When do I have to take my car for its MOT?

Taking your car for its MOT is a legal obligation, so it is very important to know when the inspection is due.

Taking your car for its MOT is one of the responsibilities we all have as drivers. Whether we like it or not, owning a vehicle means having to undergo the technical inspection. Driving without a valid MOT can lead to penalties, which may even include the vehicle being impounded, not to mention the risk we take behind the wheel, so it is very important to know when your car is due its MOT. Below we detail when a vehicle must first be inspected, the frequency with which each type of vehicle must pass the technical inspection, and the registration plates (letters) that must pass the MOT in 2018:

Taking your car for its first MOT

When you register a car for the first time, you may wonder when its first MOT is due. The first thing you should know is that in most cases you will receive a letter at your home as a reminder. It will specify the deadline by which you must complete the technical inspection.

If this letter does not reach you, you simply need to calculate the time from the registration date shown on the vehicle registration document. In the case of passenger cars, the first inspection must take place four years after the registration date. For example, if you registered your car on 12 June 2014, you would have to take it for its MOT on the same day four years later (today), at the latest…

Which registration plates must pass the MOT in 2018?

In 2018, vehicles with registration letters between HVF and JBY must take their first MOT. Below we break down by month the registrations that must pass the MOT this year:

January 2018: From HVF to HVN

February 2018: From HVN to HVZ

March 2018: From HVZ to HWM

April 2018: From HWM to HXB

May 2018: From HXD to HYN

June 2018: From HXN to HYD

July 2018: From HYR to HYT

August 2018: From HYT to HZB

September 2018: From HZB to HZL

October 2018: From HZM to HZZ

November 2018: From HZZ to JBL

December 2018: From JBL to JBY

Taking your car for its MOT again

If you have already passed the MOT before, you will need to keep track of when it is due again. The best way to know when the technical inspection must be repeated is to check the

back of your MOT certificate, a document where you will find the date of the last inspection.
How often must each class of vehicle pass the MOT?

Motorcycles, tricycles, quads

Motorcycles, three-wheeled mopeds, quadricycles, three-wheeled vehicles, quads and light quadricycles must pass the MOT with the following frequency:

– From the registration date: 4 years

– After the first inspection: every 2 years
Two-wheeled mopeds

Two-wheeled mopeds must pass the MOT differently from motorcycles due to their smaller engine capacity and characteristics:

– From the registration date: 3 years

– After the first inspection: every 3 years
Passenger cars and motorhomes

Vehicles that make up the bulk of the car fleet (passenger cars), motorhomes and living vehicles must pass the MOT as follows:

– From the registration date: 4 years

– After the first inspection: every 2 years

– From ten years old: every year
Towed caravans

Unlike self-propelled caravans, towed caravans do not require an engine or transmission inspection, so the frequency with which they must pass the MOT is different:

– From the registration date: 6 years

– After the first inspection: every 2 years
Ambulances, buses, minibuses…

Ambulances and vehicles used for passenger transport, including school transport, must pass the MOT as follows:

– From the registration date: 5 years

– After the first inspection: every 6 months
Vans and light commercial vehicles

Goods vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg must pass the MOT with the following frequency:

– From the registration date: 2 years

– After the first inspection: every 2 years

– From six years old: every year

– From ten years old: every 6 months
Lorries

Lorries used for transporting goods with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg must pass the MOT as follows:

– From the registration date: 10 years

– After the first inspection: every 6 months
Tractors and agricultural machinery

Agricultural tractors, self-propelled agricultural machinery and agricultural trailers that are authorised to exceed 25 km/h must pass the MOT with the following frequency:

– From the registration date: 8 years

– After the first inspection: every 2 years

– From 16 years old: every year
Construction machinery

Self-propelled special vehicles intended for construction and services that are authorised to exceed 25 km/h must pass the MOT as follows:

– From the registration date: 4 years

– After the first inspection: every two years

– From ten years old: every year
Garden tractors and machinery not authorised to exceed 25 km/h

Agricultural garden tractors, special agricultural vehicles and construction and service machinery that, by design, are not authorised to exceed 25 km/h do not need to undergo the MOT.