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 Northamptonshire

Teeton
Brigstock
Wakerley
Wappenham
Nassington
King's Cliffe
Upper Astrop
Church Stowe
Caldecott
Moulton
Greatworth
Tiffield
Loddington
Easton on the Hill
Elmington
Hulcote
Everdon
Thornby
Stowehill
Collingtree
Lower Catesby
Overstone
Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Barby
Barnwell
Canons Ashby
Ashley
Sywell
Geddington
Little Houghton
Crowfield
Little Everdon
Middleton Cheney
Daventry
Grendon
Whilton
Twywell
Onley
Little Preston
Great Houghton
Weedon Lois
Muscott
Stoke Albany
Warkworth
Alderton
Nobottle
Roade
Lilbourne
Yelvertoft
Hardwick
Heathencote
Rothersthorpe
Cogenhoe
Culworth
Foscote
Falcutt
Harrington
Walgrave
Great Brington
Glapthorn
Titchmarsh
Caldecote
Edgcote
Eastcote
Radstone
Preston Deanery
Guilsborough
Hemington
Harlestone
Thorpe Waterville
Horton
Finedon
Croughton
Kettering
Little Oakley
Syresham
Spratton
Halse
Cold Ashby
Cranford St Andrew
Badby
Cotterstock
Rothwell
Wilbarston
East Carlton
Pilton
Newton Bromswold
Little Addington
Mawsley Village
Brockhall
Milton Malsor
Naseby
Marston Trussell
Raunds
Stanwick
Wood Burcote
Lamport
Moreton Pinkney
Pitsford
Charlton
Warkton
Brampton Ash
Ravensthorpe
Stanford on Avon
Blisworth
Collyweston
Chacombe
Islip
Moor End
Byfield
Great Oxendon
Yardley Hastings
Cosgrove
Piddington
Bozeat
Deanshanger
Welton
Charwelton
Tansor
Boughton
Hinton
Arthingworth
Orlingbury
Fotheringhay
Sudborough
Luddington in the Brook
Great Purston
Lutton
Hannington
Oundle
Market Harborough
Draughton
Gayton
Dalscote
Silverstone
Strixton
Harpole
Desborough
Kislingbury
Grafton Underwood
Apethorpe
Woodend
Cottingham
Brafield-on-the-Green
Weekley
Helmdon
Abthorpe
Woodford
Braunston
Stoke Doyle
Swan Valley
Woodford Halse
Armston
Great Doddington
Higham Ferrers
Deene
Ashby St Ledgers
Old
Great Cransley
Southwick
Knuston
Newton
Whiston
Clay Coton
Foxley
Duddington
Nether Heyford
Little Brington
Weldon
Sutton Bassett
Hollowell
Towcester
Holdenby
Stoke Bruerne
Burton Latimer
Whittlebury
East Haddon
Dodford
Plumpton
Upper Catesby
Braybrooke
Fineshade
Upper Stowe
Maidford
Kings Sutton
Wicken
Great Addington
Irthlingborough
Farthingstone
Pytchley
Norton
Potterspury
Wellingborough
Old Stratford
Elkington
Wadenhoe
Kilsby
Cottesbrooke
Hackleton
Earls Barton
Milthorpe
Middleton
Sulgrave
Pipewell
Easton Maudit
Evenley
Eydon
Courteenhall
Great Harrowden
Gretton
Harringworth
Grimscote
Church Brampton
Bulwick
Grafton Regis
West Farndon
Warmington
Hellidon
Wollaston
Newbottle
Orton
Ashton
Thorpe Underwood
Blatherwycke
Overthorpe
Lower Thorpe
Sulby
Pury End
Long Buckby Wharf
Aynho
Shutlanger
Yardley Gobion
Little Harrowden
Corby
Wilby
Hanging Houghton
Clipston
Yarwell
Clopton
Little Irchester
Achurch
Lubenham
Preston Capes
Hartwell
Lower Benefield
Laxton
Chapel Brampton
Slapton
Lilford
Cold Higham
Haselbech
Duncote
Adstone
Weedon Bec
Lowick
Mears Ashby
Passenham
Maidwell
Farthinghoe
Denford
Marston St Lawrence
Upper Benefield
Brixworth
West Haddon
Castle Ashby
Wigsthorpe
Brackley
Bugbrooke
Church Charwelton
Ringstead
Slipton
Fawsley
Watford
Newnham
Aston le Walls
Kelmarsh
Chelveston
Thrapston
Murcott
Chipping Warden
Long Buckby
Thorpe Mandeville
Cranford St John
Winwick
East Farndon
Stanion
Ecton
Upper Heyford
Deenethorpe
Astcote
Pattishall
Bradden
Sibbertoft
Flore
Irchester
Blakesley
Woodnewton
Hargrave
Wansford
Denton
Lower Boddington
Quinton
Creaton
Polebrook
Dingley
Isham
Staverton
Coton
Whitfield
Thurning
Appletree
Upper Boddington
Paulerspury
Papley
Rushden
Crick
Thenford
Thorpe Malsor
Rockingham
Broughton
Aldwincle
Holcot
Northampton
Litchborough
Weston by Welland
Rushton
Welford
Scaldwell
Greens Norton
Weston

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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