MOT Check
An MOT check tells you, in seconds, whether a UK vehicle has a valid MOT, when it expires, and exactly what the DVSA tester recorded at every test going back to 2005. Enter any registration above and RegRadar's free MOT checker pulls live data straight from the DVSA — no signup, no card, no email.
How do I check a car's MOT?
Enter the registration on RegRadar's free MOT checker. We call the DVSA MOT History API in real time and return MOT status, expiry date, mileage at last test, and the full pass/fail history with advisories — for any UK car, van or motorbike.
Key facts
- RegRadar's MOT check is free and uses live DVSA data.
- Results include current MOT status, expiry date, mileage and every recorded test.
- Advisories and failure reasons are shown in plain English.
- Works for cars, vans, motorbikes and light commercials registered in the UK.
- No signup, no card and no email required to run an MOT check.
What is an MOT check?
An MOT check is a lookup against the DVSA's MOT testing database. Every test centre in Great Britain uploads its results — pass, fail, mileage, advisories — to the DVSA on the day the test is done. An MOT checker reads that database back by registration and shows you what's there. It's the single most reliable free source of information about a used UK car.
How to use the MOT checker
Type the registration into the search box at the top of this page and press check. RegRadar contacts the DVSA's MOT History API directly and returns the current MOT status, the expiry date, the date and result of every previous test, the mileage at each test and any advisories or failure reasons the tester recorded. The whole lookup takes a couple of seconds.
What the free MOT check shows
Current MOT status (valid, expired or unknown), MOT expiry date, the date of every recorded MOT test, the result of each test, the mileage at each test, every advisory noted by the tester, every failure reason for tests that didn't pass, and the test number and testing station details where the DVSA holds them.
Why MOT history matters when buying a used car
MOT mileage is the single most reliable defence against clocking — the figures are entered by an independent tester, locked into the DVSA database, and can't be touched by the seller. A pattern of advisories that keep coming back, a sudden change of test centre, big mileage gaps between tests or a last-minute pass right before sale are all worth a closer look. The MOT check won't tell you the whole story, but it will tell you which questions to ask.
MOT check vs MOT history check
An MOT check confirms current status — is the MOT valid, when does it expire. An MOT history check is the same lookup but emphasises the full test record going back to 2005. RegRadar returns both on every search, so you don't need to choose. If you want a deeper dive into the timeline, the dedicated MOT history check page walks through how to read it.
What an MOT check cannot tell you
An MOT only proves the car was roadworthy on the day of the test. It is not an inspection of the engine internals, the gearbox or the clutch, and it cannot detect insurance write-offs, outstanding finance, stolen markers or odometer rollback that pre-dates the test record. For those checks you need a full premium history report.
Is the RegRadar MOT checker really free?
Yes. The free MOT check uses the official DVSA MOT History API and is genuinely free to run — no card, no email, no account. Premium history checks (finance, stolen, write-off, mileage anomaly) are a separate £9.99 one-off purchase only if you choose to upgrade.
Why buyers trust RegRadar
- Data sourced directly from the DVSA MOT History API
- Live lookup — no overnight cache
- Free to use with no signup
- Covers tests from 2005 onwards
Frequently asked questions
Is the MOT check free?
Yes. RegRadar's MOT checker is free and uses live DVSA data. There's no signup, no card and no fair-use trick — you can run as many MOT checks as you need.
How do I check a car's MOT history?
Enter the registration on this page. You'll see the current MOT status, expiry date and the full DVSA test history including mileages, advisories and any failures.
How far back does MOT history go?
The DVSA's online MOT records go back to 2005. Tests before that exist only on paper and aren't available through the public API.
Does the MOT check work for vans and motorbikes?
Yes. Any vehicle registered in the UK and tested in Great Britain is covered — cars, vans, motorbikes and light commercials.
What does 'MOT expiry date' mean?
It's the last day the current MOT certificate is valid. After that date the vehicle cannot legally be driven on public roads, except to a pre-booked MOT appointment.
Why does the MOT check show advisories?
Advisories are issues the tester noticed that aren't bad enough to fail the MOT yet but are likely to fail soon. They're a useful signal of what the car will need in its next service.