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 Dorset

SP8 5RR
SP8 5RT
SP8 5SL
SP8 5SE
DT10 1JU
SP8 5RP
SP8 5RW
DT10 1JX
SP8 5RX
SP8 5RS
SP8 5SF
DT10 1JP
SP8 5RZ
SP8 5SA
SP8 5EP
SP8 5RL
SP8 5RU
DT10 1JT
DT10 1JY
SP8 5EX
DT10 1JR
DT10 1JZ
SP8 5RY
SP8 5SW
SP8 5RJ
DT10 1JS
DT10 1QQ
SP8 5EF
DT10 1YZ
DT10 1QR
DT10 1YA
SP8 5ER
SP8 5RN
DT10 1JW
DT10 1LS
SP8 5SD
DT10 1LR
SP8 5SB
DT10 1JJ
DT10 1PH
SP8 5SP
DT10 1PT
SP8 5SN
DT10 1JN
DT10 1JL
DT10 1PP
SP8 5RH
SP8 5ET
SP8 5ES
DT10 1HY
SP8 5EY
SP8 5EU
SP8 5EG
DT10 1PS
SP8 5EW
DT10 1PR
DT10 1LB
DT10 1PW
DT10 1HZ
DT10 1LA
DT10 1PN
DT10 1FL
SP8 5EE
SP8 5EZ
DT10 1LE
SP8 5FF
SP8 5EQ
DT10 1LD
SP8 5JE
SP8 5EN
SP8 5RQ
DT10 1HR
DT10 1LG
DT10 1HS
SP8 5EL
DT10 1JA
DT10 1PL
SP8 5EH
DT10 1PU
DT10 1PB
DT10 1LF
DT10 1LQ
DT10 1JD
DT10 1HX
DT10 1LL
DT10 1HP
DT10 1HU
SP8 5YF
SP8 5YD
SP8 5YE
SP8 5YA
SP8 5LP
DT10 1LH
DT10 1LJ
SP8 5LR
SP8 5EJ
SP8 5LL
DT10 1HW
DT10 1HT
SP8 5LS
DT10 1LW
DT10 1LN
SP8 5SG
SP8 5LW
SP8 5NF
SP8 5LJ
SP8 5HA
DT10 1PZ
DT10 1LP
DT10 1JH
SP8 5LF
DT10 1PY
DT10 1PJ
DT10 1QA
SP8 5LN
SP8 5LE
DT10 1JB
SP8 5LD
DT10 1QB
SP8 5LX
DT10 1QE
DT10 1HL
DT10 1QD
SP8 5BF
SP8 5ED
DT10 1QF
DT10 1NS
DT10 1PX
DT10 1HJ
DT10 1PD
SP8 5LA
DT10 1HH
SP8 5HB
DT10 1NT
SP8 5SQ
SP8 5LB
DT10 2RY
DT10 1NP
DT10 1NR
SP8 5JD
DT10 1NN
SP8 5LQ
SP8 5NZ
SP8 5HD
DT10 1NL
DT10 1NW
BA8 0TP
DT10 2SP
DT10 2RU
DT10 2RX
SP8 5JZ
SP8 5EB
SP8 5GY
BA8 0TN
SP8 5LU
DT10 1NJ
BA8 0TF
SP8 5LG
DT10 1NU
DT10 1NX
SP8 5HN
BA8 0TE
SP8 5JY
SP8 5EA
SP8 5RG
SP8 5RD
SP8 5JU
SP8 5DU
SP8 5JX
SP8 5HE
SP8 5JF
DT10 1NH
DT10 1HQ
SP8 5DX
SP8 5DY
SP8 5JS
SP7 0QH
DT10 1NY
SP8 5JT
SP8 5LH
SP8 5LT
DT10 1NQ
DT10 1QG
DT10 2RT
BA8 0TH
BA8 0TL
BA8 0TG
SP8 5LY
SP8 5HF
SP8 5RB
BA8 0YB
DT10 1HG
DT10 1PA
DT10 2RS
BA8 0TW
SP8 5SJ
DT10 1NZ
SP8 5JR
SP8 5HU
SP8 5SH
SP8 5TQ
DT10 1HF
SP8 5HS
SP8 5HT
DT10 1HN
SP8 5HG
SP8 5HQ
SP8 5HH
SP8 5NA
SP7 0QJ
SP7 0QL
SP8 5DZ
SP8 5NB
SP8 5RA
SP8 5HJ
SP8 5NQ
SP7 0QQ
SP8 5LZ
SP8 5DT
SP8 5HX
SP8 5HL
SP7 0QG
SP8 5RF
SP8 5HW
SP8 5SS
SP8 5HP
SP7 0QF
BA8 0TD
SP8 5HR
BA8 0TQ
SP8 5NE
SP8 5TE
SP8 5JP
BA8 0TJ
SP7 0QB
DT10 2HH
SP8 5JW
SP7 0QE
DT10 2RJ
SP7 0QD
BA8 0TB
SP8 5RE
SP8 5HY
SP8 5JL
SP8 5JN
SP8 5NX
SP8 5TD
SP8 5TL
SP8 5JH
SP8 5NY
BA9 9QX
BA8 0TA
SP8 5DS
DT10 2SR
SP8 5HZ
BA9 9QU
BA8 0SD
SP8 5JJ
SP8 5NU
SP8 5ND
DT10 2SS

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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