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MOT retest rules: when it's free, partial or full price
Fix a failed MOT within a day or two and the retest is often free; wait too long and you pay for a full test again. The three retest types explained.
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An MOT fail is annoying, but it isn't always expensive. If the faults are quick to fix and you act fast, you may not pay for the retest at all. Get the timing wrong, though, and you'll pay the full test fee a second time.
With 29% of cars failing their first attempt in DVSA's 2023 data, the retest rules are worth knowing. There are three types, and the cheapest is usually the quickest.
The three types of MOT retest
| Retest type | When it applies | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Free partial retest | You leave the car at the test centre for repair, and it's retested within 10 working days | Nothing |
| Free next-day retest | You take the car away and return it to the same centre by the end of the next working day, for listed items only | Nothing |
| Paid partial retest | You take the car away and return it to the same centre within 10 working days | A partial retest fee, set by the centre and lower than a full test |
| Full retest | More than 10 working days have passed, or you go to a different centre | The full MOT fee again |
The maximum fee for a full car MOT is currently £54.85. The test centre sets its own retest fee, so ask when you book the repair.
Check the latest rules
Free retest when the car stays at the centre
The simplest route is to let the test centre do the repairs. If the vehicle stays with them and is retested within 10 working days, there's no charge for the retest. You'll still pay for the repair work itself.
This suits most people whose car has failed on brakes, suspension or other jobs that take more than a few minutes. It also means you don't have to drive a car with a failed test.
Free retest by the end of the next working day
You can take the car away to fix it yourself or use another garage, and still get a free retest. Bring it back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day, and the retest is free if the fail was only for items on DVSA's list. These are mostly quick, visible jobs, including:
- lamps and bulbs (but not headlamp aim)
- wipers, washers and windscreen glass
- mirrors and registration plates
- the horn and the battery
- seats and seatbelts (but not their anchorages)
- doors, the bonnet, the bootlid and the fuel filler cap
- wheels and tyres
- the tyre pressure monitoring system
- the vehicle identification number (VIN)
- towbars and trailer electrical sockets
If the fail included something that isn't on the list, such as brake performance or corrosion, the free next-day option doesn't apply. You'll pay a partial retest fee instead.
Check what your car failed on
Official DVSA MOT records: MOT status, the latest test and its advisories. No sign-up.
Paid partial retest within 10 working days
If you take the vehicle away and bring it back to the same centre within 10 working days, the tester only needs to recheck the failed items. The centre can charge a partial retest fee for this, which is usually lower than a full test.
Count working days carefully. Weekends and bank holidays don't count, but day 11 is too late, and you'll pay for a full test.
When you need a full retest
You'll need a full new MOT, at the full fee, if:
- more than 10 working days have passed since the original test
- you take the vehicle to a different test centre
- the centre can't carry out a partial retest for another reason
A full test checks everything again, so new faults can be found, including ones that weren't there or weren't visible first time.
Can you drive the car before the retest?
This depends on two things: whether your old certificate is still valid and how serious the faults were.
- Old MOT still valid, no dangerous defects: you can drive the car, though you should get the failed items fixed as soon as possible.
- Any dangerous defect: don't drive it. Doing so can lead to a fine of up to £2,500 and 3 penalty points.
- Old MOT already expired: you can only drive to a pre-booked repair or test.
Our guide to MOT defect categories explains the difference between dangerous, major and minor faults.
How to avoid paying twice
- Test early. You can take the MOT up to a month (minus a day) before the expiry date and keep the same renewal date. A fail then leaves time to fix it. See how early you can MOT a car.
- Do the quick checks first. Bulbs, wipers, washer fluid and tyres are some of the most common fail items, and you can check them yourself. Use our pre-MOT checklist.
- Ask about the retest policy when you book. Some centres include a free retest within a set period even when you take the car away.
- Read the fail sheet carefully. It lists every defect and its category. Make sure the repair covers each one.
- Look at last year's advisories. An advisory often becomes a fail a year later. Our MOT advisory check shows what was flagged before.
What happens to your MOT history
Both the fail and the retest are recorded in the public MOT history. Anyone checking the car later will see the original fail, the defects listed and the pass that followed. A fail fixed quickly is nothing to worry about for a future buyer. A pattern of the same item failing every year is more of a warning sign, as our guide to reading MOT history before buying explains.
The cheapest retest is the quickest one
The cheapest retest is the one you arrange straight away. Leave the car with the centre for repairs, or bring it back the next working day for a simple fix, and the retest is usually free. Let 10 working days pass, or go elsewhere, and you'll pay for a full test again.
Ready to check a vehicle?
Official DVSA MOT records: MOT status, the latest test and its advisories. No sign-up.