New MOT reminder service launches in beta

Published: 13 November 2017
By Chris Haycock

The GOV.UK service, developed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), makes it easy to get a reminder every year when your vehicle’s MOT is due.

When you sign up, you’ll get a reminder:

• 4 weeks before your MOT is due
• 2 weeks before your MOT is due, if you still haven’t had it tested

You’ll also get alerts that your vehicle no longer has an MOT.

You just need the vehicle’s number plate (registration number) and a mobile phone number or email address.

You’ll get a reminder every year until you unsubscribe.

Sign up for MOT reminders

The service is in ‘beta’ stage, which means it’s still being continually tested and improved by DVSA.

Research by DVSA has revealed that around 28% of cars will be overdue at any one time. Most of these are down to drivers forgetting to get it done, rather than deliberately avoiding having the test done.

If you drive a vehicle without a valid MOT, you’re breaking the law. The only exceptions are to drive it:

• to or from somewhere to be repaired
• to a pre-arranged MOT test

You’re also risking your own life and the lives of your passengers and other road users.

You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.

The 2016 reported road casualties report for Great Britain showed that roadworthiness of vehicles was a factor in 1,687 accidents.

Transport Minister, Baroness Sugg, said:

We have some of the safest roads in the world, but we are always looking at ways to make them even safer.

Booking your next MOT is easy to overlook but it plays an important role in making sure the vehicles on our roads are safe and meeting high environmental standards.

DVSA Chief Executive, Gareth Llewellyn, said:

DVSA’s priority is to help you keep your vehicle safe to drive.

The annual MOT checks that important parts of your vehicle meet the legal standards at the time of the test.

Make sure that:

• brakes work smoothly and that the vehicle doesn’t pull to one side
• tyres are correctly inflated, have no cuts or bulges, and that they all have at least 1.6mm of tread
• headlights and other lights work - give them a tap to check they’re not loose or damaged and check the colours are correct and match
• windscreen wipers and washers work
• the driver’s view of the road is clear of any obstruction, such as stickers, toys or air fresheners

The MOT reminder service uses GOV.UK Notify, which is a platform to make it easier to keep people updated, and help government service teams send text messages, emails or letters to users.

The government is creating a set of shared components, service designs, platforms, data and hosting, that every government service can use.

This frees up teams to spend their time designing user-centric services rather than starting from scratch, so services become easier to create and cheaper to run.