Do I have to pay again if my car fails its MOT?
Not always. If you leave the car at the test centre for repair and it is retested within 10 working days, the partial retest is free. If you take it away and bring it back within 10 working days, a partial retest fee can be charged. Otherwise you need a full retest and pay the full fee again.
Last reviewed . The official sources it draws on, and the date each was read, are listed at the foot of the page.
Leave the car at the test centre
If the car stays at the centre for repair and is retested within 10 working days, a partial retest is needed and GOV.UK says there is no fee for it.
Take the car away and bring it back the next working day
If you take the car back to the same test centre before the end of the next working day, you do not pay again for a partial retest on a list of items set out by GOV.UK. They include:
- lamps (not the headlamp aim), wheels and tyres, and the windscreen, wipers and washers;
- seatbelts (but not their anchorages), seats, doors, mirrors, the horn and the steering wheel;
- the bonnet, boot lid, fuel filler cap, registration plates and vehicle identification number;
- the battery, electrical wiring and the tyre pressure monitoring system.
Take the car away and bring it back within 10 working days
If you take the car away for repairs and bring it back within 10 working days, you need a partial retest rather than a full one, but you can be charged a partial retest fee.
Anything slower is a full retest
In every other case you need a full retest and must pay the full MOT fee again. The most a centre can charge for a car is £54.85, and a centre can charge less.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the DVA runs the test at its own centres and lists a separate retest fee. For a car it is £29.50, against £38.00 for a full test. nidirect has the DVA’s own rules on when a retest is needed.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Getting an MOTRead on 1 October 2026. The retest rules: free partial retest if left at the centre, the next-working-day list, the 10-working-day partial retest fee, and the £54.85 maximum.
- nidirect: Vehicle test feesRead on 1 October 2026. Northern Ireland: Class IV car full test £38.00 and retest £29.50.
Related
More answers
- How do I check an MOT in Northern Ireland?
- How do I prepare my car for its MOT?
- What MOT class is my car?
- How long does an MOT last, and how often do I need one?
- How do I find out when my MOT is due?
- What is a V5C log book, and what does it show?
- Do I need insurance to test drive a car?
- How do I register a used car in my name?
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