MOT checker for Northern Ireland

MOTs in Northern Ireland work differently from the rest of the UK. Tests are done at government test centres run by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), cars and motorcycles are first tested at four years old, and a new certificate always runs for 12 months from the test date. Enter a registration above to check the MOT status and history of any vehicle tested in Northern Ireland since 2017.

Northern Ireland vs Great Britain: the key differences

	Northern Ireland	Great Britain
Who carries out tests	DVA test centres (government-run)	Thousands of approved private garages
First test for cars and motorcycles	4 years old	3 years old
First test for light goods vehicles (vans)	3 years old	3 years old
Certificate length	12 months from the test date	12 months, and you can test up to a month (minus a day) early and keep the renewal date
Car test fee	£38.00 (retest £29.50)	Up to £54.85 (garages can charge less)
Online MOT history	From 2017	From 2005
Reminders	Letter by post about 7 weeks before	Free text or email from GOV.UK, 1 month before
Historic vehicle exemption	Over 40 years old, no major changes in the last 30 years	Over 40 years old, not substantially changed

A test certificate issued anywhere in the UK is valid in Northern Ireland. But if you test in Northern Ireland, the new certificate runs for 12 months from the test date and any time left on an older certificate is not carried over.

How to check an MOT in Northern Ireland

1. Enter the registration in the box above. NI plates use the format of three letters followed by up to four numbers, for example ABZ 1234. Spaces do not matter.
2. Press Check NI MOT.
3. You will see the MOT status, expiry date, every test since 2017, mileage readings and any defects or advisories.

If a vehicle was tested in Great Britain before moving to Northern Ireland, its earlier GB tests (from 2005) also appear in the same history.

Northern Ireland MOT test fees

Vehicle class	Full test	Retest
Class I motor bicycle	£34.00	£29.50
Class II motor bicycle	£34.00	£29.50
Class III light motor vehicle	£38.00	£29.50
Class IV motor car and heavy motor car	£38.00	£29.50

Source: NI Direct MOT test fees. Fees are set by the DVA and are the same at every test centre.

Testing early in Northern Ireland: what you lose

Because an NI certificate runs for 12 months from the test date, testing early moves your renewal date forward. For example, if your MOT expires on 30 June and you test on 9 June, your new certificate expires on 8 June next year, so you lose three weeks. In Great Britain the same early test would keep the 30 June date.

Given NI waiting times, it is still usually better to book the earliest slot you can than to risk your MOT running out.

Which NI vehicles need a test, and when

Vehicle	First test	Fee
Private car	4 years old	£38.00
Motorcycle	4 years old	£34.00
Light goods vehicle (van)	3 years old	£38.00
Historic vehicle (over 40 years, no major changes in 30 years)	Exempt	None

Quad bikes are tested at five DVA centres: Coleraine, Craigavon, Mallusk, Newtownards and Omagh. HGV and trailer tests can be booked through the same NI Direct booking service.

How to book an MOT in Northern Ireland

• Online: through the NI Direct vehicle test booking service, which also covers HGV and trailer tests.
• By phone: through the DVA vehicle test booking line (not for multiple-vehicle bookings).
• Book early. Demand is high and you may not get a slot before your current MOT expires. If so, book the earliest available appointment and keep checking for earlier slots.
• Try another centre. Waiting times vary between test centres, so a centre further away may have an earlier date.
• Tax due soon? If you are within 10 days of your tax expiry and have no appointment, NI Direct has a short-notice request form.

Cancelling or changing an NI MOT appointment

You can cancel, change or view your appointment online. You must give the DVA at least one clear day's notice. Weekends, public holidays, the day the cancellation is received and the test day itself do not count. The last date you can cancel is printed on your appointment letter. If you miss the test or cancel too late, you lose the fee and must pay again for a new appointment.

Driving with an expired MOT in Northern Ireland

Because of long waiting times, special arrangements have applied in Northern Ireland:

• Temporary Exemption Certificates (TECs): some private cars with a valid NI MOT received an automatic 12-month exemption. These apply to private cars first registered between 1 June 2019 and 31 May 2020, or between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022. No paper or digital copy is issued.
• Police approach: the PSNI has said it will not penalise an expired MOT if the vehicle is roadworthy and safe, is not SORN, is insured, and you can show a booking notification or reminder. This applies in Northern Ireland only.
• Insurance: the Association of British Insurers has said a lapsed MOT would not necessarily invalidate a policy, but check with your insurer if you cannot get a test before the expiry date.

These arrangements can change, so check NI Direct for the current position before you rely on them.

What happens at an NI MOT test

The test checks the same broad areas as in Great Britain: brakes, steering, suspension, tyres and wheels, lights, visibility, seat belts, emissions, the body and structure, and the vehicle identification number. Defects are graded as dangerous, major or minor, and testers may also record advisories. A dangerous or major defect means a fail.

Read more in our guides to what is checked in an MOT and MOT advisories explained.

Before your NI test: quick checks

A failed test means waiting for a retest slot and paying £29.50, so it pays to check the simple things first:

1. Every light works, including brake lights, indicators and the number plate lamp.
2. Tyres have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters, with no cuts or bulges.
3. Wipers clear the screen and the washer bottle is full.
4. No dashboard warning lights stay on.
5. Seat belts latch and retract, and the horn works.
6. Last year's advisories have been fixed.

Check last year's advisories in seconds with the checker above, and read our guide to the most common MOT failures.

Buying a used car in Northern Ireland

• History starts in 2017. For an older NI car, tests before 2017 are not online, so ask for old paper certificates and service records.
• Cars imported from GB show their GB tests back to 2005 as well.
• Cars from the Republic of Ireland will have NCT records instead, which are not in the UK MOT database.
• Check the mileage chart and repeat advisories exactly as you would anywhere else. See our used car MOT checklist.

Vehicle tax in Northern Ireland

Vehicle tax is handled by the DVLA across the whole UK, including Northern Ireland. You need a valid MOT to tax a vehicle that requires one, and historic vehicles that are exempt from testing still need to be taxed every year. Check a vehicle's tax on GOV.UK, and see our tax and MOT guide.

Historic vehicles in Northern Ireland

A car, motorcycle or light goods vehicle (3,500 kg or less) is exempt from annual testing in Northern Ireland if it was first manufactured or registered more than 40 years ago and has not had major changes in the last 30 years. It must still be kept roadworthy. Exempt vehicles still need annual road tax, and owners declare the exemption using form V112 (V112G for goods vehicles).

Moving a vehicle between Northern Ireland and Great Britain

• A valid MOT certificate from either part of the UK is recognised in the other.
• A car first registered in Northern Ireland follows NI testing ages while it is kept there. If it moves to Great Britain, GB rules apply from then on.
• The MOT history follows the vehicle, so tests from both systems appear together.

Republic of Ireland vehicles

Vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland take the National Car Test (NCT), which is a separate system run by a different organisation. NCT results are not in the UK MOT database and cannot be checked here.

Getting an MOT reminder in Northern Ireland

The free GOV.UK text and email reminder service does not cover Northern Ireland. NI drivers get a reminder by post about seven weeks before the MOT is due. For a reminder that does not depend on the post, use our MOT reminder to add the expiry date to your phone calendar.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · Data: DVSA MOT history (Open Government Licence v3.0)