How to check a car's MOT history
Every MOT result since 2005 is public, free, and takes ten seconds to look up. If you're buying a used car and haven't done this, stop reading and do it now.
The two-step version
- Go to gov.uk/check-mot-history.
- Enter the registration. That's it.
You'll see the current MOT expiry date, the tax status, and every test the car has had since 2005: the date, the result, the mileage recorded, and the wording of every fail and advisory item.
What to look for when buying
- Mileage that goes backwards or jumps oddly between tests. The MOT record is the hardest evidence of clocking there is.
- The same advisory year after year. "Slight corrosion to rear subframe" three years running means nobody's touched it — and it'll be a fail soon.
- Gaps. A year with no test means the car was off the road, or driven without one.
- Fails followed by a pass the same day — normal, that's the retest. Fails followed by a pass at a different garage a week later — ask why.
- Recent advisories the seller hasn't mentioned. Worn tyres, brakes, bushes — all money you'll spend soon. Use them to negotiate.
Reading the items
The wording is the tester's official phrasing and can be cryptic ("nearside front suspension arm ball joint has excessive play"). Ask Lois — paste any of it in and she'll tell you what it means and how serious it is.
Get reminded automatically
gov.uk will text or email you a month before expiry: gov.uk/mot-reminder. If you've had an MOT with us we send one too.