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

CO16 0DE
CO16 0DH
CO16 0DD
CO16 0BU
CO16 0BX
CO16 0BZ
CO16 0DA
CO16 0BD
CO16 0DJ
CO16 0DG
CO12 5DG
CO16 0DL
CO16 0DN
CO16 0DB
CO16 0BT
CO16 0DW
CO11 2PD
CO16 0DP
CO11 2PE
CO7 8SJ
CO12 5DL
CO12 5DF
CO11 2RL
CO12 5DD
CO11 2PB
CO16 0BS
CO11 2NZ
CO11 2RN
CO11 2RJ
CO11 2NY
CO16 0BP
CO11 2PH
CO16 0BG
CO12 5DE
CO11 2RP
CO12 5DB
CO7 8SH
CO16 0BL
CO16 0BN
CO16 0BY
CO7 8SF
CO11 2NX
CO7 8ST
CO7 8SQ
CO7 8SE
CO7 8SG
CO16 0BW
CO12 5DA
CO7 8SP
CO11 2RR
CO11 2RH
CO7 8SL
CO12 5BX
CO12 5BY
CO7 8SD
CO7 8SR
CO12 5BT
CO11 2NS
CO11 2AY
CO7 8SW
CO11 2NU
CO12 5BU
CO12 5BS
CO11 2NT
CO16 9AR
CO16 9AP
CO16 0BJ
CO11 2RT
CO11 2RS
CO7 8SU
CO7 8SB
CO11 2SR
CO7 8SX
CO11 2NR
CO11 2RU
CO11 2BG
CO7 8SA
CO11 2RW
CO11 2SD
CO16 0AP
CO7 8SN
CO11 2RZ
CO11 2SB
CO11 2SG
CO16 0AW
CO11 2RG
CO11 2RX
CO11 2RF
CO7 8SS
CO11 2GL
CO11 2RE
CO16 0AJ
CO11 2RY
CO7 8SY
CO11 2XG
CO16 9AF
CO16 0AN
CO16 0AG
CO16 9AW
CO12 5BP
CO11 2RB
CO11 2XF
CO11 2SL
CO11 2SJ
CO11 2SN
CO11 2QZ
CO11 2SH
CO16 0BH
CO11 2XE
CO11 2XJ
CO11 2QT
CO11 2XH
CO16 0AR
CO11 2QU
CO11 2XL
CO11 2SS
CO11 2SP
CO11 2QY
CO11 2QX
CO7 8RZ
CO16 0AH
CO11 2XB
CO11 2XD
CO11 2QS
CO16 0AT
CO16 9AA
CO11 2NP
CO7 7US
CO11 2RD
CO16 0AL
CO16 9AH
CO11 2XA
CO7 8RX
CO11 2SA
CO11 2RA
CO11 2QR
CO11 2UX
CO11 2WA
CO11 2UZ
CO11 2NW
CO11 2SE
CO11 2UY
CO11 2NN
CO16 9AN
CO7 7UP
CO7 8RY
CO11 2UJ
CO16 9AG
CO16 9JS
CO16 9JW
CO16 9JN
CO7 8SZ
CO7 7UR
CO16 9JT
CO16 9AE
CO16 9JL
CO16 9JP
CO16 0AF
CO16 9JR
CO16 9AJ
CO16 9JH
CO7 8TA
CO16 9JJ
CO7 8TE
CO16 9AD
CO16 9JX
CO16 9JY
CO16 9HF
CO16 9JE
CO16 0AS
CO16 9JU
CO11 2PJ
CO16 9HE
CO16 9AL
CO11 2QP
CO11 2UL
CO11 2UU
CO7 8TB
CO16 9JF
CO7 7UT
CO16 0AE
CO7 8RU
CO11 2QW
CO12 5BW
CO16 9JQ
CO16 9HZ
CO16 9JG
CO7 8TD
CO7 7UW
CO16 9JD
CO16 0AY
CO11 2QN
CO11 2PL
CO16 0AX
CO16 9JB
CO16 9HP
CO16 9JA
CO16 0AZ
CO16 9HJ
CO16 9HR
CO7 7UN
CO16 9HL
CO16 9HW
CO7 8RT
CO16 0AA
CO16 9HH
CO7 8QT
CO7 8RS
CO16 9HQ
CO16 0AD
CO16 9HS
CO16 9HN
CO11 2UT
CO11 2PS
CO11 2UH
CO11 2UW
CO16 0BA
CO11 2US
CO16 9JZ
CO16 0AU
CO16 0AB
CO11 2PR
CO16 9HG
CO16 9HX
CO11 3TH
CO11 2XR
CO16 9HT
CO11 2QL
CO16 9HU
CO7 8RR
CO16 9HY
CO11 2SF
CO11 2XN
CO7 7UL
CO11 2QJ
CO7 7UD
CO12 5BN
CO16 0LB
CO16 9DH
CO16 0EX
CO11 2PX
CO16 0LD
CO7 7UF
CO7 8QS
CO16 0LE
CO7 7UJ
CO11 2PP
CO11 2QH
CO11 2UP
CO7 7UQ
CO11 2TA
CO7 7UA
CO7 7TX
CO16 0LA
CO7 7DX
CO11 2QE
CO7 7UB
CO16 9DL
CO7 8PE
CO7 7TZ
CO7 7UH
CO12 5BL
CO7 7UU
CO7 7TU
CO11 2PY
CO11 2PF
CO11 2XT
CO11 2PG
CO11 2PN
CO11 2TY
CO11 2PA
CO11 2NH
CO12 5BZ
CO11 2UR
CO7 8PD
CO16 9AT

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.
site index
site map