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MOT Cost History: The £54.85 Fee, Frozen Since 2010
If you are checking what an MOT cost in 2023, 2015 or when it began, the answer is short: the car fee has been capped at £54.85 every year since April 2010. The test itself dates back to 1960, when it cost about 15 shillings.
Has the MOT price changed?
The maximum car MOT fee has been £54.85 since 6 April 2010, so it was the same in 2023, 2020 and 2015 as it is now: the DVSA statutory cap has not moved for 16 years. When the MOT test first launched on 12 September 1960 it cost 14 shillings (70p) for the test plus 1 shilling (5p) for the certificate. As now, a garage can charge less than the cap, and most do, typically £30-45 for a car test.
Sources: DVSA MOT test fee schedule on gov.uk (current £54.85 cap) and the historic-test record for the 1960 introduction and fee. Verified 19 July 2026.
Car MOT Cost by Year
Because the Class 4 cap was fixed on 6 April 2010, the maximum car MOT fee has been identical every year since. Any year from 2010 onward returns the same figure.
| Year | Maximum car MOT fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | £54.85 |
| 2025 | £54.85 |
| 2024 | £54.85 |
| 2023 | £54.85 |
| 2020 | £54.85 |
| 2015 | £54.85 |
| 2010 | £54.85 |
The £54.85 figure is the statutory maximum for the test, not what most drivers pay. See average MOT cost for the real spread and MOT cost 2026 for the current breakdown.
MOT Test and Fee Timeline
1960
MOT test introduced
The test began on a voluntary basis on 12 September 1960 under the Road Traffic Act 1956, checking brakes, lights and steering on vehicles over ten years old. The fee was 14 shillings (70p) for the test plus 1 shilling (5p) for the certificate.
1961
Test becomes compulsory, age dropped to 7 years
The voluntary period ended on 15 February 1961. High failure rates pushed the testable age down to seven years from 31 December 1961.
1967
Testable age reduced to 3 years
In April 1967 the age at which a car first needs an MOT was cut to three years, where it still stands today.
2010
Current £54.85 car cap set
The Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 set the Class 4 maximum at £54.85 from 6 April 2010. It has not changed since.
2026
Still £54.85, frozen for 16 years
No statutory instrument has been laid to raise the car fee. In real terms the fee has fallen by roughly a third against inflation since 2010.
The £54.85 Class 4 cap was set by The Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2010.
Why the Fee Has Stayed Frozen
Raising the £54.85 cap requires a new statutory instrument from the Department for Transport, and none has been laid since 2010. Industry bodies including the Independent Garage Association have lobbied for a rise, arguing that garage overheads, tester wages and equipment costs have climbed while the cap has not. Ministers have so far declined.
Because the headline fee has fallen by roughly a third in real terms since 2010, many garages treat the MOT as a loss leader and make their margin on any repair work the test uncovers. That is why the fee you pay is only part of the picture: see the true MOT cost and MOT price increase 2026 pages for what is and is not changing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did an MOT cost in 2023?
The maximum an MOT could cost in 2023 was £54.85 for a Class 4 car, exactly the same as today. The DVSA statutory cap has been £54.85 since April 2010, so a 2023 MOT was capped at the identical figure. As now, most garages charged well below the cap, typically £30-45.
Has the MOT price gone up recently?
No. The car MOT fee has not risen since 6 April 2010. It has been fixed at a £54.85 Class 4 maximum for 16 years. The only 2026 change was to heavy-vehicle ATF service charges (HGV, bus, coach, trailer) from 6 July 2026, which does not affect car, motorcycle or van MOT fees.
How much did the first MOT cost in 1960?
When the MOT test was introduced on 12 September 1960 it cost 14 shillings, equal to 70p in decimal money, plus a further 1 shilling (5p) for the test certificate: about 15 shillings or 75p in total. At that time only vehicles more than ten years old had to be tested, and the check covered brakes, lights and steering.
When was the £54.85 MOT fee set?
The £54.85 Class 4 car maximum came into effect on 6 April 2010 under The Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2010. It is the statutory ceiling a garage may charge for the test itself, and it has not been amended since, making it one of the longest-frozen consumer fees in the UK.
Why has the MOT fee been frozen since 2010?
Successive governments have chosen not to raise the £54.85 cap. Changing it needs a new statutory instrument from the Department for Transport, and none has been laid. Industry bodies such as the Independent Garage Association have repeatedly called for a rise, arguing that garage overheads, tester wages and equipment costs have climbed while the fee has not, but no minister has acted.
When did a car first need an MOT at 3 years old?
The three-year threshold has applied since April 1967. When the test launched in 1960 it covered vehicles over ten years old; that dropped to seven years at the end of 1961 and then to three years in 1967, where it remains for cars, vans and motorcycles today.
What a 2026 MOT actually costs
The cap is £54.85, but the real spend is the fee plus the odds of a failure and repair.
MOT Cost 2026 Guide