Once your vehicle is three years old, it will need an MOT test and will then need to be tested each year to ensure that it complies with at least the minimum road safety and environmental standards (there are different rules if you use it as a taxi).
About the MOT
When your vehicle is tested, the MOT looks at some important items to see if it meets the legal requirements. You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a guarantee of the general mechanical condition of a vehicle. Your vehicle should still be regularly serviced.
When does the 3 years start?
If your vehicle is registered with no prior use on the road (from new), the MOT will be required three years after the date of registration. For example, a vehicle registered from new on 1 April 2005 will require its MOT no later than 1 April 2008.
If your vehicle is used prior to registration, as would be the case with an import, the MOT will be required three years from the end of the year of manufacture. For example a vehicle manufactured at any time in 2005 will require an MOT no later than 31st December 2008. There is no grace period given after these dates.
Can I have my MOT Test before it is due?
If your vehicle is tested within the calendar month prior to when the MOT is due, the test certificate will run from the date of the test to one year after the expiry date of the current certificate. For example, if the current certificate was due to expire on 1st April 2008, and your vehicle was tested on or after 2nd March 2008, the certificate would run from the test date until 1st April 2009.
The same rule would also apply if your vehicle is tested within a calendar month of its first MOT. In this case, you would need to present the registration document.
If your vehicle is tested earlier than one month before it's due date, the MOT will only run for twelve months from the test date.
It is therefore best to have your MOT Test carried out in the calendar month before the due date - which will give you a full year from the due date.
