Free MOT certificate copies to save motorists £6 million

9th May 2019

Motorists in Great Britain are set to save up to £6 million per year thanks to a new DVSA online service. This allows them to get a free copy MOT certificate if they've lost theirs, instead of paying an MOT centre up to £10 for one.

In 2018, MOT centres issued over 630,000 MOT certificate copies. However, from today (Thursday 9 May 2019), motorists can view, print and save any MOT certificate issued after 20 May 2018 by visiting www.gov.uk/replace-mot-certificate.

Motorists will need to enter their vehicle registration number and the 11-digit reference number, with no spaces, from the vehicle's log book (V5C) to use the service.

MOT certificates are needed by motorists to:

tax their vehicle at the Post Office

change a vehicle's tax class (for example, getting free vehicle tax if you’re a driver with a disability, or changing the engine size of a vehicle)

Although vehicle owners do not need the MOT certificate to sell a vehicle, some buyers like to see it along with the vehicle’s service history when they buy a used vehicle.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said:"Motorists could save up to £6 million a year now it’s easier than ever to get copies of MOT certificates for their vehicles.

"This is part of a Government drive to keep costs down for motorists and remove unnecessary barriers to getting out and about safely."

Neil Barlow, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Head of Vehicle Engineering, said:

"DVSA’s priority is to help everyone keep their vehicle safe to drive.

“We want to make sure that motorists have the information they need to keep their vehicle safe to drive. The free copy MOT certificate service gives motorists choice and saves them time and money.

“The service will also help us to protect motorists by giving them a free alternative to businesses that charge for a copy MOT certificate online."

Motorists will still be able to get copy MOT certificates from any MOT centre if they cannot use the online service, and they can still be charged up to £10. They need to give the MOT centre their vehicle registration number and 11-digit reference number from the vehicle log book (V5C).

The service can be used to get MOT certificate copies for cars, vans and motorcycles. Copies for lorries, buses and coaches will be available later in 2019.

As well as printing copy MOT certificates the check MOT history service allows motorists to check a vehicle’s MOT history and if there are outstanding safety recalls.



Motorists can access the new service at www.gov.uk/replace-mot-certificate.

In 2018 636,224, replacement certificates were issued, which means the new service could potentially save motorists over £6 million a year.

However, the saving to motorists could be higher as there is no way of knowing how many replacement MOT certificates have been sold by unofficial third parties.

The Check MOT history service is used approximately 3.4 million times per month by motorists and those in the motor trade.

In 2018 there were over 111,764 people who viewed the guidance on how to get a replacement certificate on GOV.UK. Some users left feedback calling for DVSA to give them the ability to view, print and save replacement certificates online.

DVSA offers a range of digital services for motorists. These include:

Get MOT reminders service

Check MOT history service

Check Vehicle recalls service