HGV and Trailer MOT Check

How to check an HGV or bus MOT

Type the lorry or bus number plate into the box above. The result comes from the official DVSA MOT History API, the same record as for cars.

1. Type the number plate and tap Check MOT. Spaces and small letters do not matter.
2. See whether the annual test is valid, the date it runs out and the days left.
3. Scroll down for each past test, with its result and anything the tester recorded.

For a lorry or bus, the result page shows:

• The make, model, colour, fuel type and engine size, when the record gives them.
• The test status in words (valid, due soon or expired), the date it runs out and the days left.
• Every test in the record: the date, pass or fail, the mileage when one was recorded, the name of the test centre ("Tested at …") when the record gives it, and the test certificate number.
• The defects and advisories the record lists for each test.
• The safety recall status, as the record gives it.

When a test has no mileage reading, the result says so (for example "No odometer") instead of showing a number. See where our MOT data comes from.

How to check a trailer MOT

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. GOV.UK refers to a trailer by its trailer identification number (trailer ID).

To book a test at a DVSA test station you need the vehicle registration number or, for a trailer, the trailer identification number. The DVSA MOT History API finds a vehicle by its registration number or by its vehicle identification number (VIN). Its specification does not mention trailer IDs.

GOV.UK's Check MOT history service shows HGVs, trailers, buses and coaches, for tests done since 2018. When a lorry, bus or trailer passes, the result is recorded in the MOT database. You can check the MOT history to see the result online, or ask the test centre for a printed MOT certificate.

Check a trailer's MOT history on GOV.UK

When do HGVs, buses and trailers need an annual test?

HGVs and buses (including coaches) usually must be tested each year. The first test should be 12 months after the vehicle was first registered with the DVLA. Trailers must usually be tested one year after they were first sold or supplied.

Last checked 24 October 2026.

For the full list, including horseboxes and parts of articulated vehicles, see GOV.UK: HGV, bus or trailer MOT.

Zero emission goods vehicles with a design gross weight between 3,501kg and 4,250kg need a class 7 MOT.

Some vehicles are exempt from the HGV MOT. GOV.UK lists them on Form V112/G. An exempt vehicle might still need a standard MOT. Read Form V112/G on GOV.UK.

Our MOT due date guide explains the GOV.UK rule for getting a car MOT early and keeping the same renewal date. GOV.UK's guide to HGV, bus and trailer tests does not give that rule, so do not rely on it for a lorry, bus or trailer.

What the official record covers

The record has heavy vehicle tests from 2018 in Great Britain and from 2017 in Northern Ireland. Older tests are not in it.

The check does not show whether a vehicle is stolen, has outstanding finance or has been written off. Read how we use the MOT data.

Booking an annual test

We do not book, change or cancel tests, and we do not send reminders. Use the official GOV.UK test centre finder to book.

You book an HGV, bus or trailer MOT at a private test centre, known as an authorised test facility (ATF). In Scotland, if there is no ATF near you, you can book a test at a DVSA test station. All HGV, bus and trailer annual tests are carried out by DVSA assessors. If the vehicle fails, you have to take it away and get the faults fixed. Unlike with an MOT, most test centres cannot make the repairs for you.

• Find an HGV, bus or trailer test centre on GOV.UK (England, Scotland and Wales)
• Book a vehicle test in Northern Ireland on nidirect

In Northern Ireland, HGV, bus (PSV) and trailer tests are booked with the DVA on nidirect.

GOV.UK sends free MOT reminders by text message or email: one month before a car, van or motorcycle MOT is due, and 2 months before a lorry, bus or large trailer MOT is due. The service is not for people who live in Northern Ireland, who get a reminder by post 7 weeks before the MOT is due. Read GOV.UK: MOT reminders.

Frequently asked questions