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Free MOT History Check
See Every Past MOT Test, Advisory & Mileage — Direct From the DVSA
Want the full picture, not just the current MOT status? Our free MOT history check pulls every recorded MOT test for the vehicle — pass or fail, advisories, defects and the mileage at each test — straight from the official DVSA database.
Free MOT, Tax & Mileage Check · No Sign-Up · Instant Results
What this check shows
- Every MOT test ever recorded
- Pass or fail at each test
- All advisories and defects
- Mileage at every test
- Mileage discrepancy detection
- Test centre details
- Outstanding manufacturer recall flag
- Last test date and certificate number
Official DVLA & DVSA
Instant results
1.2M+ checks run
No sign-up needed
Why MOT history matters when buying used
- •Recurring advisories for the same item across years usually mean the seller has ignored a creeping problem. Price the fix in.
- •Mileage that doesn't progress smoothly — or appears to drop — is a hallmark of clocking. Walk away.
- •A long gap between tests can signal the car has been sat unused or declared SORN. Ask why.
- •A failure followed by a same-day pass at a different garage can signal a quick patch-up. Worth checking what was done.
Learn More
Every test record shown here is pulled live from the DVSA's official MOT History API — the same government data source behind the tool at gov.uk/check-mot-history. We don't summarise, round, or estimate anything: you're seeing the DVSA's own record of every test submitted by the testing centre, including the exact mileage recorded, the pass/fail outcome, and the specific wording of any advisory or defect noted by the tester at the time. Because this comes straight from source, it's the same information a dealer or mechanic checking the same registration would see.
These two checks answer genuinely different questions, so it's worth picking the right one. If all you need to know is whether a specific car can legally be driven on the road today, our free MOT check gives you the current status and expiry date without the extra detail. This page is for a different situation — when you're trying to judge how a vehicle has actually been maintained over its life, not just whether it's currently legal. That distinction matters most when you're deciding whether to buy a used car, where the current status tells you almost nothing about the car's real condition.
Every MOT test records the vehicle's mileage at the moment of testing, which — viewed across several years of tests — builds a year-by-year mileage trail that should progress steadily and plausibly. A mileage reading that drops between two tests, jumps by an implausible amount in a short period, or simply doesn't add up against what the seller is telling you, is one of the clearest and most reliable free signals that the odometer may have been tampered with. This matters because clocked mileage isn't just a cosmetic issue — it hides genuine wear on the engine, transmission and suspension that the buyer ends up paying for later. For a closer, dedicated look specifically at mileage patterns and discrepancies, see our mileage check.
A vehicle can be entirely legally SORN — declared off the road — for a period between MOTs, and that alone doesn't indicate anything wrong; plenty of cars are stored, restored, or simply unused for a season. What's worth actually asking about is a long testing gap that coincides with a SORN period and no clear explanation, since that combination can sometimes mask an unresolved mechanical problem the previous keeper chose not to fix. Before you commit to buying, it's worth checking the current SORN status and tax status alongside the full MOT history, so you're looking at the complete timeline rather than one check in isolation.
Frequently Asked Questions
An MOT history check shows every MOT test ever recorded for a vehicle — when it was tested, whether it passed or failed, what advisories or defects the tester noted, and the mileage at each test. The data comes directly from the DVSA database.
MOT history is the single best free signal of how a car has been looked after. Repeated advisories about the same item, mileage that doesn't progress smoothly, or a long gap between tests are all red flags worth pricing in or walking away from.
Yes. We pull MOT history directly from the official DVSA API. There's no charge, no account, no email — just enter the registration above.
DVSA records typically go back to 2005, when digital MOT testing began. Some older vehicles may have shorter histories.
An advisory is something the tester noticed but isn't yet bad enough to fail the test — keep an eye on it. A minor defect doesn't fail the MOT either but should be repaired soon. A major or dangerous defect fails the test.
Yes — where DVSA supplies it, each test entry includes the test centre name and a unique certificate/test number, which you can use to cross-check against a physical MOT certificate if the seller has one.
Not directly — MOT tests check roadworthiness, not accident history. However, a sudden run of unrelated defects after a period of clean tests can sometimes hint at undisclosed repair work. For accident/write-off records specifically, see our write-off check once our paid tiers are live.
MOT history, yes — full tax payment history, no. The DVLA does not publish a record of past tax payments, so only current tax status and due date are available alongside the MOT record.
Yes. Enter the registration and you get every recorded test: result, mileage, advisories and failures. DVSA digital records generally begin around 2005, and the check is free with no login.
Check your vehicle now — free, no sign-up
Enter any UK registration above to see official DVLA and DVSA records instantly.