 6pm. You should also contact them if you think your MOT Test Certificate is not geniune or if you think your vehicle has passed when it shouldn't have.

Driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition can attract a fine of up to £2,000, a driving ban and 3 penalty points
Information on this site is correct at time of publication. We assume no responsibility for any incorrect data, ommissions or errors.
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