Free MOT check for any UK vehicle: full DVSA test history, expiry date, advisories and recorded mileage by registration, with tax status one click away.
FREE VEHICLE TOOL · INDEXING 32 GUIDES
Check the full MOT history of any UK vehicle: test results, expiry date, advisories, recorded mileage. Data direct from the DVSA, with tax status one click away on GOV.UK.
Editor's Note: This checker uses the official DVSA MOT History API: the same primary data source behind the GOV.UK service. No quotes, no calls, no commission. Results are read-only and registrations are not stored.
An MOT check against the DVSA record returns every test a vehicle has taken since 2005: the result, the expiry date, the mileage recorded at each test, and any advisories or defects noted by the tester. The mileage trail is the fastest free way to spot a clocked car, and the advisory history shows what is wearing out before a seller mentions it.
The maximum fee a test centre can charge is £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a motorcycle. A first MOT is due three years after registration in Great Britain. Northern Ireland runs a separate four-year system through the DVA.
A PASSED result with advisories is still a pass: advisories flag wear to monitor, not faults that needed fixing on the day. Since May 2018 defects are graded Dangerous, Major or Minor; the first two fail the test. Gaps between tests, or mileage that falls between two tests, are the red flags worth investigating before buying. The guides indexed below cover every advisory, rule and edge case.
An MOT is the annual roadworthiness test required for most vehicles over three years old in Great Britain. It checks safety-critical items such as brakes, tyres, lights, steering and emissions against the DVSA inspection manual. Read the full list of what is checked.
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport, the government department that introduced the test in 1960. The department no longer exists under that name, but the abbreviation stayed. More in what is an MOT.
The maximum fee a test centre can charge is £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a motorcycle. Many garages charge less. A partial retest within 10 working days at the same centre can be free. Full breakdown in the MOT cost guide.
Up to one calendar month, minus a day, before the current MOT expires. Test in that window and the new certificate keeps the original renewal date. Details in how early can you do an MOT.
MOT history is shown by the checker on this page. Tax status is a separate DVLA record, free to check on GOV.UK in under a minute. Both steps are covered in how to check tax and MOT status.
Defects have been graded Dangerous, Major or Minor since May 2018, with Dangerous and Major both failing the test. The DVSA periodically updates inspection items and manual guidance; check GOV.UK for the current rules.
This tool and these guides are general information, not professional advice. MOT data is supplied by the DVSA and may lag recent tests by up to a few days. Check GOV.UK for the official record.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Two free GOV.UK services let you check any vehicle's tax and MOT status from its registration number. Find out what each one returns, why people check both and how the records connect.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A Class 7 MOT covers goods vehicles between 3,000kg and 3,500kg design gross weight. Find out how it differs from a Class 4 car test, what the 58.60 GBP cap covers and where to find a testing station.
Uk Vehicle Tax
The law lets you drive a vehicle without a current MOT, but only to a pre-booked test and only if it is otherwise roadworthy and insured. Find out exactly what the exception covers and where it ends.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A vehicle under a Statutory Off Road Notification does not need a valid MOT while it stays off the road. Find out when the MOT matters again and the one journey a SORN car may legally make.
Uk Vehicle Tax
In almost every case you cannot tax a car without a valid MOT, because DVLA checks the MOT record automatically when you apply. There are narrow exceptions, such as MOT-exempt vehicles and driving to a pre-booked test. Here is how the rule works.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Service history is the private record of maintenance kept by garages and owners. MOT history is the public DVSA test record. They prove different things, and a careful used-car buyer looks at both. Here is what each one tells you.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A manufacturer can recall a vehicle to fix a safety defect, and the repair is free, but a standard MOT does not generally check for it. The GOV.UK recall service lets you see whether a vehicle has an outstanding recall. Here is how it works.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Every MOT test records the odometer reading, so the public MOT history builds a timeline of a car's mileage. A reading that falls or jumps implausibly is a warning sign of clocking. Here is how to read the sequence before you buy.
Uk Vehicle Tax
The free GOV.UK MOT history check reveals pass and fail dates, recorded mileage, advisories and failure reasons. Learn how to read the record, spot red flags and use it alongside a viewing.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A motorcycle needs its first MOT three years from registration. Learn the fee cap of 29.65 GBP, what the test checks, the difference between Class 1 and Class 2, and which machines may be exempt.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Heavy goods vehicles take a DVSA annual test, not the car MOT. Learn how the test differs, when the first test is due, what it covers and how to check a lorry's test history and plating online via GOV.UK.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Most new cars need their first MOT on the third anniversary of registration. Find the exact date with the GOV.UK MOT status check, learn which vehicles test earlier and what happens if the deadline is missed.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Testing up to one calendar month minus a day before expiry preserves your existing anniversary date. Learn how the new expiry is calculated in that window, what happens if you test earlier and how to check your current date.
Uk Vehicle Tax
Your MOT result is held on the DVSA database and can be viewed and printed free through the GOV.UK check MOT history service. Learn what you need, what to do if a paper copy is lost and whether you must carry it.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A standard car MOT usually takes around 45 to 60 minutes, though queues, repairs and partial retests can extend the time. Learn what a tester checks, why the test cannot be rushed and how waiting compares with dropping off.
Uk Vehicle Tax
An MOT advisory flags a component that passed but is wearing or beginning to fail. Learn how advisories sit alongside dangerous, major and minor defects, where to read them and how to act on the most common notices.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A play in the steering rack advisory flags free movement that has not yet reached a failure. Learn what causes it, the safety implications, and when it becomes a major fault.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A corrosion advisory flags rust that has not yet weakened a structural area. Learn the difference between surface rust and structural corrosion, and when it fails the MOT.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A tyre worn close to the legal limit advisory warns that tread is approaching 1.6mm. Learn how tread is measured, what the law requires, and the fines for an illegal tyre.
Uk Vehicle Tax
A brake disc worn, pitted or scored advisory flags wear that has not yet reached a failure point. Learn what it means, how discs wear, and when it becomes a major or dangerous fault.
Editor's Picks
DVSA driving test waiting times have stretched beyond eight weeks at many UK test centres in 2026. Here is what is causing delays and how to find an earlier slot through cancellations.
Editor's Picks
DVLA licence renewals are taking longer than the three-week target in 2026. Here is what is causing the delays, whether you can drive while waiting, and how to chase your application.
Tax & HMRC
Vehicles built before 1 January 1977 are exempt from VED in 2026 under the rolling 40-year rule. Exemption is not automatic — you must re-tax the vehicle in the historic class at £0. This DVLA-validated guide explains exactly what qualifies and how to apply.
Tax & HMRC
You get an automatic VED refund when you sell, SORN, scrap or export a vehicle. Refunds cover full unexpired calendar months only — the current month is never included. This DVLA-validated guide explains exactly how the process works and what to do if it does not arrive.
Tax & HMRC
You can tax your car without the V5C logbook using your V11 reminder reference or the new keeper supplement. This DVLA-validated guide explains every route, how to apply for a replacement V5C (£25), and what to do if your V5C is lost in the post.
Tax & HMRC
Electric cars lost their VED exemption from 1 April 2025. In 2025/26 EVs pay £10 first-year rate then £195 standard rate annually. From April 2026 most EVs also pay the expensive car supplement. This guide has every validated DVLA rate.
Tax & HMRC
A SORN lasts indefinitely since December 2013 — not 12 months. This DVLA-validated guide covers storage rules, the single exception allowing road use, the VED refund process, and how to avoid a fine of up to £2,500.
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