MOT retests in Great Britain and the official UK safety-recall check
Last reviewed · OBDCode UK editorial
For vehicles tested in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), where the vehicle is repaired, when it returns and which items failed decide whether the DVSA MOT route is a free partial retest, a chargeable partial retest or a new full test. Northern Ireland uses separate DVA deadlines: apply for a retest within 21 days of the original test and complete it within 60 days. The official safety-recall lookup is a separate shared UK service.
Jurisdiction: The MOT retest and post-failure roadworthiness rules on this page are Great Britain only: England, Scotland and Wales, under the GOV.UK and DVSA process. Northern Ireland uses a separate DVA process: apply for a retest within 21 days of the original test and complete the retest within 60 days. The safety-recall lookup is a separate UK-wide GOV.UK service.
This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Northern Ireland: stop and use the separate DVA retest route
If the vehicle was tested in Northern Ireland, do not use the Great Britain next-working-day, 10-working-day or free partial-retest conditions below; Northern Ireland has a separate DVA retest process. Sources: [1] [4] [5]
In Northern Ireland, an application for a retest must be made within 21 days of the original test, and the retest must be completed within 60 days of the original test. Sources: [4]
In Northern Ireland, nidirect describes a retest booked inside 21 days as being at a reduced fee, not as the Great Britain free partial-retest model. Sources: [5] [1]
An application for a re-test must be made within 21 days of the original test. After 21 days a full test fee will be needed. Re-tests must be completed within 60 days of the original test.
Great Britain: vehicle left at the test centre
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, if it is left at the test centre for repair and is retested there within 10 working days, GOV.UK says only a partial retest is needed and there is no fee. Sources: [1]
For this Great Britain no-fee route, the vehicle must remain at the vehicle testing station (VTS) where the full examination took place and must not leave at any time before the partial re-examination; the VTS must not change ownership during the retest qualification period. The ownership condition is about the test station, not the vehicle. Sources: [2]
You only need a partial retest if you leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days. There’s no fee for this.
Great Britain: vehicle taken away and returned by the next working day
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, a free partial retest applies only when the vehicle returns to the same test centre before the end of the next working day and the retest is for one or more items on GOV.UK’s specified list. Sources: [1]
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, the official list includes items such as the battery, horn, mirrors, registration plates, tyres, windscreen glass, wipers and washers; check the live GOV.UK page for the complete list and exclusions. Sources: [1]
For this Great Britain free next-working-day route, the vehicle testing station (VTS) must not change ownership during the retest qualification period; this condition is about ownership of the test station, not ownership of the vehicle. If the VTS changes ownership, this route does not apply and a full test must be carried out, for which a full fee may be charged. Sources: [2]
You will not have to pay again if you take it back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day for a partial retest on one or more of these items:
Great Britain: vehicle taken away and returned within 10 working days
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, if it is taken away for repair and returned to the same test centre within 10 working days, GOV.UK says only a partial retest is needed and a partial-retest fee can be charged. Sources: [1]
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, in all other cases GOV.UK says a full retest and the full MOT test fee are required again. Sources: [1]
For this Great Britain 10-working-day partial-retest route, the vehicle must return to the same vehicle testing station (VTS) and that VTS must not change ownership during the retest qualification period; this condition is about ownership of the test station, not ownership of the vehicle. Sources: [2]
Across the three Great Britain routes above, GOV.UK says only one partial re-examination is permitted per full examination; the next-working-day and 10-working-day qualification periods do not permit repeated partial re-examinations, whether free or chargeable, for the same full examination. Sources: [2]
You’ll only need a partial retest if you take the vehicle from the test centre for repairs and take it back within 10 working days. You can be charged a partial retest fee for this.
In all other cases, you’ll need to get a full retest and pay the full MOT test fee again.
Great Britain: a valid MOT is not permission to drive an unsafe vehicle
For a vehicle tested in Great Britain, GOV.UK says a vehicle taken away after failure must still meet minimum roadworthiness standards at all times, even when its existing MOT has not yet expired. Sources: [1]
What to do
- For a Great Britain test, check that the vehicle meets GOV.UK’s minimum roadworthiness standards before driving it away; if it does not, do not drive it.
- For a Great Britain test, ask the original test centre to confirm the return deadline and likely retest fee in writing.
Shared UK service: use the official safety-recall lookup
The GOV.UK safety-recall lookup is a separate UK-wide service for Great Britain and Northern Ireland; it is not part of either nation's MOT retest rules. Sources: [3] [6]
Across the UK, the GOV.UK service accepts a car registration number and can show safety recalls that have not been checked or fixed, alongside MOT history. Sources: [3]
Across the UK, if the registration number is not known, GOV.UK also provides a route using the manufacturer, model and year of manufacture. Sources: [3]
Across the UK, GOV.UK says that if a vehicle has a serious safety defect, the manufacturer will write with instructions and the vehicle must not be driven. Sources: [3] [6]
OBDCode UK does not ask for or transmit the registration number. Enter it only after you have opened the official GOV.UK service.
Check a vehicle, part or accessory for a safety recall (UK-wide GOV.UK service)
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources
- [1] GOV.UK — Getting an MOT: Retest after a repair · grade A · accessed · supports partial retest, time limits, fee conditions, roadworthiness
- [2] GOV.UK — MOT testing guide for test stations: L. Accounts and fees · grade A · accessed · supports vts ownership condition, vehicle remains at vts, one partial reexamination per full examination, retest qualification period
- [3] GOV.UK — Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled · grade A · accessed · supports recall route, lookup inputs, outstanding safety recalls, serious safety defect
- [4] nidirect — After the MOT/ vehicle test · grade A · accessed · supports notification of refusal, retest 21 days, retest 60 days, roadworthiness, appeal at centre, appeal 14 days, appeal five working days, complaint first step
- [5] nidirect — Vehicle test procedures · grade A · accessed · supports reduced fee retest, retest 21 days, retest 60 days, record sheet
- [6] nidirect — If a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled · grade A · accessed · supports recall guidance ni, manufacturer contacts keeper, no charge for repair, serious safety defect
General guidance, not professional advice.