Driving without an MOT – what’s the risk?

Whether it’s driving with an expired certificate, using your car after a failed test, or buying a new car, there are a few MOT grey areas.

To make sure you know where you stand, here are some of the common scenarios you might find yourself in.

It’s possible that your car fails a new MOT test while a current certificate is still valid. If this happens and no ‘dangerous’ problems are found, you can take your vehicle away. 

However, your car must meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times.

You can appeal against a fail decision if you wish.

If you have missed your test and your certificate has expired, you can be prosecuted for driving without an MOT.

You can keep on track with your car's maintenance by getting a service or MOT plan to spread the cost over two years.

To find out if a fault leading to a vehicle recall could invalidate your MOT, it’s best to ask your manufacturer. 

Their decision won’t have been made lightly, so you can assume the problem is serious and will probably impact the roadworthiness of your car.

New cars don’t need an MOT certificate until their third anniversary of registration. 

If you’re buying a second-hand car, you should check it’s MOT status and arrange a test, either at the point of sale or one that you can drive to immediately.

Cars travelling to a prearranged test can be driven without a valid MOT certificate. The same applies when driving to or from a garage for repairs.

You can only drive a car that’s failed an MOT test if your current certificate is still valid and no serious problems were found. 

If your car fails an MOT with ‘dangerous’ or ‘major’ problems, you might not be allowed to drive it until these have been fixed. You’ll be given a ‘refusal of an MOT test certificate’ which is recorded in the MOT database. 

If you drive a vehicle deemed ‘dangerous’ you can be fined up to £2,500, as well as receive a driving ban and 3 penalty points.

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Throughout a routine MOT test your car is inspected for damage to the exhaust system, engine and specific areas of the vehicle’s structure and body. In short, your car could fail an MOT as a result of damage. 

After an accident, your insurance provider will assess any damage to your vehicle. If your car is categorised A (scrap only) or B (break for parts) your car is no longer fit for the road and your MOT certificate becomes invalid.

It’s unclear whether an S (structurally damaged but repairable) or N (Not structurally damaged, repairable) car’s MOT would still be valid. It’s best to ask your insurer on a case-by-case basis.

Find out more about insurance write-off categories and what they mean.

You can check the MOT history of a vehicle for previous damage by entering its number plate on the Government’s online tool.

Need a quick repair before your MOT test? Try a mobile mechanic that will come out to your home or work and do the fix at a place that suits you.

The DVLA use a point system to decide if modifications to your car mean your vehicle needs a new registration number. There’s no need to apply for a new MOT if your car keeps the registration, but a new number plate will need a new certificate to match.

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You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a car without a valid MOT.

If you drive a vehicle deemed ‘dangerous’ by an MOT test, you can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and receive 3 penalty points.

After an MOT test, your garage will update passes and fails to the DVSA’s database. This information can be accessed by anybody with your number plate and could lead to prosecution.

Systems on board police cars and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras can also flag cars without a valid certificate.

You can contact your local police about a vehicle being used on a road without an MOT.

You’ll need the vehicle’s:

• number plate
• make and model
• colour
• location

The police will investigate and could charge the driver with a £1000 fine.

If you wish to receive free text message or email reminders a month before your MOT is due for renewal, you can subscribe to the Department for Transport’s free service.

You’ll need:

• the vehicle’s number plate
• a mobile phone number or email address

You can also check the MOT status of a vehicle at any time by entering its number plate on the Government’s online tool.

You can keep on track with your car's maintenance by getting a service or MOT plan to spread the cost over two years.

Give yourself the best chance of passing by following our MOT checklist.