What the free government checks show
There are two free services on gov.uk, both needing only the registration.
The MOT history service (gov.uk/check-mot-history) shows, for each test since 2005 in Great Britain and since 2017 in Northern Ireland:
- whether the car passed or failed
- the mileage recorded at the test
- the parts that failed, and any minor problems and advisories
- when the next MOT is due
- where the test was done, if you enter the 11-digit reference from the log book (V5C)
The DVLA vehicle enquiry service (gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla) shows the tax status and expiry, SORN status, MOT expiry, date of first registration, year of manufacture, engine size, fuel type, emissions, export status and the date the last log book (V5C) was issued. That last date is useful: if the seller's V5C has an older issue date, it is not the current one.
Both are free, official and up to date. Every paid history check that includes MOT data uses the same DVSA records.
What they do not show
- Outstanding finance. A car with finance owing can be repossessed from you even if you bought it in good faith. Finance is recorded on private registers.
- Stolen status. The police register is not public.
- Insurance write-offs. The insurers' register is private. See Cat S, Cat N and write-offs explained.
- Previous keepers, plate changes and colour changes. Some of these are held by the DVLA but not shown in the free services.
- Whether the advert is honest. Neither service knows what the seller claims. Comparing the advert's mileage, colour, engine and history with the records is up to you.
- What the readings mean. The MOT history lists readings and defects test by test. It is up to you to spot a mileage drop, the same advisory repeating, or corrosion spreading across tests. See how to read an MOT history and how to spot clocked mileage.
When the free check is enough
- You are early in the search. Use the free checks to rule cars out before you travel.
- A cheap car from someone you know, where finance and theft are not real risks.
- You will add a register check before paying. Many buyers use the free checks on every car and pay for one full history check on the car they decide to buy.
When to pay for more
- Before you hand over money for any car from a stranger, a check that covers finance, stolen and write-off registers is cheap insurance. HPI, the AA and carVertical all sell one; our comparison pages set out what each includes and costs.
- When the advert and the records might not agree. That is what RegTail is built for. Paste the advert link and the full report (1 credit) tests the seller's claims against the MOT history and the registration record, checks the mileage against every reading and against what is typical for the model, and gives you a checklist for the viewing.
RegTail's free check uses the same DVSA and DVLA data as gov.uk and shows the current MOT status and condition. It does not check finance, stolen or write-off registers, and every report says so.