MOT Check Now is an independent UK vehicle checker. You type in a registration number and we show you what the official records say about that vehicle: its MOT history, tax status, SORN status, mileage readings across tests, vehicle details and an emissions-based estimate for the ULEZ and Clean Air Zones. The service is run by MOT Check Now, and the basic checks are free. This page explains what we do, where our data comes from, how we pay for the site and where the limits are.
Why we exist
The government publishes a great deal of useful vehicle data, but it is spread across several services, written in technical language and awkward to read on a phone while standing next to a car. We built MOT Check Now to put the useful parts in one place, explain them in plain English and help people make better decisions when they buy, sell or keep a vehicle. Most of what you need for a sensible first look is free, and we intend to keep it that way.
Where our data comes from
We do not hold a secret database. Everything on the site comes from two official sources.
- The DVSA MOT history service. Provides recorded MOT tests for vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales since 2005: results, expiry dates, odometer readings and the defects found, including advisories. Northern Ireland MOTs are run by DVA, a separate service, and are not included.
- The DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. Provides make, colour, fuel type, engine size, CO2 emissions, year of manufacture, month of first registration, tax status and due date, MOT status, Euro status and whether a vehicle is marked for export.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
We add our own work on top. The mileage discrepancy check is our analysis of recorded MOT odometer readings. It flags falls, big jumps and long stalls so that you know where to ask questions. The ULEZ and Clean Air Zone estimates are our reading of the vehicle’s Euro status and fuel type against published zone standards. Both are indicators. Neither is an official finding.
What we do and what we do not do
We do:
- Show official MOT, tax, SORN and vehicle data for a registration number you enter.
- Explain what the result means, including advisories, failures and mileage patterns.
- Send a free MOT reminder by email if you ask for one.
- Offer a paid Full Vehicle Report as a PDF.
We do not:
- Show owner or keeper details. They are never available to us.
- Provide finance, stolen vehicle or insurance write-off checks. That data is not in the free official sources, and our report does not include it. If you need it, use a provider that states it covers those records.
- Give legal, financial or mechanical advice. Our guides are general information.
- Represent DVLA, DVSA or GOV.UK in any way.
We are independent, not official
MOT Check Now is an independent service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to DVLA, DVSA, GOV.UK or any government body, and we do not use their logos. When the official service is the right place to do something, such as checking MOT history on GOV.UK or taxing a vehicle, we will point you there. If you need an official confirmation for a legal or enforcement matter, the official service is the source to rely on.
How we make money
Our free tools are free to use, and we make money from one place: the £3.99 Full Vehicle Report. It puts a vehicle’s full MOT timeline, mileage analysis, recurring advisories and a plain-English risk summary into one PDF. You never have to buy it to use any of the free checks, and we try to be straightforward about when it is worth it and when it is not. If the free checks answer your question, you do not need the report. Details on pricing and what is included are on the report page, and the refund policy explains how refunds work for digital downloads.
Accuracy and limits
We aim to show the official data faithfully, but we can only be as accurate as the sources behind us.
- Records can be incomplete, delayed or wrong. A test that has only just been done may not appear straight away.
- Newly registered vehicles may show details but no test history, because the first MOT is due by the third anniversary of registration.
- Older, imported and specialist vehicles can have blank fields.
- A result reflects the record at the moment of the check.
- A clean check does not prove a vehicle is safe, free of finance or free of accident damage.
Our disclaimer sets this out formally. For buying advice, start with our vehicle check page and the used car checklist.
Your data
The registration numbers you enter are processed to fetch the vehicle record. We do not show or collect keeper details. If you sign up for an email reminder, we use your email address for that purpose. See the privacy policy and cookie policy for the details, and our terms for how the service may be used.
Contact us
If you spot a mistake, have a question about a result or want to ask about your data, we want to hear from you. Use the contact page, or write to the contact page. Our address is . Please include the registration number you checked and what looked wrong, and we will look into it. For problems with an official record itself, such as a wrong MOT result, the DVSA or DVLA has to correct the underlying data, and we can point you to the right route.