Current MOT status
See at a glance whether the MOT is valid, when it runs out, and how much time you have left before a test is due.
Free MOT history check
Check the MOT history of any UK vehicle: pass and fail records, mileage at every test, advisories, failure reasons and your expiry date.
- Free always
- No sign-up needed
- Unlimited checks
Example report
MOT valid
GB
MK19 MOT
Vauxhall Corsa
2019 · Petrol · White
Valid until11 Mar 2027
Last mileage61,440 mi
Mileage history
6 recorded tests
Free MOT data points
What your free MOT check includes
An MOT is the one check almost every UK car goes through every year. That makes its history the most honest record of a vehicle’s life.
Full test history
The latest five tests on the DVSA record — dates, pass or fail results and retests — so you can see how the car has been looked after year by year.
Mileage at every test
The odometer reading at every test, plotted on a timeline so clocking, long lay-ups and disconnected odometers stand out instantly.
Advisories & failures
The exact notes testers left, from worn tyres to dangerous defects, in plain English rather than mechanic shorthand.
The MOT test
What an MOT is, and why every car needs one
Three letters, one annual appointment. Here is what the test actually is, when it is due and what it costs.
What an MOT tests
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport, the government department that created the test in 1960. It is an annual inspection of roadworthiness, safety and emissions carried out at authorised test centres. It is not a service: nothing is replaced or topped up. The examiner checks that your car meets the minimum legal standard to be on the road, and nothing more.
When your MOT is due
A car needs its first MOT when it is three years old, then once every 12 months after that. You can take the test up to a month before it expires without losing your anniversary date, so a test on the 1st of July keeps your expiry on the 1st of July. That early window is handy for shopping around or fixing a fail without losing road time.
What an MOT costs
There is no fixed price, only a maximum. For a standard car in Class 4 the test fee is capped at £54.85, and many garages charge less to win the work. Anything on top of that is a repair quote, not a test fee, so always ask for the test price on its own before you book.
The MOT is a snapshot, not a service: a pass today says nothing about the
oil, the cambelt or the next 12,000 miles.
If your MOT has expired
Driving without a valid MOT is an offence carrying a fine of up to £1,000, and an invalid MOT can also put your insurance at risk. There is one narrow exception: you may drive to a pre-booked test at a test centre. If the car fails, the retest is free or partly free when it happens at the same centre within 10 working days, depending on what was repaired.
The checklist
What an MOT actually checks
The test covers dozens of items across the car. These are the big groups that decide your pass or fail.
Lights & electrical
Headlamps, indicators, brake lights, fog lamps and the wiring that feeds them.
Tyres & wheels
Tread depth, condition, size and the security of every wheel and tyre valve.
Brakes
Discs, pads, lines, hoses and the handbrake, measured on a roller brake tester.
Exhaust & emissions
Noise, leaks and the smoke or gas readings taken at the tailpipe.
Steering & suspension
Ball joints, shock absorbers, springs and the power steering system.
Seatbelts
Every belt, buckle and stalk checked for wear, damage and correct locking.
Wipers & washers
Blades that clear the swept area and washers that actually reach the glass.
Mirrors & glass
Condition and view from every mirror, plus chips and cracks in the glass.
Bodywork & structure
Sharp edges, serious rust and the solid mounting points that hold it together.
Number plate
Correct font, spacing and colour, with a clean, legible face.
Horn
Loud enough to be heard and working from the driver’s seat.
Seats & airbags
Seats that are secure and locked, and airbag warning lights that behave.
Before your test
Checks that fail the most cars
Most MOT failures come down to a handful of cheap, quick checks. Five minutes in the driveway before your appointment can save the retest fee and a second trip.
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1
Lamps, reflectors & electrical
Blown bulbs, faulty indicators and cracked lenses are the single biggest cause of failure. Walk around the car with every switch on — a bulb costing a couple of pounds is the most common fail of the lot.
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2
Suspension
Worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers and broken springs all fail the test. Knocking over speed bumps is the usual early warning that something is on its way out.
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3
Brakes
Worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and uneven braking are common failures. Grinding, pulling or a spongy pedal deserves a garage look before the examiner finds it on the rollers.
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4
Tyres
Tread below 1.6mm, sidewall damage and wrong sizes are fails, not advisories. A 20p coin settles it: if the outer band stays visible, you are below the legal limit.
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5
Exhaust & emissions
A failing catalytic converter or high emissions will stop a car passing. Blue or thick black smoke at startup points at the problem long before the tailpipe test does.
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6
Steering
Excessive play, damaged gaiters and power-steering leaks are frequent failures, and heavy steering is the giveaway to check first.
Know the rules
Classes, exemptions and Northern Ireland
Not every vehicle is tested the same way, and a few are not tested at all. Here is the short version.
MOT classes
Most cars and light vans are Class 4. Larger passenger vehicles are Class 5, three-wheelers up to 450kg are Class 3, and goods vehicles between 3,000kg and 3,500kg are Class 7.
Exemptions
Vehicles over 40 years old that have not been substantially changed are exempt, as are most electric vehicles when it comes to emissions — though they still need a safety test.
Northern Ireland
MOT testing in Northern Ireland is run by the DVA rather than the DVSA. The rules and the test itself are broadly similar, but the records are held separately.
MOT expired, or the car just failed?
You can still sell it. Traders on our network buy cars with or without a current MOT. Enter your reg, upload your car to our listings, and let them bid.
Good to know
MOT checks: common questions
The things drivers ask us most often about MOTs and MOT history.
Enter the vehicle registration into the checker at the top of this page and submit it. We look the vehicle up against the official DVSA MOT History record and take you straight to its status, expiry date and test history.
Yes. The check is completely free and you do not need an account. It reads publicly available DVSA data, so there is nothing to pay and nothing to sign up for.
An MOT certificate is valid for 12 months. If you test your car up to a month minus a day before the current certificate expires, the new certificate can be dated from the old expiry — so you keep the remaining time.
You will be given a VT30 refusal notice listing the reasons for failure. You can usually drive the car away only if its previous MOT is still valid, and you must not drive a vehicle with a dangerous fault. Repairs then need to be made and the car retested.
It is printed on the top-right of your MOT certificate and on the VT30 if the car failed. You do not need the certificate number for this check — the registration is enough.
Where DVSA holds it, the record includes the vehicle make and model, fuel type, colour and registration date, the current MOT status and expiry, plus the latest tests with their dates, recorded mileage, pass or fail result, advisories and failure reasons.
Only in limited circumstances, such as driving to a pre-booked test or to a garage for repairs. Otherwise driving without a valid MOT can mean a fine, penalty points or an invalidated insurance policy.
Vehicles built more than 40 years ago that have not been substantially changed are exempt from MOT testing. You still need to keep them in a roadworthy condition and declare the exemption when you tax them.
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