MOT Retest Fee UK: When You Pay and When It's Free

If your car fails its MOT, the retest fee can be £0, £27.43 or the full £54.85 depending entirely on where and when you bring it back. The MOT retest fee UK rules are set by the DVSA and apply to every approved test station. This guide walks through every scenario so you know exactly what to pay and how to plan repairs to avoid paying twice.

The three retest scenarios

DVSA retest rules group every situation into three buckets. Which one applies depends on whether the car leaves the test station, how many working days pass, and whether the retest is partial or full.

The cheapest outcome (free) requires the car to stay on site and be repaired the same working day. The middle tier (up to £27.43) covers a partial retest within 10 working days. The most expensive (full fee) covers anything outside those windows.

• Same working day at same test station, car not removed: free partial retest
• Within 10 working days at same test station, car removed for repair: up to £27.43 partial retest (only failure items)
• After 10 working days, or at a different test station: full MOT fee up to £54.85

Free retest: same working day, same station

If the car fails and the garage repairs it the same working day without removing it from the test station, the partial retest is usually free of charge. This typically applies to small fixes that can be done on the spot: a blown bulb, a wiper blade, a loose number plate.

Some garages charge a small admin fee even in this scenario, but the DVSA does not require any retest fee. Always confirm at booking that same-day repair-and-retest is available; not all stations offer in-house repair.

Partial retest within 10 working days: up to £27.43

Take the car away, repair it elsewhere or schedule the work later, and return within 10 working days to the same test station. The retest covers only the items that failed, not a full re-inspection. The DVSA caps this partial retest at £27.43 for a Class 4 car.

Some stations offer this partial retest free if the work was done at their workshop. Others charge up to the cap. The 10 working day rule excludes weekends and bank holidays, so a Monday fail gives you until the following Monday fortnight in practical calendar terms. See our 10 working day retest rule guide for examples.

Full retest fee: outside the 10 day window

If you return after 10 working days, or take the car to a different test station, the partial retest rules no longer apply. You pay the full MOT fee again, up to £54.85 for Class 4. The car undergoes a fresh full inspection, not just a check on the original failure items.

That full re-test can also re-fail on different items if a new fault has emerged. This is why bringing the car back inside the 10-day window matters: the partial retest only checks what failed last time, so you cannot accidentally fail on something new.

What counts as a partial retest item

DVSA rules limit partial retest items to specific categories: lights, wipers and washers, horn, tyres (excluding tread depth and structure), seat belts (excluding rear sub-assembly), road wheels, registration plates, mirrors, and a handful of other minor items.

If the original failure was something larger (suspension component, brake fluid, structural corrosion), the retest is treated as a full retest even within the 10-day window. The garage will tell you which category applies before you book the retest.

How to avoid paying twice

Plan repairs around the 10 working day rule. If your MOT fails on a Monday, schedule any repair to be completed by the following Monday at the latest. Use the same test station for both visits; switching stations forfeits the partial retest discount entirely.

Run a free MOT history check on your car before booking the original test. Past advisories are a strong predictor of next year's failures, so addressing them in advance often turns a fail into a clean pass and saves the retest fee altogether.

Retest rules for vans and motorbikes

Class 7 van retests follow the same 10 working day rule, with a partial retest fee capped at £14.65 (vans) and the full retest fee at £58.60. Class 1 and 2 motorbikes have a partial retest fee around £14.65 against a full fee of £29.65.

The same-day, same-station free retest applies across all classes. So does the rule that switching stations forfeits any partial retest discount. The numbers change but the structure of the rules is identical.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is an MOT retest fee in the UK?

Up to £27.43 for a partial retest within 10 working days at the same station. Free if repaired the same working day on site. Full £54.85 fee if outside 10 working days or at a different station.

Is the MOT retest free?

Often yes if the car stays at the test station and is repaired the same working day. Some stations charge a small admin fee even then. Returns within 10 working days are capped at £27.43.

Can I retest at a different garage?

Yes, but you forfeit the partial retest discount. Switching stations means a full new test at the full fee, even within 10 working days.

What is the 10 working day rule?

After a fail, the same test station can perform a partial retest covering only the failure items if you return within 10 working days. Weekends and bank holidays are excluded.

What if my car fails the retest?

You pay another retest fee under the same rules. Same-day on-site repair may be free; partial retest within 10 days up to £27.43; outside that, full fee again.

Does the retest check everything again?

No. A partial retest checks only the items that failed the original test. A full retest (after 10 working days) checks the whole car as a fresh test.

Plan repairs to land inside the 10 working day window at the same test station to keep the retest fee low. Run a free MOT history check ahead of your test to address advisories before they become failures.