IGA Calls for £95 MOT Fee as Pressure Grows for First Increase Since 2010

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is calling for the MOT fee to rise to at least £95, dramatically stepping up industry pressure for the first increase to the Class 4 fee in 16 years.

UPDATED: 19 August 2026

Ahead of upcoming talks with Government, the IGA says the current £54.85 MOT fee is unsustainable and no longer reflects the true cost to garages of providing the statutory test.

The latest intervention adds another dimension to the growing MOT fee debate. The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) is pushing for the current £54.85 maximum to become a minimum MOT fee, while the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has also called for an urgent review.

For MOT stations, the IGA’s decision to put a figure of at least £95 on the table significantly raises the stakes.

IGA: MOT Fee Should Be at Least £95

The IGA’s position is now clear.

Ahead of its forthcoming discussions with Government, the organisation says the MOT fee needs to increase significantly and should be at least £95.

The IGA argues that inflation is only part of the problem.

Since the £54.85 fee was introduced in 2010, independent garages have faced substantial increases in labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and staff training costs.

IGA chief executive Stuart James said the fee remaining static for 16 years is putting increasing pressure on garage businesses.

The organisation says feedback from garage owners suggests some are already reducing their MOT capacity because of the economics of providing the test.

If that continues, the IGA warns motorists could ultimately face fewer available MOT appointments and reduced consumer choice.

From £54.85 to £95 – a 73% Increase

Increasing the maximum Class 4 MOT fee from £54.85 to £95 would represent a rise of just over 73%.

That sounds substantial, particularly for motorists accustomed to seeing MOTs advertised for £30 or £40.

However, the IGA’s argument is that the increase has to be considered against 16 years of rising business costs, rather than as a conventional annual price increase.

The current maximum was introduced in April 2010 and has not subsequently risen with inflation.

That means garages have absorbed more than a decade and a half of increasing costs while the maximum amount they can charge for the statutory inspection has remained unchanged.

IAAF Wants £54.85 to Become the Minimum

The IGA proposal differs from another important industry campaign.

The IAAF has called for the existing £54.85 maximum to become a statutory minimum, effectively bringing an end to heavily discounted MOTs.

Under the current system, testing stations are free to charge below the maximum, resulting in £20, £25 and £30 MOT offers being used by some businesses as loss leaders.

The IAAF argues that this undervalues a regulated road-safety inspection requiring trained testers, approved equipment, calibration and continuing investment.

It has also linked the need for sustainable MOT pricing with potential investment in more sophisticated emissions testing, including particulate number testing for diesel vehicles.

A £54.85 minimum would make a major difference to garages currently selling heavily discounted tests.

However, it would do relatively little for testing stations already charging the full £54.85.

The IGA’s £95 proposal addresses that second issue by arguing that the maximum itself is now too low.

What Would a £95 MOT Mean for Garages?

For an MOT station carrying out 1,000 Class 4 tests per year, the difference between £54.85 and £95 is significant.

At the current maximum, 1,000 tests would generate £54,850 in test fees.

At £95, the same number would generate £95,000.

That’s a difference of £40,150 per year, before considering any change in testing volumes or the actual price charged by individual garages.

For a garage currently selling MOTs for £30, the difference would be even greater.

Of course, a higher statutory maximum would not necessarily mean every garage had to charge £95.

That would depend on how any Government reform was structured.

This is why the distinction between a maximum fee and a minimum fee is becoming increasingly important.

IMI Also Wants MOT Fees Reviewed

The Institute of the Motor Industry has also added its weight to calls for change.

IMI chief executive Nick Connor has said a review of MOT fees is urgently overdue, particularly as MOT garages face additional future demands.

That means three significant industry organisations are now applying pressure around MOT pricing, albeit from slightly different positions.

IGA: increase the MOT fee to at least £95.

IAAF: make the current £54.85 maximum a statutory minimum.

IMI: urgently review MOT fees to reflect the demands being placed on the testing network.

The common argument is that the existing system is becoming increasingly difficult to justify after 16 years without an increase.

Will the Government Introduce a £95 MOT?

Not necessarily.

The £95 figure is an IGA proposal, not a confirmed Government decision.

The IGA has secured talks with the Department for Transport and intends to make the case for a substantial increase on behalf of independent garages.

Government could accept the argument, propose a smaller increase, consider a minimum fee, introduce a different pricing mechanism or make no immediate change.

Motorist affordability will inevitably form part of that discussion.

A jump from £54.85 to £95 would attract considerable attention, particularly during a period of high household motoring costs.

But garages will counter that the MOT is a professional statutory roadworthiness inspection, not simply another workshop product to be discounted.

Could Discounted MOTs Also Disappear?

One of the most interesting questions is whether the two industry proposals could ultimately come together.

A higher maximum fee alone would still allow garages to advertise heavily discounted MOTs.

A minimum fee of £54.85 would stop extreme discounting but would not solve the problem for garages that believe £54.85 itself is commercially inadequate.

Government could therefore eventually face pressure to address both ends of MOT pricing – introducing a higher maximum while also considering whether there should be a minimum charge.

That would represent one of the biggest changes to MOT pricing in years.

What Happens Next?

Attention will now turn to the IGA’s talks with Government.

For now, garages should be clear that the maximum Class 4 MOT fee remains £54.85. There has been no Government announcement approving a £95 MOT fee.

But the debate has moved on significantly.

The question is no longer simply whether £54.85 should become the minimum.

One of the UK’s major independent garage representative bodies is now formally arguing that the MOT fee should be at least £95.

After 16 years without an increase, pressure for Government action is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

What do you think?

Would £95 be a fair price for an MOT after 16 years without an increase?

Should £54.85 become the minimum while the maximum rises, or should garages remain free to set their own prices below the cap?

Let us know your views.

Internal Links

https://motester.co.uk/iaaf-calls-for-mandatory-54-85-mot-fee-as-pressure-mounts-to-end-discounting/

https://motester.co.uk/mot-fee-increase-iga-calls-government-dvsa-action/

https://motester.co.uk/mot-price-list-and-information/

External Sources

https://independentgarageassociation.co.uk/iga-calls-on-government-to-raise-mot-fee-to-at-least-95/

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/mot-test-fees

https://garagematters.uk/iga-demands-95-mot-fee-as-16-year-freeze-pushes-testing-bays-to-brink/