How long does an MOT take?
The MOT test itself usually takes 45 to 60 minutes. Your car may be at the garage a lot longer than that. Many garages ask you to drop it off for a few hours or the day so they can fit the test around other work, and if it fails and you want repairs and a retest done there and then, allow most of the day.
An MOT does not take long to test. How long your car is at the garage is a different question, and it is usually the one people are really asking. Below is what to expect for the test itself, why the garage may keep the car for hours, and how to get it turned around faster.
How long is the MOT test itself?
Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the test. That is the usual figure across the trade for a Class 4 car, which covers most cars and small vans.
It is worth knowing that there is no legally set length for an MOT. DVSA specifies what has to be checked and how, not how many minutes it must take, so a tidy car with nothing wrong can go through faster than a tired one that needs a second look at the brakes or the suspension. DVSA does monitor how long tests take at each centre, because a test finished in a handful of minutes is a sign the job has not been done properly.
What the tester is working through
In that hour the tester covers lights and signalling, steering and suspension, brakes, tyres and wheels, seatbelts, the body and structure, the exhaust and emissions, the windscreen and wipers, and the registration plates. Our guide to what is checked in an MOT test goes through the list in order, and the official summary is on GOV.UK.
Why the garage may keep your car for hours
This is the gap that catches people out. The test is an hour, but the booking is often half a day.
Most garages run one or two ramps and fit MOTs around servicing and repair work that is already booked in. Your car sits until a ramp and a tester are free at the same time. That is normal, and it is why so many garages ask you to drop the car off in the morning and collect it later rather than quoting you a precise time.
It also works in your favour if something fails, because the car is already there and the garage can quote you and get on with it instead of booking you back in.
How long does an MOT take if the car fails?
A fail is what turns a one hour job into a day, or occasionally a week. The time depends almost entirely on parts.
- Same day: bulbs, wiper blades, screen wash, number plate, a tyre the garage has in stock.
- Same day or next day: brake pads and discs, exhaust sections, most common tyres, a battery.
- Several days: suspension components, catalytic converters, anything model specific that has to come from a supplier.
The faults that hold cars up are fairly predictable, and most of them are avoidable. See why cars fail their MOT for the common ones.
How long the retest adds
A retest only rechecks what failed, so it is far quicker than a full test. The timing also decides whether you pay for it. These are the rules as set out by DVSA on GOV.UK:
| What you do | Retest | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Leave the car at the test centre and they repair it, retested within 10 working days | Partial | No fee |
| Take the car away and bring it back before the end of the next working day, for one of the listed items such as lamps, mirrors, seatbelts, wheels and tyres or the windscreen | Partial | No fee |
| Take the car away for repairs and bring it back within 10 working days | Partial | A partial retest fee can be charged |
| Anything else, including going back after 10 working days | Full test | The full MOT fee again |
The practical point is that leaving the car with the garage is both the fastest route and the one that avoids a second fee. Our guide on what a partial MOT retest is covers the detail.
How long does an MOT and service take together?
Allow most of the day. An interim service adds roughly an hour to ninety minutes on top of the test, and a full service can add two to three hours, so a combined booking is almost always a drop off rather than a wait.
Booking them together is usually the better call anyway. The garage can put right anything the service turns up before the test rather than after, which saves you a fail, a repair and a retest. If you are not sure which you need, our guide on the difference between an MOT and a service sets the two apart.
Can you wait while your car has its MOT?
Sometimes. Plenty of MOT centres, especially dedicated test stations rather than general repair garages, run while-you-wait slots and have somewhere to sit. Busier general garages usually prefer a drop off.
The thing to do is simply ask when you book, and ask for a specific slot rather than a morning. If a garage cannot commit to a time, that is a sign it will be a drop off in practice whatever is said on the phone.
What makes an MOT take longer
- Saturdays and month end. These are the busiest MOT slots of the lot, because so many tests fall due at the end of a month.
- An untidy boot or a full car. The tester needs access to the boot floor, the spare wheel well and the seatbelt mountings.
- A warning light already on. An illuminated engine management, airbag, ABS or brake warning light is a straight fail on most cars, so it turns a test into a diagnosis.
- Locking wheel nuts with no key. If the tester cannot get a wheel off when needed, the test stalls.
- Modified or older vehicles. Anything unusual takes the tester longer to assess.
How to get your MOT done faster
- Book a quiet slot. Mid-morning midweek is far less pressured than a Saturday or the last few days of the month.
- Do the easy checks the night before. Lights, indicators, brake lights, wipers, screen wash, horn, tyre tread and pressures. Our MOT preparation guide runs through it in ten minutes.
- Clear the boot and put the locking wheel nut key in the car.
- Sort any warning light first. A light that is already on will fail the test, so deal with it before you book rather than paying for a test you cannot pass.
- Ask about the retest policy when you book. A garage that does free retests within 10 working days saves you both time and a second fee.
- Give the garage a contact number and permission to proceed up to a set amount. Waiting for a call back is a common reason a car sits on the ramp doing nothing.
Leaving it late before your MOT runs out
If your MOT expires in the next few days, the time you need to worry about is not the hour on the ramp, it is the queue for a slot and the chance of a fail. You can test up to a month minus a day before it runs out and keep your existing renewal date, which is the sensible way to give yourself room for repairs.
Not sure when yours is due? Our MOT check page shows you where to look it up free, then puts you straight into booking. And if you are already out of date, what happens if your MOT runs out explains where you stand on driving it.
The short answer
Budget an hour for the test and half a day for the booking. Prepare the car properly, avoid the Saturday rush, and leave it with the garage if it fails, and an MOT is a straightforward morning rather than a lost day.
Ready to get it booked? Compare local MOT garages, see their ratings and send a request in under a minute. There is no payment online and no obligation.
Key takeaways
- The test itself typically takes 45 to 60 minutes.
- There is no legal maximum or minimum test time, so it varies by garage and by car.
- Garages often ask you to drop the car off rather than wait, so allow half a day.
- A fail plus repairs and a retest can take most of the day, or longer if parts are on order.
- Leave the car at the test centre and a retest within 10 working days is free.
- Booking a quiet slot, such as mid-morning midweek, is usually quicker than a Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an MOT take?
The test itself is usually 45 to 60 minutes. Many garages ask you to leave the car and collect it later, especially if they are busy, so allow more time than the test alone.
Can I wait while my car has its MOT?
Some garages let you wait and have a waiting area, but many prefer you drop the car off so they can slot the test around other jobs. If waiting matters to you, ask when you book and choose a quieter slot.
How long does an MOT and service together take?
Booked together, allow a few hours or most of the day. The service adds time on top of the test, and anything the service turns up can be put right before the test rather than causing a fail.
What if my car fails its MOT?
If it fails and you want repairs done, the garage will quote you. Simple fixes such as a bulb or a wiper blade can be same day. Bigger jobs may need parts ordering, which is what usually turns a one hour job into several days.
How long does an MOT retest take?
A partial retest only rechecks the items that failed, so it is much quicker than a full test, often well under half an hour. If you leave the car at the test centre and it is repaired and retested within 10 working days, there is no retest fee.
Why is my MOT taking so long?
The usual reasons are that the garage is fitting your test around booked jobs, your car failed and parts are on order, or the tester found something that needs a closer look. Ask for a call once the test is done so you know where you stand.
Is a quick MOT a bad sign?
Not necessarily, as a clean, well kept car with no faults moves through the checks quickly. But an MOT completed in a few minutes is not long enough to do the job properly, and DVSA monitors test times at MOT centres.