Free MOT history and car check
Every MOT since 2005, mileage checks that flag drops and gaps, advisories in plain English, recalls and the MOT due date.
- Free, no sign-up
- DVSA data under the Open Government Licence
- Independent: not a government service
How it works
Enter the plate
Type it any way you like. It’s sent securely, used for the lookup and not stored.
Read the verdict
Anything worth a closer look comes first, each linked to the records behind it.
Check what MOT data can’t show
Tax is free on GOV.UK. Finance, write-offs and theft need a paid history check.
What this check covers
Free here
- MOT history since 2005
- Mileage checks
- Advisories explained
- Safety recalls
- MOT due date
Free on GOV.UK
- Tax status
Paid check
- Outstanding finance
- Insurance write-off
- Stolen marker
Up to you
- V5C logbook matches the seller
- Service history and receipts
- Test drive and inspection
Before you buy, or sell
Used car checklist
Paperwork, history checks, the test drive and your rights, in order.
Spot a clocked car
The mileage checks anyone can do: MOT records, service history, wear and paperwork.
Which cars pass their MOT?
Britain’s 50 most-tested cars, ranked against cars of the same age.
Selling? See what it’s worth
How online valuations work, what moves the price and the paperwork you need.
Common questions
Where does the data come from?
From the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s MOT History API, published under the Open Government Licence. It covers cars, vans and motorcycles tested in Great Britain since 2005 and Northern Ireland since 2017. We’re not part of DVSA or DVLA; we present their open data.
Does it show tax, finance, write-offs or stolen status?
No. Tax status comes from DVLA, whose service isn’t open to new sites at the moment; use GOV.UK’s free tax check. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and theft markers are only in paid history checks, which is what the “full check” partner button is for.
Do you store the number plates people look up?
No. The plate is sent in the form, used to fetch the record, held in memory for a few minutes so a refresh doesn’t cost another lookup, and then gone. It never appears in a web address and we don’t log it. Privacy notice.
How do you decide what’s worth a closer look?
We flag mileage that goes down, rises unusually fast or has long gaps between tests, an MOT that has run out or runs out soon, an outstanding recall, a failed or dangerous last test, and advisories that keep coming back. A small drop between two tests is usually a typing slip, and we say so. Flags are prompts for questions, not verdicts: how to check a mileage worry.
Why doesn’t a car show up?
Cars under three years old usually have no MOT yet (we show the first due date where DVSA has it). Records before 2005 aren’t computerised. And 0/O and 1/I are easy to mix up.