C & B Motor Company
Gadebridge Service Station, Galley Hill, Gadebridge · HP1 3LD
Cars
Hemel Hempstead MOT garages: every approved test centre
There are 28 DVSA-approved MOT garages in Hemel Hempstead. This page lists all of them, with a phone number, the address and what each is licensed to test, straight from the official register. If you ride, three stations take motorcycles; if you drive a van over 3,000kg, seven are licensed for class 7. Locally, 25.4% of tests end in a fail against 28.2% across Britain; the commonest reason in the HP area is a sidelight not working.
28test stations
3test motorcycles
7test class 7 vans
25.4%fail rate, HP area
28 of 28 stations
Ellis Autos Limited
Unit T2, Trinity Works, Bourne End Lane · HP1 2UJ
CarsVans to 3.5tMinibus
V P Autoservices
Unit 6, 559 London Road · HP1 2RE
Cars
Waterend Tyres & MOT
Water End Garage, Leighton Buzzard Road · HP1 3BD
Cars
Formula One Autocentres
Woodlane End · HP2 4SN
Cars
Halfords Autocentre
28 Mark Road · HP2 7BW
Cars
Hanafan Auto Care
909 909 Paradise · HP2 4TF
CarsVans to 3.5t
Hardings (Hemel Hempstead) Limited
Fletcher Way, Highfield · HP2 5SE
Cars
Hartwell Ford
Redbourn Road · HP2 7AZ
CarsVans to 3.5tMinibus
Kipling Motorist Centre
Unit 5, Macdonald Business Park · HP2 7EB
CarsVans to 3.5t
Leverstock Mot'S
Leaside · HP2 4PZ
Cars
Royal Mail Group PLC Fleet and Maintenance Services
Maylands Avenue · HP2 7DF
CarsVans to 3.5t
V P Autoservices
559 London Road, Boxmoor · HP2 2RE
Cars
Advance Motors
Two Waters Road · HP3 9BS
Cars
Apsley Mots LTD
233 London Road · HP3 9SE
Cars
Bovingdon Mots and Service Centre LTD
Pudds Cross Industrial Units, Leyhill Road, Bovingdon · HP3 0NW
CarsVans to 3.5tMinibusThree-wheelers
Bridge Garage Services LTD
Unit B Riversend Road · HP3 9AJ
CarsMotorcyclesVans to 3.5tMinibus
Eds Treads
Orchard Street, Apsley · HP3 9DT
CarsMotorcycles
Group 1 Mercedes-Benz of Hemel Hempstead
London Road, Apsley · HP3 9SX
Cars
Kwik-Fit
501 London Road · HP3 9BQ
Cars
Mechanix Direct
Unit 12, Kents Avenue Industrial Estate · HP3 9XH
Cars
Moores Hemel Hempstead LTD
London Road · HP3 9SX
Motorcycles
Motest Hemel Hempstead
126 Bennetts End Road · HP3 8DY
Cars
Mr Clutch Autocentres
Unit 1 Manor Avenue · HP3 9DW
Cars
Nash Mills MOT & Service Centre
194A Belswains Lane · HP3 9XA
Cars
Northridge Cars LTD
1 St Albans Hill · HP3 9NG
Cars
Top Car Auto Repairs LTD
Unit 4 Kenwood Farm, Harthall Lane, Pimlico · HP3 8SD
Cars
Tune Tech
The Garage, Pinecroft, Nash Mills · HP3 8AW
Cars
No stations match that filter.
Cars tested in the HP postcode area fail first time 25.4% of the time, against 28.2% nationally, so 2.8 points better than average. A sidelight not working heads the local list, on 8.66% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum close behind. The figures come from 947,738 DVSA test records for the area.
25.4%fail rate in the HP area
28.2%England, Scotland and Wales
947,738local tests analysed
8.66%of fails: sidelight
Bars show how often each defect appears on failed tests in this area. The figure in italics is the difference from the national rate for that defect.
A blown bulb fails the test as surely as a worn brake, and a bulb is a few pounds. Check brake lights with the car reversed up to a wall. The pass rates for the whole country show the same pattern, and our guide to MOT advisories puts a number on how often a noted item fails the following year.
£54.85maximum fee, cars (class 4)
£29.65maximum fee, motorcycles
£58.60maximum fee, class 7 vans
Freeretest within 10 working days
An MOT in Hemel Hempstead costs anything up to £54.85 for a car, the legal maximum. Cheaper tests are common and the test is identical wherever you go: same checklist, same DVSA standards, same certificate.
When to book in Hemel Hempstead
Demand peaks in October and bottoms out in April, a swing of roughly 63%. The peaks follow the March and September plate changes three years earlier, when new cars reach their first test.
Retests
If the car fails and you leave it at the station for repair, the retest is free. If you take it away, a partial retest within ten working days at the same station is free for a list of minor items such as lamps, wipers, mirrors, seatbelts and tyres, and charged at a reduced fee for anything else. After ten days it is a full test again.
Driving to the test without an MOT
The law allows one journey without a certificate: to a booked MOT, or to repairs arising from one. Keep the booking confirmation with you, and remember that insurance is still required and a dangerous defect still makes the car illegal to drive.
Other towns close by
If none of the Hemel Hempstead stations suits, these neighbouring towns are a short drive away: MOT test stations in Redbourn (2), MOT centres in Kings Langley (6), MOT in Berkhamsted (6), MOT test stations in St Albans (26), MOT centres in Chesham (9) and MOT test stations in Watford (42).
Check the car first
Run a MOT history check before the test: it lists the advisories from last year and tells you how often that kind of advisory becomes a failure. For the cars tested most often in Britain, see the Vauxhall Corsa MOT pass rate, common Land Rover Range Rover (all models) MOT failures and what fails a Volkswagen Golf pages, each built from the national dataset.
Questions people ask
How many MOT centres are there in Hemel Hempstead?
28 garages in Hemel Hempstead are authorised by DVSA to carry out MOT tests, as of the September 2026 register. Three of them test motorcycles and seven test class 7 vans.
What is the price of an MOT in Hemel Hempstead?
The maximum fee set by DVSA is £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a motorcycle, and no Hemel Hempstead station can charge more. Many charge £30 to £45 for a car. A retest within ten working days at the same station is free for a list of minor items and reduced for the rest.
Which MOT centres in Hemel Hempstead test motorcycles?
Three stations in Hemel Hempstead hold the class 1 and 2 authorisation, including Bridge Garage Services LTD, Eds Treads and Moores Hemel Hempstead LTD. Use the Motorcycles filter above to see the full details.
Can I get a class 7 van MOT in Hemel Hempstead?
Yes. Seven Hemel Hempstead stations are authorised for class 7, which covers vans between 3,000kg and 3,500kg, among them Ellis Autos Limited, Hanafan Auto Care and Hartwell Ford. The maximum class 7 fee is £58.60.
When is the busiest time for MOTs in Hemel Hempstead?
October is the busiest month for MOT tests in the HP postcode area, and April the quietest. Stations fill up two to three weeks ahead in the peak months, so book early if your certificate expires then.
What do cars in Hemel Hempstead fail their MOT on most?
A sidelight not working is the most common defect on failed tests in the HP area, appearing on 8.66% of fails, followed by tyre tread below the legal minimum (7.86%). The local first-time fail rate is 25.4%.
Is it legal to drive to the test with an expired MOT?
Yes, to a pre-booked test and to a garage for repairs found at a test, provided the car is roadworthy and insured. That is the only situation in which driving without an MOT is legal.
Check a car before you buy or book
Every test since 2005, every advisory, every mileage reading. Free, with no sign-up.
Station details from the DVSA active MOT test stations register (September 2026). Local failure data from the DVSA anonymised test dataset, 2023 to 2025. We do not publish pass rates per station: the public data holds no station identifier. Methodology.