Can You Drive Without an MOT?
Driving without an MOT certificate is dangerous, illegal and unsafe. You should never drive your car without an MOT as you can invalidate your insurance and risk the lives of yourself, your passengers and others on the road. Here’s why you should never drive without a valid MOT and the consequences.
Many people are confused or unaware of the rules and laws when it comes to MOTs. For example, 53% of drivers in our Roadworthiness Poll* said they didn't know their car’s MOT date.
If you’re unsure of when your MOT due date is, you can use our helpful MOT checker.
The MOT rules have changed in recent years, so here’s what you need to know:
- A new MOT certificate is valid for a year. But the earliest you can get a new MOT is up to a month – minus a day – before its expiry date. So, if your MOT is due to expire on 20 March, you can book it in for a test from 21st February, but you’ll keep the same renewal date.
- If your MOT has expired, you can only drive it directly to a garage for an MOT retest or a repair. If you're stopped on the way by police, you must be able to prove that you have an appointment booked at a garage.
- If your car has failed its MOT, you can only continue to drive it if the previous year's MOT is still valid. This could happen if you take your car in for a test a few weeks early, for example. You can still drive it away from the testing centre or garage if no dangerous problems were identified during the MOT. If there are serious issues with your MOT, you’ll need to have all repairs completed before you can drive the car away.
- You shouldn’t need to pay for a retest if the work has been completed by the same garage and the test is done within 10 working days of the original test.
- If you’re caught driving without a valid MOT you could face a fine of up to £1,000 and your vehicle may be impounded.
You can learn more about the MOT rules here.
*Based on Halfords Autocentres YouGov survey carried out in October 2017 from a sample size of over 2,000 adults.
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Introducing the Halfords Motoring Club
Did you know that with the Halfords Motoring Club, you can get money off your MOT? Join the Halfords Motoring Club today to access a range of amazing benefits and discounts that are designed to keep you moving, keep you safe and keep you saving.
It’s free to join and you’ll receive money off your MOT, a free car health check and a welcome voucher that can be spent on any Halfords product or service.
Or choose our Premium membership for a small monthly fee (or a one-off payment) to unlock exclusive member pricing on all motoring products and services online and across our stores, garages and Halfords Mobile Experts, as well as a variety of other benefits that will help you to keep moving for less.
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Join the Halfords Motoring Club today at www.halfords.com/motoring-club.