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EVERY year car owners have to book in for an annual MOT test.

The Ministry of Transport test checks that vehicles meet legal road safety and environmental standards.

Drivers who break the MOT laws can face serious penalties
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Drivers who break the MOT laws can face serious penaltiesCredit: Getty Images

Is it illegal to drive with an MOT?

You can drive a car without an MOT to a garage, provided your certificate does not show a dangerous defect.

Aside from a test centre, it is illegal to drive your car elsewhere.

The MOT testers at National Tyres and Autocare garages do not have the authority to stop you from driving away after a failure.

But if your car has a dangerous defect, it’s illegal to drive it and, if caught, there are several penalties likely to be levelled against you.

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If the police stop you and you don’t have a valid MOT, you can be given a £1,000 fine.

If the vehicle’s condition is dangerous, you can receive an unlimited fine if you’re driving a van or £2,500 if you’re driving a car.

That’s on top of three points on your licence, and if you were convicted of driving in a dangerous condition within the past three years, you can be disqualified from driving for at least six months.

, there are over 11,000 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras across the UK, which check over 50 million records every single day.

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These cameras and police out on the road can automatically see whether your car has a valid MOT.

If it doesn’t, you will be pulled over or otherwise visited by the police.

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Do I have to get an MOT test before the old one expires?

Many drivers put their car in for an MOT early to find out if any faults need repairing, in the belief they can still use the vehicle until the old test runs out despite any discovered issues.

But if their car fails it is immediately deemed to be no longer road legal.

This is regardless of how long the previous MOT’s validity has remaining.

Ca owners must have a valid MOT to drive their vehicle
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Ca owners must have a valid MOT to drive their vehicleCredit: Getty

How long does a MOT last?

MOT certificates expire every 12-13 months.

Therefore, if your car is older than three years old you will need to book a test annually.

You are able to renew your vehicle's MOT up to one month before your current certificate expires to allow flexibility for arranging the test on a date and time that is suitable for you.

Full MOT checklist

THIS is the one-stop checklist that will make sure you are prepared to pass your next MOT.

Tyres and wheels - Look out for damage to the sidewall of your tyres and make sure they’re sufficiently inflated. 

Use the 20p coin test to make sure your tyres have the right tread depth, which should be 1.6mm all the way around across the central three-quarters of the tread pattern.

The outer edge of a 20p coin will be completely obscured if the tread is deep enough.

Also, be careful space-saver spare tyres could catch you out in the test, so  with standard tyres of the right type and size that fit properly before the test.

Lights - Check all of the car’s lights are working properly and are the right colour to pass an MOT test.

Have someone walk around the car and make sure they don’t flicker when tapped which could mean they need tightening or replacing.

This includes headlamps, parking lights, reversing lights, indicators, registration plate bulbs and, on more recent vehicles, daytime running lights.

Wipers and windscreen - Replace wipers that smear because they are probably worn out and top up the washer bottle.

Check your headlight washers if you have any.

Make sure there are no chips or cracks longer than 1cm on your windscreen and remove any stickers that could obstruct your view.

Number plates - Registration plates legally have to be in good condition, tightly fastened to the car and easily read from 20 metres away, so checking these is a must if you want to pass your MOT test.

Doors - Fix any broken doors or ones that don’t stay properly closed.

Front doors need to be openable from inside and out for safety reasons.

General condition - Make sure the exterior of your car is up to scratch.

Any sharp edges or pieces of metal sticking out could cause a danger to other road users and will definitely fail the MOT test.

Inside a car - Your dashboard will pop up with flashing warning lights if anything needs to be fixed under the bonnet like power-steering or brake-fluid warnings.

Make sure you have a fully functioning speedometer or you will fail the MOT test

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