MOT check

MOT check — full MOT history, free in seconds

Enter a registration to see the vehicle's full MOT history: every test result, the advisories, the mileage recorded each time and when the current MOT runs out.

Free · no sign-up · DVSA MOT data

What the free MOT check shows

The full MOT test history — every pass and fail on record
Advisories and failure reasons at each test
The mileage recorded at each MOT, so you can spot gaps or clocking
The current MOT expiry date
A plain-English summary of what the record suggests

Want finance, stolen, write-off and mileage evidence checked too? The paid Comprehensive check adds those — but the MOT history above is free.

How to read an MOT history before you view a car

An MOT history is one of the most honest records you can read on a used car, because it is created by a tester once a year rather than by the seller. Read it like a mechanic would: start at the oldest test and work forward, watching how the same advisories reappear.

Advisories are the tell. A one-off advisory for a worn tyre means little; the same advisory — corrosion, a leaking shock, a binding brake — flagged year after year points to a fault the owner has chosen not to fix. Failures matter too, but a car that failed and was then repaired and passed is often in better shape than one that has never been looked at closely.

Mileage is the other signal. The recorded mileage should climb steadily; a year where it barely moves, or drops, is worth a hard question. Clocking — winding a mileage back — usually shows up as an inconsistency between MOT readings, which is exactly why the year-by-year figures are useful. A gap in the history is worth noting too: a missing year can simply mean the car was off the road, but it is a question to put to the seller rather than to skip past.

The current expiry date matters for what happens after you buy. A car sold with a fresh MOT tells you a tester has recently looked it over; a car with only weeks left means a test — and any work it throws up — is about to become your problem, which is fair leverage in a negotiation. It is worth reading the most recent advisories in that light, because they are effectively a preview of what the next MOT may pick up. None of this replaces a proper inspection or a test drive, but it tells you where to look and what to ask before you spend a penny.

Carcheck123 shows the full MOT history and the mileage at each test in one view, alongside the rest of the free check, so you can read the whole record without hopping between screens. It is a snapshot of what the record says at the moment you run it — re-checking later is a new check, not a live feed.

Other free checks

DVLA vehicle check

Common questions

Is the MOT check really free?

Yes. The full MOT history — every test, advisory, mileage reading and the current expiry — is shown free when you enter a registration. No sign-up is needed.

Where does the MOT data come from?

From the DVSA's MOT records — the same source that records the official test results.

Can an MOT history show mileage fraud?

It can suggest it. The mileage recorded at each test should rise steadily; a reading that drops or stalls between tests is a sign worth investigating. The free check lays out the mileage at each MOT so inconsistencies are easy to spot.

What isn't covered by an MOT check?

An MOT record shows the vehicle's test and mileage history, not whether it has outstanding finance, has been stolen or has been written off. Those come from other data sources — the paid Comprehensive check adds them.