MOT history check by registration

Look up MOT test results, advisories and mileage recorded for a UK registration using DVSA MOT History data, then see how Car Buyer Check reads the timeline.

Enter vehicle registration — run a check for your plate (interactive form loads with the app).

Jump to registration form

Illustrative car for inspection areas

MOT History is the DVSA’s record of statutory tests for vehicles registered in Great Britain. Each entry shows the test date, pass or fail result, mileage at test, and the tester’s written comments — including advisories that did not fail the test. Northern Ireland uses a separate system; this product is built around the GB MOT History service.

How to look up MOT history here

Type the registration in the form above. Car Buyer Check requests the DVSA MOT History record: make, colour, fuel, year, mileage, and the tests on file. Tax and current MOT expiry are not part of this check. You do not need the previous owner’s paperwork to run the lookup.

After a successful lookup you land on the free check. You see identity, the latest recorded mileage, and which areas have notes. The dated wording, seller questions, and full timeline open in the buyer report.

Reading the timeline, not just the latest pass

  • Mileage should generally rise between tests; a lower figure on a later test is visible on the timeline and is flagged for you to verify, not as proof of fraud.
  • Advisories are written observations. They can appear on one test and not the next without any repair being recorded.
  • A fail followed by a later pass shows the car met the test standard on that later date — not that every advisory was fixed.

The free preview translates raw MOT comments into buyer-facing pattern labels and inspection areas on the car model. The buyer report adds the full chronology with original wording where we have it, seller questions tied to each pattern, and viewing guidance on the model. Neither tier adds finance, stolen, or insurance write-off data.

Limits of an MOT history check

Tests are carried out at intervals and only cover items in the MOT inspection. Wear that develops the week after a pass will not appear until the next test. Imported vehicles may have incomplete identity linkage in the data we receive. If DVSA or DVLA is unavailable, the lookup fails closed rather than guessing.

Use MOT history to prepare questions and inspection focus. Pair it with a physical viewing. For a deeper walkthrough of how patterns are derived, see the methodology page in the app after you run a check.

Official sources

Is this the same as the GOV.UK MOT history service?

We use the same underlying DVSA MOT History data for Great Britain. Car Buyer Check adds DVLA identity and licensing fields where connected, then applies buyer-facing pattern rules on top — we do not alter government test results.

Why might mileage on an advert not match MOT History?

Sellers sometimes round or mistype mileage. MOT mileage is what the tester recorded on the day of test. Compare the latest MOT reading to the odometer at viewing and ask about any gap.

What is the difference between a fail and an advisory?

A fail means the car did not meet the legal standard at that test. An advisory is a recorded defect or wear item that did not fail the test on that date. Both appear in the history; only fails block a pass certificate at that test.

Do I need the V5C to run an MOT history check?

No. The registration plate is enough for the online MOT History lookup this product uses.

What if the car has almost no MOT tests yet?

New cars are exempt until the third anniversary of registration. A young car may show a short or empty timeline. The app surfaces that context instead of inventing history.

Check this registration