Let’s be real, in most cases, having a valid MOT test is a must if you want to drive your car legally in the UK. That is unless your car is less than three years old. But, we get it — life gets hectic and it can be all too easy to forget when that MOT test is due or when you last had one.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way for you to check on the status of your MOT and make sure your ride stays on the right side of the law. Let’s get into it!
How do I check my MOT status
The first step in making sure you don’t get nabbed by the police for unwittingly driving with an expired MOT is actually quite simple — all you need to do is to have your vehicle’s registration number to hand. Once you have that information, checking the status of your vehicle’s MOT test is as easy as typing your reg into the Vehicle Enquiry website.
The site will tell you whether or not your vehicle has a valid certificate and when it runs out. Bonus points: it also tells you when your road tax is due on the same page. Pretty nifty, huh?
If you’re a bit of a scatterbrain and you’re worried about remembering your last test date, you can also set a free MOT reminder here. You’ll get a text or email a month before your MOT’s due, so you can arrange to get your car tested in time.
How do I check my MOT history?
If you want to go even further and check out your vehicle’s past history, then again, all you need is the registration number. This will give you access to information about previous tests, including any advisories from those tests that are still valid.
That way you can see if there may be any issues with your vehicle before jumping into it for a drive. Plus, you can fix any serious issues before your next MOT if needed.
You can check your MOT history here. And if you want to go even further, and find out exactly where your car was tested previously, you could do that too. But you’ll need the 11-digit number from your V5C log book to do that.
Why your car must have a valid MOT
A valid MOT certificate keeps you safe and legal on the roads. The annual test checks that your car meets road safety and environmental standards so that your car is ready for whatever life throws at it (or rather what roads throw at it).
Plus, if somehow these checks don’t happen during their designated time frame then legally driving or parking a car on public roads isn’t allowed anymore. If you get caught, you could receive a substantial fine. And who needs that right now?
It’s not great from an insurance perspective either. You’ll struggle to get insurance in the UK without an MOT as many insurers require it. Also, even if you have an existing car insurance policy, you might not get a payout when you make a claim if you don’t have an MOT. If you do get a payout, it might be lower than what you expected.
Basically, it’s a no-no from an insurance perspective.
Can you take out Zixty’s temporary car insurance policy without an MOT?
If you want to insure your car without a valid MOT, you’ll struggle in general.
You can take out temporary car insurance with Zixty in order to drive your vehicle to a pre-booked MOT, otherwise, your cover would not be valid.
So if you want to make sure that you’re staying safe, responsible AND legal behind the wheel, set that MOT reminder and make sure you get your car tested in time.
