Updated May 2026

Is an MOT check actually free?

Yes — an MOT check on MOT Checkup is genuinely free, with no sign-up, no card details, and no usage cap. The MOT history data itself is open government data published by the DVSA, so there is no honest reason to charge for it on its own.

Where MOT history actually comes from

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is the UK government body that runs the MOT scheme. Every MOT test in Great Britain is submitted to the DVSA's central system, and the result — pass, fail, mileage reading, advisories and defects — becomes part of the vehicle's permanent record. The DVSA publishes this data through its public MOT history service and a free developer API.

That openness is deliberate. The MOT exists to protect road users, so the public has a right to see whether a vehicle is roadworthy. Any site, including this one, can connect to the DVSA's API and surface the data in a friendlier interface. The records themselves are not proprietary.

Why some sites still charge for it

You'll find a long tail of "vehicle check" sites quoting £4.99 or £9.99 for what they call an MOT report. A few reasons this happens:

• Bundling. They package MOT history alongside paid-for data such as outstanding finance, insurance write-off markers, or stolen-vehicle status. The MOT portion is free; the other checks have real licensing costs.
• Inertia. Some sites charge because their pricing page hasn't been touched since before the DVSA opened its API in 2016.
• Convenience packaging. A polished PDF, a logo, and an email delivery feel like a "report" — and people will pay a few pounds for that perceived formality.

None of these are wrong, but you should know what you're paying for. If you only need MOT history and mileage readings, you do not need to pay anything.

What "free" means on MOT Checkup

• No account creation. No email address. No card.
• No daily cap on checks — useful if you're shortlisting several used cars.
• Full MOT history including pass/fail, mileage at every test, and every advisory and defect.
• Data sourced directly from the DVSA, not scraped or cached for weeks.

When paid checks do make sense

If you're about to buy a used car for serious money, an MOT history alone isn't a complete picture. Paid HPI-style reports add things the DVSA doesn't track:

• Outstanding finance against the vehicle.
• Insurance write-off categories (Cat A/B/S/N).
• Police stolen markers — see our stolen check.
• Plate transfer and identity history.

For a quick gut-check, a free MOT history is usually enough to spot a dodgy car. For a £10,000+ purchase, the extras are worth it. We just believe you shouldn't be charged for the free bit.

Frequently asked questions