How to Check a Car's MOT History

The Free DVSA MOT History Service

The government provides a free online service to check the MOT history of any vehicle registered in England, Scotland, or Wales.

How to Check

• Go to the DVSA MOT history check service on GOV.UK
• Enter the vehicle's registration number
• View the full MOT history

What You Can See

The service shows:

• MOT test dates and results — pass or fail for every test
• Mileage at each test — useful for spotting clocked cars
• Failure reasons — exactly what failed on each test
• Advisory items — things the tester flagged but didn't fail
• MOT expiry date — when the current MOT runs out

Why Check MOT History?

Buying a used car

MOT history is one of the best free tools for checking a used car. Look for:

• Consistent mileage increases — a sudden drop might indicate clocking
• Recurring failures — could indicate a persistent problem
• Advisory items — these might have become worse since the last test

Checking your own car

Review the advisories from your last test. These are things that might fail next time, so getting them fixed early can save money and hassle.

Verifying a vehicle's age

The test dates and mileage can help confirm a vehicle's history is genuine.

Northern Ireland

Vehicles registered in Northern Ireland are tested by the DVA, not the DVSA. A separate service is available for checking their test history.

Data Accuracy

The online service shows MOT data from 2005 onwards. Earlier records may not be available digitally.