MOT Reminder Rules for UK Garages: What You Can and Can't Send
When an MOT reminder is a helpful service message, when it counts as marketing, and how to stay on the right side of UK privacy rules without losing the repeat work.
2026-09-25 · 7 min read
MOT reminders are one of the most effective ways an independent garage brings customers back — and one of the areas where owners most often ask: am I actually allowed to send these?
The short answer is yes, garages can and do send MOT reminders, and there is even a free government reminder service. But UK privacy rules draw a line between a genuine service message and marketing, and it is worth knowing which side your messages sit on.
This guide explains the practical rules. It is general information, not legal advice — when in doubt, the ICO's own guidance is the authority.
Free MOT & service reminder planner
Pick a due date and see sensible first reminder and follow-up dates. It runs in your browser and nothing is saved.
Service messages versus marketing: the line that matters
UK rules (UK GDPR and PECR) treat two kinds of message differently.
A service message tells a customer something they need in relation to work you have done or a vehicle you look after — for example, that their MOT is due. A marketing message promotes your business more broadly — offers, promotions, newsletters.
Marketing by text or email generally needs consent. A routine, factual MOT or service reminder to an existing customer is usually treated as a service message, which is why garages can send them without a separate marketing opt-in — provided the message stays factual.
What keeps a reminder on the right side of the rules
The safest reminders are boring. They exist to help the customer avoid driving without a valid MOT, and they look like it.
- Keep it factual: vehicle, due date, how to book. No promotional offers bolted onto the reminder.
- Send to customers you actually have a relationship with — people whose vehicles you service or test.
- Always identify your garage clearly and give a way to opt out, and honour opt-outs immediately.
- Do not buy lists of vehicle owners or scrape data to find new people to message — that is marketing to strangers and a different legal world.
- Keep a record of when reminders were sent and to whom, so you can answer any complaint with facts.
The DVSA's own reminder service
Drivers can sign up for free MOT reminders by text or email directly from the DVSA. That does not make garage reminders pointless — the DVSA message contains no relationship with you, no preferred dates, and no easy way to book with your workshop.
Your reminder is the one that says 'your car is due, and here's the garage that knows it'. Many garages simply mention the DVSA service exists and offer their own reminders as the more useful option.
Timing, frequency and common sense
Nothing in the rules says how often you can remind, but complaints and unsubscribes follow the same pattern: too many messages, sent too close together.
A reminder around a month before the due date, with one short follow-up a week or so before, is a pattern customers recognise as helpful rather than pushy. Reminding someone every day for a fortnight is how a service message starts to feel like spam.
Garage management software FAQ
Can a garage text customers about their MOT without consent?
A factual MOT or service reminder to an existing customer is generally treated as a service message rather than marketing, so garages commonly send them without a separate marketing opt-in. Keep the message factual, identify your garage, and always provide and honour an opt-out. The ICO's guidance is the authority if you are unsure.
What is the difference between a service message and marketing?
A service message gives a customer information they need about work or a vehicle you already look after — like an MOT due date. Marketing promotes your business more generally, such as special offers or newsletters, and by text or email it normally needs consent. An MOT reminder with a promotional offer added can tip the whole message into marketing territory.
Do I need to offer an opt-out on MOT reminders?
Yes — every message should give the customer a simple way to stop future reminders, and you should honour it immediately. Keeping reminders welcome is what keeps them effective.
Does the free DVSA reminder service replace garage reminders?
No. The DVSA service tells a driver their MOT is due but has no link to your workshop and no way to book with you. Your reminder carries the relationship — which garage, which car, and how to book.
Can I buy a list of local car owners and send them MOT reminders?
No — messaging people you have no relationship with is direct marketing, and bought or scraped lists for texts and emails fall foul of PECR. Reminders work because they go to customers who already know your garage.
Bottom line
Keep reminders factual, send them to your own customers, make opting out easy, and MOT reminders stay what they should be: a service customers appreciate.
Automate the timing and the opt-outs, and the repeat work looks after itself.