Once you have signed up to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) service, you’ll get a reminder four weeks before your MOT is due, followed by one two weeks before your MOT is due, if you still haven’t had it tested.

Drivers will also get alerts if the car no longer has an MOT.

In order to sign up to the service, you need the car’s number plate and a mobile number or email address. You’ll continue to be sent reminders every year until you unsubscribe.

While it’s free to sign up, if you want to unsubscribe at any time, perhaps because you’ve sold your car, transferred it to someone else, had it scrapped or written off, or registered it as off the road (via a SORN), then you’ll pay the cost of a standard text message (free via email).

The MOT reminder service comes as research by DVSA found that around 28% of cars are driven without a valid MOT. Many drivers simply forget to get it done rather than deliberately avoiding the test.

If you drive a car without a valid MOT, you can be fined up to £1,000. The only exceptions are where you drive to or from a garage for repair or if you have a pre-arranged MOT test.

Transport minister, Baroness Sugg, said: “Booking your next MOT is easy to overlook but it plays an important role in making sure the vehicles on our roads are safe and meeting high environmental standards.

“Getting a text or email will serve as a useful prompt to make sure people get their vehicle checked out in time.”

The service is in ‘beta’ mode, which means it’s continually being tested and improved by DVSA.

See YourMoney.com’s MOT failures could be avoided with a £5 fix.