MOT Due Date & Earliest Test Calculator

Enter the expiry date, the last pass date or a new car’s first registration date to get the due date, the earliest test that keeps your renewal date and a calendar reminder.

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The MOT due date calculator works out when your next MOT is due from a date you already know: the current expiry date, the date the car last passed, or, for a new car, the date it was first registered. It shows the days left, the earliest date you can test and keep the same renewal date, and the expiry you will get if it passes in that window, and saves an all-day calendar reminder. It uses the GOV.UK rules for Great Britain and the Northern Ireland first-test age; it does not look up registrations. Your expiry date is on your last MOT certificate or on the free GOV.UK MOT history page.

Use it when you have just bought a car, when a reminder letter has gone missing, or to plan a test around a holiday.

Mot due date example

How to find your MOT due date

  1. Choose what you know: the MOT expiry date, the date it last passed, or the first registration date (V5C box B) for a car that has not had an MOT yet.

  2. Enter the date: if you choose the pass date, also enter the expiry date before that test if you know it: a pass inside the month before the old expiry keeps the old renewal date.

  3. Pick where the car is registered: England, Scotland or Wales, or Northern Ireland.

  4. Read the due date and countdown: amber inside 30 days, red once it has run out.

  5. Note the earliest test date: testing from that date keeps your renewal date (Great Britain only).

  6. Save a reminder: Add to calendar (.ics) creates an all-day event with alerts 14 and 3 days before.

  7. Book in the window: book a test date between the earliest date and the due date. If the car fails, you still have time for repairs before the old MOT runs out.

Tip: the GOV.UK MOT history page shows when the current MOT runs out for any registration; copy that date into the expiry box if you do not have the certificate.

The calculator works for cars, vans and motorcycles that follow the normal three-year rule.

How MOT due dates work

MOT due date and the one month minus a day rule

In Great Britain a car’s first MOT is due by the third anniversary of its registration, then by the anniversary of its last MOT. You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. GOV.UK’s example: if your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest you can test and keep the date is 16 April. If it runs out on 14 May 2026, the earliest test that keeps the date is 15 April 2026, and a pass then runs to 14 May 2027, almost 13 months. Test earlier than that and the new MOT runs out one year minus a day after the pass date: a pass on 10 March 2026 runs to 9 March 2027. When the month before is shorter, Motwatch uses its last day: an MOT running out on 31 March can be renewed from 1 March.

First MOT for a new car

Add three years to the first registration date (V5C box B): a car first registered on 1 December 2023 needs its first MOT by 1 December 2026. In Northern Ireland cars are first tested at four years old. Some vehicles, such as taxis and some passenger vehicles with more than 8 seats, must be tested at one year old.

Northern Ireland

MOTs for cars registered in Northern Ireland are booked with the DVA and follow nidirect’s rules; nidirect says a certificate is valid for 12 months from the day of the test. The GB “month minus a day” rule is not applied there by this calculator.

Driving after the MOT runs out

There is no grace period. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT; the exceptions are driving to a pre-arranged test or to or from a place of repair.

Why the earliest date matters

Booking inside the window gives time to fix any failure while the old MOT is still valid, and the next MOT keeps the same date each year, which makes it easy to remember.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my MOT due date?

Look at your last MOT certificate or enter the registration on the free GOV.UK MOT history service, which shows when the next MOT is due. Type that date here for a countdown, the earliest test date and a reminder.

How early can I get an MOT and keep the same date?

Up to a month minus a day before it runs out. If it runs out on 20 June, the earliest test that keeps the date is 21 May.

When is a new car’s first MOT due?

By the third anniversary of its first registration in Great Britain, or the fourth in Northern Ireland.

What happens if I test too early?

The renewal date moves: the new MOT runs out one year minus a day after the pass date.

Can I drive if an early MOT fails?

If the old MOT is still valid you can drive to have it fixed, unless the tester found a “dangerous” defect. Driving with a dangerous defect can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a ban and 3 penalty points.

Does the MOT expire at midnight?

The MOT is valid up to and including the expiry date shown on the certificate. Book the test for that day or earlier.

See all MOT Tools.