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 Essex

CM0 7UH
CM0 7US
CM0 7UE
CM0 7JL
CM0 7FG
CM0 7UJ
CM0 7UQ
CM0 7JD
CM0 7UL
CM0 7UG
CM0 7UD
CM0 7UF
CM0 7JF
CM0 7FY
CM0 7UA
CM0 7AT
CM0 7TX
CM0 7EA
CM0 7NX
CM0 7UB
CM0 7TT
CM0 7TH
CM0 7UP
CM0 7TN
CM0 7DZ
CM0 7TL
CM0 7NY
CM0 7SX
CM0 7GY
CM0 7DX
CM0 7TW
CM0 7TJ
CM0 7PD
CM0 7TD
CM0 7DY
CM0 7TE
CM0 7TB
CM0 7TF
CM0 7XB
CM0 7TU
CM0 7SY
CM0 7UR
CM0 7TA
CM0 7TP
CM0 7TG
CM0 7SU
CM0 7UW
CM0 7UN
CM0 7JU
CM0 7SA
CM0 7SZ
CM0 7SQ
CM0 7SH
CM0 7TR
CM0 7ST
CM0 7SG
CM0 7TS
CM0 7GL
CM0 7UX
CM0 7DU
CM0 7DT
CM0 7SE
CM0 7DP
CM0 7SS
CM0 7SL
CM0 7UT
CM0 7SF
CM0 7DR
CM0 7JG
CM0 7SD
CM0 7SB
CM0 7SR
CM0 7NZ
CM0 7DS
CM0 7SW
CM0 7JN
CM0 7DW
CM0 7SP
CM0 7AG
CM0 7SJ
CM0 7JJ
CM0 7LD
CM0 7DL
CM0 7SN
CM0 7DN
CM0 7ED
CM0 7EQ
CM0 7DJ
CM0 7LN
CM0 7EH
CM0 7HE
CM0 7DA
CM0 7AF
CM0 7JW
CM0 7DQ
CM0 7EB
CM0 7EE
CM0 7DG
CM0 7JP
CM0 7EN
CM0 7EG
CM0 7DH
CM0 7EW
CM0 7EU
CM0 7AE
CM0 7AD
CM0 7EF
CM0 7GH
CM0 7DF
CM0 7HZ
CM0 7GG
CM0 7LW
CM0 7AJ
CM0 7AB
CM0 7DE
CM0 7FF
CM0 7AA
CM0 7WA
CM0 7UZ
CM0 7XG
CM0 7XA
CM0 7XE
CM0 7XD
CM0 7WY
CM0 7WZ
CM0 7WR
CM0 7WT
CM0 7WU
CM0 7WS
CM0 7WL
CM0 7WP
CM0 7WQ
CM0 7WN
CM0 7WJ
CM0 7WH
CM0 7WF
CM0 7WG
CM0 7WE
CM0 7UU
CM0 7RG
CM0 7TQ
CM0 7PQ
CM0 7PG
CM0 7GN
CM0 7GU
CM0 7GT
CM0 7FS
CM0 7GB
CM0 7GJ
CM0 7FD
CM0 7FR
CM0 7AX
CM0 7ZY
CM0 7YA
CM0 7ZQ
CM0 7XY
CM0 7XJ
CM0 7XH
CM0 7JX
CM0 7XF
CM0 7WW
CM0 7WX
CM0 7WD
CM0 7WB
CM0 7FZ
CM0 7YD
CM0 7YB
CM0 7XN
CM0 7XZ
CM0 7XP
CM0 7XL
CM0 7GW
CM0 7DD
CM0 7DB
CM0 7BZ
CM0 7EP
CM0 7FB
CM0 7HY
CM0 7FA
CM0 7HF
CM0 7AH
CM0 7BY
CM0 7HD
CM0 7EZ
CM0 7AQ
CM0 7ET
CM0 7HX
CM0 7EL
CM0 7AY
CM0 7AU
CM0 7GZ
CM0 7EY
CM0 7JQ
CM0 7HB
CM0 7HJ
CM0 7HH
CM0 7HQ
CM0 7EX
CM0 7FX
CM0 7HG
CM0 7EJ
CM0 7ES
CM0 7AZ
CM0 7GA
CM0 7JA
CM0 7HL
CM0 7AL
CM0 7HU
CM0 7BF
CM0 7BA
CM0 7ER
CM0 7HA
CM0 7JT
CM0 7HN
CM0 7AN
CM0 7RX
CM0 7GD
CM0 7GF
CM0 7LP
CM0 7GP
CM0 7JS
CM0 7RQ
CM0 7TY
CM0 7AW
CM0 7LA
CM0 7TZ
CM0 7FE
CM0 7LR
CM0 7AS
CM0 7GE
CM0 7RY
CM0 7JE
CM0 7GS
CM0 7AP
CM0 7HT
CM0 7BB
CM0 7RZ
CM0 7LH
CM0 7JR
CM0 7BJ
CM0 7RE
CM0 7GX
CM0 7BD
CM0 7UY
CM0 7LS
CM0 7RD
CM0 8NJ
CM0 7FW
CM0 7FT
CM0 7FU
CM0 7BQ
CM0 7FQ
CM0 7FL
CM0 7FH
CM0 7FJ
CM0 7HS
CM0 7FP
CM0 7HR
CM0 7LB
CM0 7FN
CM0 7LL
CM0 7BL
CM0 7BH
CM0 8NQ
CM0 7GR
CM0 7PE
CM0 7LJ
CM0 7BG
CM0 7JH
CM0 7JZ

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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