The MOT certificate
The MOT certificate confirms that your vehicle at the time of its test met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards needed by law. It doesn’t mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate and isn’t a substitute for regular maintenance.
Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs) – private cars only
From 1 June 2025 some vehicles will receive a Temporary Exemption Certificate (TEC), extending the validity of their MOT.
Further information can be found on the Guide to booking your MOT vehicle test page.
The need for an MOT certificate
It's generally an offence to use a vehicle of test age that doesn’t have a current test certificate on a public road except when:
- taking it to a test centre for a test booked earlier
- bringing it away from a test centre after it has failed the test, to a place of repair
- taking it to or bringing it away from a place where, by earlier arrangement, repairs are to be made or have been made to fix the faults that caused the vehicle to fail its test
Even in the above circumstances you may still be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle if it doesn’t meet various regulations affecting its construction and use. The insurance may also not be valid.
Vehicle test certificate
An A4 size, plain paper, vehicle test certificate will be issued following the inspection of your vehicle.
Any defects that are not serious enough to result in a test failure will be shown on a vehicle test certificate. It's important that these defects are repaired as soon as possible.
An example of the vehicle test certificate is available below:
How this affects you
To drive or keep a vehicle on the road you still need to have a valid vehicle test certificate if your vehicle needs one and you will still get a renewal reminder when your annual test is due.
When buying a vehicle
When you buy a vehicle, make sure the last keeper passes on the vehicle test certificate, or you may need to apply for a duplicate at the cost of £10.00. You can only request a duplicate certificate for a valid MOT. Expired certificates are not available.
A test certificate relates only to the condition of testable items at the time of the test and should not be regarded as:
- evidence of its condition at any other time
- evidence of the general mechanical condition of the vehicle
- evidence that the vehicle fully complies with all aspects of the law on vehicle construction and use
Checking the authenticity of an MOT certificate
If you have reason to believe the certificate you have been issued isn’t genuine, call the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) testing enquiries team using the phone number at the link below.
Replacing lost or damaged MOT certificates
If you have lost or damaged your MOT certificate, you can apply to get a new one online at the link below.
You will need your vehicle registration and last four digits of the chassis number/ vehicle identification number (VIN).
The cost of a replacement MOT certificate is £10.00. The certificate will be an exact copy of the certificate that was issued on the day of the test.
If your vehicle has a TEC (Temporary Exemption Certificate) applied, you cannot apply for a duplicate certificate, as the expiry date has been extended.