An MOT is booked and paid for directly with an approved MOT centre. The maximum fee for a car is £54.85 and for a motorcycle £29.65, with no VAT. Centres can charge less, and some will collect and return the vehicle.
Checked 23 October 2026 against the DVSA MOT inspection manual
- Book and pay: Directly with an approved centre
- Car maximum: £54.85
- Motorcycle maximum: £29.65
- VAT: None
Who is paid and how much
An MOT is arranged by contacting an MOT centre directly, and an approved MOT test centre must be used. Payment is made to the centre carrying out the test.
The maximum fee for a car with up to 8 passenger seats is £54.85. A motorcycle has a maximum of £29.65, or £37.80 with a sidecar. For 9 to 12 passenger seats the maximum is £57.30, and class 7 goods vehicles from 3,000kg to 3,500kg have a maximum of £58.60.
No VAT is paid on the MOT fee. These figures are maximum fees, so centres can charge less than the amounts listed. The price charged is set by the centre, and the maximum applies to the test itself.
Getting the car to the test
Some MOT centres offer a collection service, taking the vehicle for its test and returning it afterwards. This can suit owners who cannot easily drive the car to the centre themselves. It is separate from the MOT fee itself, which is capped by law.
Someone else can take the vehicle to the test centre if they are insured to drive it. This covers friends, family members or colleagues who hold the appropriate cover on the car. The driver does not need to be the registered keeper, but the insurance must be valid for the trip to and from the test. Driving without valid cover is an offence, so the arrangement needs checking before the journey. The MOT result is recorded against the vehicle, not the driver.
In Northern Ireland, the booking process is different and is run by the Driver and Vehicle Agency rather than the same system used in Great Britain. Owners there book through the Driver and Vehicle Agency, and the practical arrangements for getting the car to the test follow its procedures. The maximum test fee and the no VAT position apply as set out elsewhere in this guide.
Timing the booking
An MOT can be carried out up to a month minus a day before the current certificate runs out while keeping the same renewal date. Where a certificate expires on 15 May, the earliest test that preserves that date is 16 April. Booking within this window allows a vehicle to be presented early without altering the anniversary on which the next MOT falls due.
Testing earlier than that window changes the renewal date. A test on 14 April for a certificate expiring on 15 May, if passed, produces a new expiry date of 13 April the following year.
From 12 June 2026, MOT centres must display the updated MOT fees and appeals poster, VT9A. The poster sets out the maximum fees and the appeals process. Its display is a requirement on the centre, and the updated version replaces earlier posters from that date.
If the result is disputed
Where the result of an MOT is disputed, the appeal process requires payment before the DVSA recheck takes place. The maximum MOT fee for the vehicle in question must be paid at this stage. This payment is accepted by cash or cheque only, so other methods are not available for the appeal fee.
The amount payable is the maximum MOT fee that applies to the vehicle, not a separate or reduced appeal charge. It is paid before the DVSA carries out the recheck, meaning the payment is made in advance of the outcome being known. The fee is therefore a condition of proceeding with the appeal.
If the vehicle passes the DVSA recheck, the fee paid for the appeal is refunded. If the vehicle does not pass, no refund of that fee applies. The refund is therefore tied directly to the result of the recheck, with the fee returned only where the appeal succeeds.
Frequently asked questions
How is an MOT booked?
An MOT is booked by contacting an MOT centre directly, and an approved MOT test centre must be used. Northern Ireland has a different booking process run by the Driver and Vehicle Agency.
What are the maximum MOT fees?
Maximum fees are £54.85 for a car with up to 8 passenger seats, £29.65 for a motorcycle, £37.80 with a sidecar, £57.30 for 9 to 12 passenger seats and £58.60 for class 7 goods vehicles from 3,000kg to 3,500kg.
Is VAT charged on the MOT fee?
No VAT is paid on the MOT fee. These are maximum fees, so centres can charge less than the published amounts.
Can someone else take a vehicle for its MOT?
Someone else can take the vehicle to the test centre if they are insured to drive it. Some MOT centres will collect the vehicle for the MOT and then return it.
When can an MOT be done early and keep the renewal date?
An MOT can be done up to a month minus a day before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. If it runs out on 15 May, the earliest such test is 16 April.
