Where Our MOT Data Comes From
Every MOT check on this site comes from the official DVSA MOT History API. We fetch the record when you check a plate and show it as DVSA returns it.
What the data covers
| Vehicles | Where | Tests from |
|---|---|---|
| Cars, vans and motorcycles | Great Britain | 2005 |
| Cars, vans and motorcycles | Northern Ireland | 2017 |
| HGVs, trailers, buses and coaches | Great Britain | 2018 |
| HGVs, trailers, buses and coaches | Northern Ireland | 2017 |
Source: DVSA MOT History API documentation. Last checked 23 October 2026.
Trailer tests are in the official data. Our checker can find some trailers by their trailer ID, but the record may have no make or model, and we cannot promise to find every trailer. If yours is not found, use the official GOV.UK service. The official service is GOV.UK Check MOT history. Our HGV and trailer guideexplains more.
What we add, and how
We add a few things to the official record to make it easier to read. They are our explanation, not part of the official record. Unless a rule says where it comes from, it is our own rule:
- We show "MOT due soon" when the MOT runs out in 30 days or fewer. This is our own rule, not a legal one.
- You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. (Rule from GOV.UK.)
- When the latest test is a lorry, bus or trailer annual test (DVSA marks it CVS), we do not show an early test date, because GOV.UK gives the early-test rule for MOTs only. The calendar reminder goes on the expiry date, with an alert 2 months before, when GOV.UK sends its lorry and bus reminders. When the latest test was in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland rule is used instead.
- We label a pass as a retest when it comes 10 days or fewer after a fail.
- We use only real mileage readings (DVSA marks them READ) and turn kilometres into miles (1 km = 0.621371 miles). We show a possible mileage drop when a reading is lower than the highest reading at any earlier test. Equal readings, for example at a retest, are not a drop.
- We show a yearly average mileage only when the first and last readings are at least 180 days apart.
Rules last checked 24 October 2026.
Defect categories
DVSA gives each defect a category. We show the defect text exactly as DVSA gives it, with a short note on what the category means.
| Category | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous | A direct and immediate risk to road safety or a serious impact on the environment. The vehicle fails the MOT. Do not drive the vehicle until it has been repaired. | GOV.UK |
| Major | It may affect the vehicle’s safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment. The vehicle fails the MOT. Repair it immediately. | GOV.UK |
| Fail | This item caused the vehicle to fail the MOT test. | DVSA API spec |
| Minor | No significant effect on the safety of the vehicle or impact on the environment. The vehicle can still pass. Repair it as soon as possible. | GOV.UK |
| Advisory | It could become more serious in the future. The vehicle can still pass. Monitor it and repair it if necessary. | GOV.UK |
| Non-specific | No note from us. We show the DVSA text only. | DVSA API spec |
| User entered | No note from us. We show the DVSA text only. | DVSA API spec |
| System generated | No note from us. We show the DVSA text only. | DVSA API spec |
Last checked 24 October 2026.
Safety recalls
Recall status from the DVSA Recalls service via the MOT History API. DVSA gives one of four values. To check a vehicle yourself, use the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
| DVSA value | What we show | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Unfixed safety recall | The manufacturer has at least one recall for this vehicle that has not been fixed yet. |
| No | All recalls fixed | There were one or more recalls for this vehicle and all of them have been fixed. |
| Unknown | No known recalls found | No known recalls have been found in the available data. |
| Unavailable | Recall check unavailable | The DVSA Recalls service did not answer. Try again later or use the GOV.UK recall checker. |
Source: DVSA MOT History API specification. Last checked 23 October 2026.
What this check does not include
MOT records do not show whether a vehicle is stolen, has outstanding finance or has been written off. For that you need a paid vehicle history check.
Defect details are not provided for Northern Ireland tests.
Licence
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Read the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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