Enter a registration number to see a vehicle's MOT status, how many days are left on its MOT, and its full MOT history when you register a free account: every past pass and fail, the mileage recorded at each test, and the advisories and defects the tester noted.
| Result | What it tells you |
| MOT status | Whether the vehicle has a valid MOT right now. |
| MOT expiry date and days left | The exact date the current MOT runs out, and the number of days until it does. |
| Full MOT history | Every recorded test, with the date and whether it passed or failed. |
| Failures and defects | The reasons for any failed test, graded dangerous, major or minor. |
| Advisories | Problems the tester noticed that were not bad enough to fail the vehicle, but may need attention soon. |
| Mileage history | The odometer reading at every test, the miles driven between tests, a chart of the readings, and how the mileage compares with the average for a vehicle of its age. |
It works for cars, vans and motorcycles. MOT records go back to 2005 for vehicles tested in Great Britain, and to 2017 for tests in Northern Ireland.
These are from a real free check, with the registration hidden.
An MOT history is more than a list of passes and fails. Read the tests in date order and look for patterns.
If the same advisory appears at test after test (a corroding brake pipe, a worn tyre, an oil leak), it has probably not been fixed. Ask the seller whether the work was done, and for the receipt.
Check the reason for each failure and whether a retest passed soon after. A quick pass usually means the fault was repaired. A pass only proves the vehicle met the standard on the day of the test, though, not that every earlier problem was dealt with.
Compare each reading with the one before. A reading lower than the last, or a sudden jump after years of low use, is a reason to ask questions and look at the service records. It is not proof on its own: odometers are replaced, and readings are sometimes entered wrongly at the test centre. Our mileage chart makes a drop easy to spot.
A missing year can mean the vehicle was off the road, declared SORN, or driven without an MOT. Ask the seller why there is a missing MOT record on the vehicle's history.
If you are buying, a long MOT is worth having, but it is not a guarantee of the vehicle's condition today.
MOT status tells you whether a vehicle has a valid MOT today, when it expires and how many days are left. MOT history is the record of every past test: the results, the defects, the advisories and the mileage. The status tells you whether the vehicle is legal to drive; the history tells you how it has been looked after.
You only need the registration. You don't need the MOT certificate, the V5C logbook or the owner's permission. MOT records are public.
The MOT does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox. A car can pass with a tired gearbox, so the MOT history is a guide to condition, not a full inspection.
In the year to March 2026, DVSA recorded 33.3 million MOT tests on cars and vans in Great Britain. 27.5% failed first time, and 22.3% were still failing after repairs made at the test centre. The most common reasons were:
| Defect category | Share of tests failing on it |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.4% |
| Suspension | 8.9% |
| Tyres | 6.2% |
| Brakes | 6.1% |
| Visibility (windscreen, wipers, mirrors) | 4.3% |
Source: DVSA, MOT testing data for Great Britain , financial year 2025 to 2026. A failed test had 2.4 defects on average.
Many of these are cheap to fix before the test: a blown bulb, worn wiper blades or an under-inflated tyre. An MOT history that shows the same simple failures year after year says something about how a car has been looked after.
In England, Scotland and Wales, a car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, and every year after that. In Northern Ireland the first test is due at four years. You can have the test up to a month (minus a day) before the current MOT expires and keep the same renewal date. Our free check shows exactly how many days are left.
Yes, register for free and enter a registration number. A free check shows the MOT status, days left and full MOT history, with the mileage and advisories, along with road tax, vehicle details, fuel economy, insurance group, electric vehicle data where relevant, and clean air zone checks. It is ideal for researching a car. A stolen check is also included free when you register.
Before you buy, our Silver and Gold checks add the checks that matter most: whether the vehicle has been written off, has outstanding finance, has been scrapped or has a salvage history, plus additional mileage data and a valuation.
Yes. The registration is all you need. MOT records are available for tests in Great Britain since 2005 and in Northern Ireland since 2017.
Yes. It shows the odometer reading recorded at each MOT test and the miles driven between tests. These are readings taken on the day of each test, not a continuous record, so they show the pattern of use between tests.
An advisory is a problem the tester noticed that was not serious enough to fail the vehicle, such as tyres nearing the legal limit or early corrosion. It is a warning that work may be needed soon. The same advisory recurring at several tests usually means it has not been fixed.
Only to a pre-booked MOT test, or to have repairs done to fix a failed MOT. Otherwise you can be fined up to £1,000. If the vehicle has a dangerous defect, you can be fined up to £2,500, banned from driving and given 3 penalty points. An expired MOT can also invalidate your insurance. GOV.UK explains the rules on getting an MOT and what happens after the test .
Garages set their own prices, up to a legal maximum. The maximum for a car is £54.85.
Yes. MOT test results are published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and can be checked by anyone with the registration number. They contain no personal details about the owner.
An MOT history can't tell you whether a vehicle has outstanding finance or has been written off by an insurer. If you are about to buy a used car, run a full vehicle history check as well.
Compare our Silver and Gold checks, see a sample report or buy vouchers for the best price if you check several cars.
MOT test costs can vary depending on the garage or testing centre you choose. However, there are regulations in place governing the maximum fees garages can charge. The maximum fee for a car MOT test is currently £54.85.
Driving without a valid MOT certificate is illegal and can result in fines of up to £1,000, along with penalty points on the driver's licence of the vehicle's registered keeper.
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