Maximum MOT fees by vehicle
DVSA sets the most a test centre can charge. The car fee has stayed at £54.85 since 2010. There have been calls to raise it, but no increase has been made.
| Vehicle | MOT class | Maximum fee |
|---|---|---|
| Cars, taxis and vans up to 3,000kg | 4 | £54.85 |
| Motorcycles over 200cc | 2 | £29.65 |
| Motorcycles up to 200cc | 1 | £29.65 |
| Motorcycles with sidecar | 2 | £37.80 |
| Three-wheeled vehicles up to 450kg | 3 | £37.80 |
| Private passenger vehicles with 9 to 12 seats | 4 | £57.30 |
| Goods vehicles 3,000 to 3,500kg | 7 | £58.60 |
Maximum fees set by DVSA. A test centre can charge less but not more.
What garages actually charge
Because the fee is a maximum, MOT prices vary. Independent garages and chains often advertise car MOTs for £30 to £45 to win servicing work. Council-run test centres, which only test and do not repair, usually charge the full fee, but they have no reason to find extra work.
A cheap MOT is fine, but compare the cost of any repairs too. Ask for a written quote before agreeing to work, and remember you can take a failed car to a different garage for repairs.
When an MOT retest is free
If your car fails, the retest rules depend on where the car is repaired and how quickly it comes back.
- Free: the car stays at the test centre for repairs and is retested within 10 working days.
- Free: you take the car away and bring it back by the end of the next working day for a retest on certain items only, such as lamps, mirrors, wipers, seat belts, number plates and doors.
- Partial fee (up to half the MOT fee): you take the car away for repairs and bring it back within 10 working days.
- Full fee: you bring it back after 10 working days. It is treated as a new test.
How to pay less for your MOT
- Do the simple checks first. Bulbs, wipers, washer fluid, tyre tread and warning lights cause a large share of failures and cost little to fix at home. Our MOT checklist lists them.
- Book early. You can test up to a month minus a day before the expiry date and keep your renewal date, which gives time to shop around. The MOT reminder works the date out.
- Combine with a service if you need one anyway. Many garages discount the MOT when you book both.
- Check past advisories. Problems flagged last year often become this year's failures. Look up the car's MOT history on GOV.UK and deal with them first.
How long an MOT takes
The test itself usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. Many garages ask you to leave the car for longer so they can fit it into the day, and to allow time for any repairs.
Sources
Checked against official sources on 15 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything important on GOV.UK. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.