2 min tool
Pick a due date and see when to send a first reminder and a follow-up.
Send the first MOT or service reminder around 28 days before the due date, then one follow-up around 7 days before if the customer has not booked in.
First reminder
28 days before
Follow-up
7 days before
Tone
Helpful, not spammy
Sending one reminder seven days before an MOT is often too late. Customers may need time to arrange work, parts, transport or a day off.
A simple pattern is one early reminder, then one follow-up if they have not booked in. It is useful without feeling spammy.
Mechanics Hub keeps MOT and service dates on the vehicle record and can send customer reminders by email and SMS depending on plan settings.
Pick the MOT or service due date. The planner gives you two dates: a first reminder 28 days before the due date and a follow-up 7 days before. Add both to your diary, your text messaging tool or your garage system.
The planner only works out dates. It does not send anything or store the date you enter.
In England, Scotland and Wales a car can have its MOT up to a month (minus a day) before the current one runs out and keep the same renewal date. GOV.UK's example: if the MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest test that keeps the renewal date is 16 April.
A reminder about four weeks out arrives as that window opens, so the customer can book a slot that suits them without losing time on their certificate. The follow-up a week before catches anyone who meant to book and forgot.
If a customer books in straight away, check the test date. A pass earlier than a month (minus a day) before expiry resets the renewal date to one year (minus a day) from the test.
The dates work anywhere, but the MOT rules around them differ in Northern Ireland, where tests are carried out at DVA test centres rather than garages.
| Rule | Great Britain | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| First MOT (cars) | By the third anniversary of registration | From four years old |
| Where it is done | Approved MOT test centres, including many garages | DVA test centres |
| Testing early | Up to a month (minus a day) early keeps the renewal date | A new 12-month certificate starts from the test date |
| Government reminder | Free text or email reminder from GOV.UK | The DVA sends its own reminder to book |
Services are usually due by time or mileage, whichever comes first, on the schedule the manufacturer sets. Enter the date the next service is due by time. For high-mileage customers, estimate when they will reach the mileage interval and use that date if it comes sooner.
Some garages send service reminders a little closer to the due date than MOT reminders because a service is less urgent. Others send them earlier when the workshop books up weeks ahead.
Keep the message to the reminder itself. The ICO says a message is direct marketing if it includes promotional content, even when most of it is a routine service message, and marketing texts and emails have their own consent rules.
A practical starting point is around 28 days before the due date, with one follow-up around 7 days before if the customer has not booked in.
Both can work. Email is useful for detail, while SMS is better for quick customer action. Many garages use both for important reminders.
Yes, but services may benefit from earlier reminders if the workshop is busy or the customer needs parts ordered in advance.
In England, Scotland and Wales, up to a month (minus a day) before the current MOT runs out while keeping the same renewal date. A car can be tested earlier, but if it passes, the renewal date resets to one year (minus a day) from that test.
The dates do, but the rules around them differ. Cars in Northern Ireland are first tested at four years old, at DVA test centres, and each test gives a new 12-month certificate from the test date. The GOV.UK reminder service does not cover Northern Ireland; the DVA sends its own reminder.