Free MOT Check
& Full History.

An MOT is an annual safety and emissions test required for most vehicles over three years old in the UK. It checks lights, brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, emissions and more. A pass means the vehicle is legal to drive on UK roads for another 12 months.

Your MOT is due 12 months after your last MOT pass. Use our checker above to enter your registration and see your MOT expiry date instantly. You can also get an MOT up to a month (minus one day) before the expiry date and keep the same renewal date.

An MOT is valid for 12 months from the date it's issued. If you test up to one month before expiry, the new certificate runs from the day after the old one expired - so you don't lose any time. Test earlier and the 12 months runs from the test date.

No - it is illegal to drive on a public road without a valid MOT, with limited exceptions like driving to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage for repairs. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT, and your car insurance may also be invalidated.

If your car fails, you can't drive it on the road unless you have a still-valid existing MOT certificate, or you're driving directly to or from a garage for repairs. Get the failures fixed and re-tested - a partial re-test is free if you return to the same garage within 10 working days.

The maximum legal fee for an MOT is £54.85 for a car (Class 4), though most garages charge less. Motorbikes are £29.65, light vans up to £58.60. Many garages run discounts, especially when combined with a service. The MOT fee is capped nationwide by DVSA.

An MOT covers brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, lights, seatbelts, windscreen and wipers, horn, exhaust and emissions, vehicle structure, mirrors, fuel system, registration plates, and the VIN. It does not check engine condition, clutch, gearbox or battery health - those are not part of the MOT.

New cars don't need an MOT for the first three years from the date they were first registered. After that, an MOT is required every 12 months. So a car first registered on 1 January 2024 needs its first MOT by 1 January 2027.

Yes. Brumble's MOT checker is completely free and uses official DVSA data - no sign-up, no payment, no email required. Enter the registration number above to see full MOT history, current status, advisories, failure reasons and mileage record for any UK-registered vehicle.

Advisories are issues identified during the MOT that aren't serious enough to fail the vehicle but should be monitored and may need attention soon. Examples: tyres approaching the legal limit, light brake disc corrosion, minor oil leaks. Recurring advisories on the same item across multiple tests can be a useful warning sign when buying a used car.

Mileage is recorded at every MOT test, building a tamper-evident history. When buying a used car, comparing the seller's claimed mileage against the MOT history is one of the easiest ways to spot a clocked car - if the numbers don't match a steadily rising trend, ask questions.

Generally, no. Most UK car insurance policies require the vehicle to hold a valid MOT (if required) and to be roadworthy. Driving without an MOT can give insurers grounds to refuse a claim or void the policy. Always check your MOT before driving - and if you need new cover, compare car insurance via Brumble.

Our tool covers MOT status and history. For road tax information, you can check your vehicle's tax status for free on the GOV.UK website. Many drivers check both at the same time - your MOT expiry date and tax renewal date are two of the most important dates to keep track of as a vehicle owner. Driving without either a valid MOT or road tax can result in fines and penalties.

Before your MOT, check the basics yourself - lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), windscreen wipers, horn, mirrors, seatbelts, and number plates. Make sure your windscreen washer fluid is topped up and all lights are working, including brake lights and indicators. Checking your vehicle's previous MOT advisories using our tool is a smart way to prepare - advisories from last year often become failure reasons the following year if not addressed. Common MOT failures include faulty lighting, tyre condition, brake problems, and suspension issues.

Yes. If you're wondering "is my car MOT'd?" and your vehicle is registered in Northern Ireland, our checker has you covered. The DVSA MOT history API includes records for vehicles in Northern Ireland from 2017 onwards, and vehicles in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from 2005. Our checker covers cars, motorcycles, vans, HGVs, trailers, buses and coaches across the whole of the UK.