Check a Vehicle's Full MOT History Before You Buy or Book

The history is a list of tests. Every row is one MOT test attempt, and each carries the same set of fields from the DVSA record.

• Test date. The date the test was completed.
• Result. Pass or fail.
• Expiry date. The date the certificate from that test runs to, where the test passed.
• Odometer reading. The value recorded, the unit (miles or kilometres), and whether it was read or the vehicle had no odometer.
• Test number. A unique reference for that test.
• Defects. Each one with a category and the tester’s wording.

Above the test list, the record also carries the vehicle’s basic identity: registration, make, model, colours, fuel type, engine size, and the dates it was first used, registered and manufactured where known. Use these to check the vehicle in front of you matches the record, since a mismatch in colour or fuel type is the sort of detail worth raising with a seller.

The table below is made up to show how to read a record. It is not a real vehicle. Imagine a petrol hatchback that has had five tests.

Reading the story in order shows several things at once.

1. The brake pipe advisory at test 2 became a major failure at test 3. That is exactly how an advisory is meant to work, and it is a reminder to treat advisories as a forecast.
2. The failure was fixed within days. The retest passed with nothing recorded, which tells you the owner repaired promptly.
3. The mileage at test 4 is lower than at test 3. A fall of more than a thousand miles is the sort of reading our mileage flags exist to catch. It could be a typing error at the test centre, or something that needs an explanation from the seller.
4. The suspension advisory repeats. The same bush was noted at tests 4 and 5. A buyer would expect to replace it soon and could use that when negotiating.
5. The latest test is the most useful. It shows a worn bush and a minor lamp defect. Neither is alarming, but both are things to check in person.

This kind of reading is the entire purpose of the history. The guide to reading MOT history repeats the exercise with more of the wording you will see, and the advisory tracker helps you follow one issue across tests.

A car with no history at all

If the vehicle is under three years old, there is no history because no test has been due. The first MOT is due by the third anniversary of registration, as explained in the first MOT guide. If the vehicle is older than that and returns nothing, check the registration, then consider whether it is exempt or was tested only in Northern Ireland.

Exempt historic vehicles

A vehicle built or first registered more than 40 years ago, without substantial changes, does not need an MOT. Its history may therefore be short or empty, or may stop at the point it became exempt. Exempt vehicles must still be roadworthy, so a short record is not the same as an unsafe vehicle. Read the exempt vehicles guide for the rules.

Imported vehicles

A vehicle brought from abroad has no MOT history for the years it was tested overseas. Its record begins with its first UK test, so a short history on a car that looks older is normal. Compare the dates and details with the V5C.

Northern Ireland

Tests in Northern Ireland are carried out under DVA, so they are absent here. A car that has moved between Northern Ireland and Great Britain may show a partial record. See the Northern Ireland MOT guide.

Personalised plates

The history is looked up by registration number. If a personalised plate has been moved between vehicles, the make, model, colour and fuel type shown on the result are your check that it belongs to the car in front of you. Our number plate guide has more on plates.

Expired certificates

An expired MOT shows in the status and in the date of the final test. A long period between the previous expiry and the next test means the vehicle probably had no valid MOT for that stretch, unless it was off the road under SORN. The driving without an MOT guide explains the legal position.

Failed tests

Failed tests stay in the history permanently. That is normal and nothing to hide. What matters is what failed and what happened next. If a failed vehicle left the test centre with a dangerous defect listed, it should not have been driven at all. The failed MOT guide and the failure reasons page explain the common causes.

An MOT history is a record, not a legal document, and the law about MOTs sits on GOV.UK. Driving without a valid MOT can bring a fine of up to £1,000, with exceptions for driving to a pre-arranged test or to or from a repair. A dangerous defect means the vehicle must not be driven, and driving it can lead to a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points. If you see a dangerous defect on a recent test, check that a later test shows it repaired before you drive the car anywhere.

The real value of a history comes from reading it as a story rather than a list. Start at the oldest test and work forward.

1. Note the first test and the age at the time. It should fall roughly three years after registration.
2. Follow each advisory forward. Does it vanish in the next test because it was fixed, or does it return with stronger wording, or turn into a failure?
3. Watch the dates. Tests should fall about 12 months apart. Gaps and bunching both need an explanation.
4. Look at the final test. Whatever is listed there is the nearest thing to the vehicle’s current condition on paper.

For a line-by-line example, the guide on how to read MOT history works through a record from start to finish. This page focuses on what the history contains and what patterns to look for.

• Covered: MOT tests recorded by the DVSA for vehicles tested in England, Scotland and Wales since 2005.
• Not covered: Northern Ireland. NI MOTs are run by DVA, a separate service. A vehicle tested only in Northern Ireland will not show its tests here.
• Not covered: tests before 2005. Older tests are not in the online record.
• Not covered: servicing. An MOT is not a service. The history tells you nothing about oil changes, cambelt replacement or other maintenance.
• Not covered: finance, stolen status or write-offs. Those need a different kind of check, and we do not claim to include them.
• Not covered: owners. No keeper or owner details appear in any record.

The MOT is also a snapshot against a minimum standard. It was never designed to certify condition. A vehicle can pass an MOT and still need a lot of work.

• Looking only at the latest result. One pass does not undo a bad pattern.
• Ignoring advisories because the car passed. Advisories are the early warning.
• Reading a failure as proof of neglect. Some failures are minor and quickly fixed. Check what failed and what followed.
• Assuming a thin history means a problem. Newly registered and exempt vehicles may have few or no tests.
• Treating an MOT history as a full vehicle check. It leaves out finance, theft and write-off status.
• Forgetting Northern Ireland. If the vehicle came from or was tested in NI, the DVSA record will be incomplete.

If you are choosing between two similar vehicles, put their histories side by side. Compare them on the same points, in this order.

1. Consistency of testing. Which has tests about 12 months apart, without unexplained gaps?
2. Quality of the last test. Which has fewer and less serious advisories?
3. Repeat issues. Which shows the same component being advised again and again?
4. Mileage logic. Which has readings that rise steadily and fit the age of the car?
5. Failure severity. Which has failures that look like wear items, and which has failures on structure or brakes?
6. Time left. Which has more months on the current certificate?

The compare cars tool is designed for this job. Remember that a better history is not a guarantee of a better car, since two vehicles with similar records can still differ in how they were driven and maintained.

It is natural to think of MOT records as a buyer’s tool, but they matter to owners for another reason: they are an independent record. If you ever dispute a repair, need to show a garage what was advised last year, or want to confirm that a vehicle was legally tested on a particular date, the dated record is stronger than anyone’s memory. It is also a simple way to confirm the date your next MOT is due without searching for a paper certificate, and the MOT certificate guide explains what to do if you need a copy of the paperwork itself.

• Test number. A unique reference given to each MOT test.
• Completed date. The date the test finished.
• Expiry date. The date the certificate from a passed test runs to.
• Odometer result type. Whether a reading was taken from an odometer or the vehicle had none.
• First used date. The date the vehicle was first used, where recorded.
• Retest. A repeat test after a failure, sometimes limited to the failed items.
• Dangerous. A defect so serious that the vehicle must not be driven.
• Recurring advisory. The same component noted at more than one test.

For help with anything on this page, see the how we get our data page, the about page, or the contact page. For wider reading, the guides section covers MOT costs, test classes and the full list of what the tester checks.