Updated May 2026
How MOT Checkup works — free DVSA-powered MOT history in 3 steps
MOT Checkup is a thin, fast layer on top of the DVSA's official MOT history API. You enter a UK registration, we query the same dataset that powers GOV.UK, and you get the full test history with mileage, advisories and a free stolen check — all without a signup or a card.
The three (or four) steps
- Step 1
Enter a UK registration
Type any UK number plate into the search box on the home page or on /free-mot-check. We validate the format against the standard UK plate patterns (current, prefix, suffix, dateless, Northern Ireland) before sending it on.
- Step 2
We query the official DVSA MOT history API
The registration is sent to the DVSA's MOT history API — the same source that powers GOV.UK. We use the official OAuth2 endpoint where available and the Trade API as a fallback. Results are cached briefly to keep the page fast and to respect DVSA rate limits.
- Step 3
Read the full MOT, mileage and advisory history
You get every test back to 2005: pass or fail, exact date, mileage at the test, and every advisory and defect with severity. We add a mileage chart, the MOT pass-rate percentage, common faults for the model and a free stolen-vehicle check on top.
- Step 4
Optional AI insights for tricky reports
Where the report contains repeating advisories, mileage gaps or dangerous defects, we surface plain-English AI insights that explain what the MOT manual codes actually mean and what they imply for the car. The core history is free; AI insights are a free enhancement, not a paywall.
Where does the data come from?
Every MOT record on MOT Checkup comes from the DVSA MOT history API. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is the UK government body that runs the MOT scheme, and it publishes test results as open data. The same API powers GOV.UK's MOT history checker; we use the OAuth2 endpoint where available and fall back to the Trade API.
For tax status, CO2 band and fuel type we use the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service (VES). Reliability scoring on programmatic common-faults pages combines DVSA aggregate MOT data with named owner-survey indices — the full methodology is on our methodology page.
MOT Checkup is not affiliated with the DVSA, DVLA, or GOV.UK. The MOT scheme, test data and brand belong to the UK government. We are a private company that surfaces that public data with a friendlier interface and a few additional checks.
What we don't do
MOT Checkup is not an HPI check. There are categories of data we deliberately don't claim to provide. Being honest about this matters more than looking comprehensive.
We don't sell HPI-style finance or write-off data
Outstanding finance markers and insurance write-off categories (Cat A/B/S/N) come from the HPI/Experian databases that we don't license. If you need that data, run an HPI check after our free MOT check.
We don't access the police stolen register beyond our free check
Our /stolen-check uses publicly available stolen-vehicle data sources. A formal HPI Check or police PNC check goes deeper than we can — we're transparent that this is a useful first sweep, not a forensic search.
We don't fabricate reliability scores
Reliability scores in our reports are derived from DVSA aggregate MOT data and named consumer surveys. We cite the methodology on /methodology so the maths is auditable, not a black box.