Compare MOT prices from local garages in seconds. The legal maximum is £54.85 — but many garages charge a lot less, and the test is identical wherever you go.
Enter your reg to see what garages near you charge — many beat the £54.85 legal maximum. Free, no signup.
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£54.85
Legal max (Class 4)
from ~£30
Typical local price
£0
Free retest if fixed in 10 days
The MOT fee is capped, not fixed. The DVSA sets a maximum of £54.85 for a Class 4 vehicle (most cars and small vans), and garages are free to charge anything up to that. In practice, plenty charge well below it — independents are often £30–£45, and some test centres run promotional MOTs as low as £20–£25.
Other classes are capped differently: motorcycles at £29.65, and larger vans (Class 7) at £58.60. For the full breakdown, see our guide to how much an MOT costs.
The single biggest saving comes from comparing, not from any one trick — prices for the exact same test vary by £30+ between garages a mile apart. Beyond that:
Enter your reg above to compare what garages near you are actually charging right now.
The legal maximum for an MOT test is £54.85 — but many garages charge less. Compare prices in seconds.
Free comparison · No booking fee · Prices from local garages
Free Plate Check may earn a small commission from this link.
Almost always — with one thing to watch. The test is identical wherever you go, so a cheap MOT is a genuine saving, not a corner cut. A garage cannot legally do a “lighter” test for less money.
The catch is what happens after a fail. A £20 MOT is no bargain if the garage's repair labour rate is high and they find work to do. So compare two things, not one:
The headline price — cap is £54.85, often much less.
What you'll pay per hour if it fails — varies far more than the test.
‘Free’ MOTs are often tied to a paid service — check the total.
If your car fails, you may not need to pay for a second full test. Leave it at the test centre for repair and the retest is free. Take it away and bring it back within 10 working days, and many failure items qualify for a free or reduced-fee partial retest.
Always ask the garage to confirm the retest terms before you collect the car — it can save the whole test fee again. More on what to do in our guide to what to do if your car fails its MOT.
What you'll pay varies by region — London and the South East run near the £54.85 cap, while the North, Wales and Scotland sit well below. See typical MOT prices for your town, or jump straight to a few popular areas:
Before paying for a test, it's worth a 10-second check of the vehicle's record. Our free MOT history check shows past advisories so you know what a tester is likely to flag, and tax status confirms the car is legal to drive to the test in the first place.
Not sure when yours is due? Set a free MOT reminder and we'll email you 28 and 7 days before it expires.
The legal maximum for an MOT test is £54.85 — but many garages charge less. Compare prices in seconds.
Free comparison · No booking fee · Prices from local garages
Free Plate Check may earn a small commission from this link.
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