RULES OF THE ROAD
Is it illegal to drive my car to the garage after my MOT has run out?
Find out how much you could be fined for not having an up-to-date MOT
DRIVING in the UK requires a valid test certificate proving your car is roadworthy.
Known as an MOT, your vehicle needs to have the examination done regularly or you run the risk of being fined — here's everything you need to know.
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Is it illegal to drive without an MOT?
It's illegal to drive on the roads in the UK without a valid MOT certificate.
You must get an MOT by either the third anniversary of its registration or, if it's over three years old, every year on the anniversary of the vehicle's original MOT.
You can check your MOT expiry date on gov.uk.
MOTs can be carried out up to one month — minus a day — before the existing MOT expires with your renewal date staying the same, Halfords says.
You can get an MOT earlier, but your renewal date will then be earlier next year.
Of course, if your car isn't safe to drive it's important to book an MOT as soon as possible.
If you drive an unsafe vehicle, you can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get three penalty points.
You can't drive your car without an MOT or park it on the road without one either.
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If you do drive without one you can be fined up to £1,000.
The only exception is if you're driving it to a garage or MOT test centre.
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What if I drive my car to the garage after my MOT runs out?
This is an exception to the rules.
You can drive your car to an MOT test at a garage or MOT test centre — but it must be arranged beforehand.
You can't drive to a garage and turn up hoping to book one then and there.
You can also drive to a garage or similar place to get repairs done to your car.
Some garages will come and collect the car for you so you won't have to drive without a valid MOT.
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What is an MOT?
An MOT is a test to make sure your vehicles, including motorbikes, meet legal safety standards.
Drivers should try to organise an MOT test with a qualified mechanic BEFORE their certificate expires.
How much your MOT costs will change depending on the type and size of vehicle you drive.
But fees for cars are capped at £54.85, and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle.
The MOT tester will carry out a series of tests and check that the lights, steering, suspension, windscreen, horn, seat belts, tyres and brakes - among other things - are all in proper working condition.
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- What do dashboard warning lights mean?
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The mechanics will also check your car's fuel system and emissions.
Your MOT will not test the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.
If your car fails its MOT, you will be given an MOT test refusal certificate.
If your original certificate has already expired, you will no longer be able to drive your car, unless you are taking it to a garage to have the failed defects fixed.
However, if you receive an MOT test refusal certificate before it expires you can still drive your car.
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You still have to get the defects fixed before returning it to the garage for a retest.
You can be fined up to £2,500, banned from driving and get three penalty points for driving a car deemed to be in a dangerous condition.