DVSA Updates List of Every Active MOT Station in Britain as Network Remains Remarkably Stable

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has published an updated list of active MOT testing stations across England, Scotland and Wales, providing a fresh snapshot of the network responsible for carrying out tens of millions of MOT tests every year.

Published on 30 September 2026, the latest dataset replaces the previous list issued on 26 February.

It contains details of active Vehicle Testing Stations, including their trading names, addresses, telephone numbers and the classes of vehicle they are authorised to test.

But viewed alongside DVSA’s wider annual MOT statistics, the update also highlights something arguably more interesting: despite considerable pressures on the garage sector, the size of Britain’s MOT testing network has remained remarkably stable.

DVSA publishes latest active MOT station list

The latest DVSA file provides a nationwide directory of authorised testing stations in Great Britain.

For each station, it includes its unique site number along with its trading name, address, postcode and telephone number.

It also identifies whether the station is authorised to test vehicles in MOT Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.

For motorists, the data effectively provides a snapshot of where authorised MOT testing is available.

For the trade, it provides another view of the scale and composition of Britain’s MOT infrastructure.

DVSA says the list is updated every three months, although it cautions that some testing stations may have opened or closed since the data was produced.

Northern Ireland is not included because MOT testing there operates under a separate system administered by the Driver & Vehicle Agency.

Around 23,000 private MOT stations operate in Great Britain

The active-station list should not be confused with DVSA’s separate annual MOT testing statistics, which provide a more useful basis for analysing longer-term changes in the network.

Those figures show there were 23,092 private MOT testing stations in 2025/26.

There were also 222 stations categorised by DVSA as “other” testing stations.

That latter category includes sites operated by organisations such as designated local authorities, the Crown and certain other bodies.

The headline figure for the commercial MOT sector is therefore just over 23,000 private testing stations.

And that figure has changed surprisingly little in recent years.

Just five fewer private stations than a year earlier

In 2024/25, DVSA recorded 23,097 private MOT testing stations.

The latest annual figure of 23,092 therefore represents a reduction of just five stations.

In percentage terms, the difference is effectively negligible.

Looking further back reveals a gradual decline from the recent peak rather than a dramatic contraction.

DVSA recorded:

• 23,379 private stations in 2021/22
• 23,316 in 2022/23
• 23,168 in 2023/24
• 23,097 in 2024/25
• 23,092 in 2025/26

That means the private MOT network has fallen by 287 stations since 2021/22, equivalent to approximately 1.2%.

However, the longer-term picture is more nuanced.

Back in 2013/14, Britain had 22,062 private MOT stations.

There are therefore still around 1,030 more private stations today than there were 12 years ago – an increase of approximately 4.7%.

MOT station numbers have effectively plateaued

The figures suggest Britain’s MOT station network expanded during the 2010s before reaching a plateau.

Private station numbers increased from 22,062 in 2013/14 to 23,421 in 2016/17.

They subsequently remained around the 23,000 mark, reaching 23,379 in 2021/22 before gradually edging lower.

The important point is that there is currently little evidence of a widespread collapse in MOT testing capacity.

That is notable given the pressures facing independent garages, including rising wages and energy costs, investment in increasingly sophisticated equipment, technician recruitment challenges and a statutory maximum MOT fee that has remained frozen for many years.

Individual businesses will inevitably enter and leave the market, but at national level the testing network has so far proved remarkably resilient.

More MOT testers are working across broadly the same number of stations

Another trend becomes apparent when station numbers are compared with the number of people approved to conduct MOT tests.

DVSA recorded 66,925 nominated testers during 2025/26.

That was up from 66,423 the previous year and 66,144 in 2023/24.

Go back to 2013/14 and there were 56,872 nominated testers.

Britain therefore has 10,053 more nominated MOT testers than it did 12 years ago – an increase of approximately 17.7%.

Over the same period, private MOT station numbers increased by only around 4.7%.

In other words, the MOT tester population has expanded considerably faster than the network of testing stations in which those testers work.

There are now approximately 2.9 nominated testers for every private MOT station, compared with around 2.6 in the middle of the previous decade.

That does not mean a typical MOT station necessarily employs three testers. Garage sizes, staffing models and MOT volumes vary enormously, while nominated testers can move between businesses.

But it does illustrate how the testing workforce has changed relative to the number of authorised premises, as per our previous article here.

More than 35 million MOT tests a year

The scale of the network becomes clearer when testing volumes are considered.

Around 35.5 million initial MOT tests were recorded across all vehicle classes during 2025/26.

Approximately 33.3 million of those were Class 3 and 4 tests, the categories covering the overwhelming majority of cars and other light passenger vehicles.

Around 7.8 million initial tests across all classes resulted in a failure.

Spread across a private testing network of just over 23,000 stations, the figures demonstrate the enormous volume of roadworthiness testing undertaken by Britain’s MOT industry each year.

They also underline why changes to the number, capacity or geographic distribution of testing stations matter.

Class 4 remains at the heart of the network

The newly published active-station file also demonstrates the dominance of Class 4 testing within the MOT network.

Class 4 covers most cars, along with a range of other passenger vehicles.

But the DVSA data also identifies stations authorised for motorcycles in Classes 1 and 2, three-wheeled vehicles in Class 3, larger passenger vehicles in Class 5 and goods vehicles in Class 7.

Not every MOT station can test every vehicle.

This distinction has become particularly relevant during 2026 following changes affecting alternatively fuelled light commercial vehicles.

From June, certain alternatively fuelled vans weighing up to 4.25 tonnes gained access to Class 7 MOT testing arrangements, opening up a much larger network of potential testing locations than the comparatively limited heavy vehicle testing infrastructure previously available to them.

The September dataset also changes how vehicle classes are presented

There is an interesting technical change between DVSA’s February and September active-station files.

The February dataset represented vehicle-class authorisation using numerical values.

The new September version instead presents the classes as straightforward “Y” or “N” fields.

For example, a station authorised for Class 4 testing is now identified with a “Y” under Class 4 rather than the numerical coding used in the previous release.

It is a relatively minor change, but makes the raw data considerably easier for garage operators, researchers and members of the public to interpret without understanding the previous coding.

An MOT network under increasing scrutiny

The size of Britain’s MOT network also provides useful context for DVSA’s enforcement responsibilities.

Separate figures published for 2025/26 show DVSA recorded 288 MOT testers as having their authorisation withdrawn, alongside 176 tester warnings.

For Authorised Examiners – the businesses or organisations responsible for operating MOT testing stations – 145 authorisations were recorded as withdrawn and 247 received warnings.

DVSA also uses risk-rating information to help its vehicle examiners prioritise which testers and MOT stations should receive compliance visits.

With approximately 23,000 testing locations and almost 67,000 nominated testers operating across Great Britain, maintaining consistent standards represents a significant regulatory task.

Stable network doesn’t mean an easy market

The latest figures present an interesting picture for MOT businesses.

On one hand, the network appears remarkably resilient.

There is no evidence in the annual figures of MOT stations disappearing from the market on a large scale, while the number of nominated testers has actually increased.

On the other hand, stability in station numbers does not necessarily mean that MOT testing itself is becoming more profitable.

The statutory maximum fee for a Class 4 MOT has remained at £54.85 since 2010, despite substantial increases in wages, equipment, property, energy and other operating costs over that period.

Many garages charge below the maximum fee as they compete for customers and use the MOT as part of a wider servicing and repair relationship.

That creates an unusual market: the number of businesses offering MOT testing remains relatively stable even while the economics of providing the test have become a growing source of concern within the garage sector.

Britain’s MOT network remains remarkably resilient

DVSA’s September update provides the latest operational snapshot of the testing stations authorised across England, Scotland and Wales.

But the wider data tells the more interesting story.

Britain continues to have just over 23,000 private MOT testing stations, broadly the same number as several years ago and around 1,000 more than in 2013/14.

At the same time, the number of nominated testers has risen to almost 67,000 and more than 35 million initial MOT tests are being conducted each year.

The MOT network therefore appears remarkably stable.

The bigger question for the industry may no longer be how many MOT stations Britain has, but whether the economics of operating them can remain sustainable as costs, regulatory responsibilities and vehicle technology continue to change.

External sources

DVSA — Active MOT test stations, updated 30 September 2026

For the comparison, the previous DVSA dataset is still accessible:

DVSA — Active MOT test stations, 26 February 2026 dataset