CarCheckHQ
Check a car

Guide

Free MOT history check or a paid car history check?

The GOV.UK MOT history service is official and free to use, and it's the first thing to check on any used car. A paid car history check answers different questions. This guide sets out what each one shows, and where you need both.

Published by CarCheckHQ · Updated . Written by the CarCheckHQ team.

What the free MOT history shows

You need the car's registration number. GOV.UK says the service shows the car's past MOT tests, including:

  • whether it passed or failed
  • the mileage recorded at each test
  • when the next MOT is due

For tests in England, Scotland or Wales, you can also see which parts failed and any minor problems, and download current and previous MOT certificates. To see where each test was done, you need the 11-digit number from the V5C log book.

Results for cars go back to tests done since 2005. In Northern Ireland, results go back to 2017. The MOT history may also show if the car has been recalled for a safety reason, depending on the manufacturer.

What the free vehicle enquiry shows

DVLA's vehicle enquiry service is also free to use and sits alongside the MOT history. With the registration number, it shows:

  • vehicle tax, the current rate and when it expires
  • SORN status
  • when the MOT expires
  • the date it was first registered and the year of manufacture
  • the date the last V5C log book was issued
  • type approval category, weight, engine size and fuel type
  • emissions and export status

What neither free service lists

Neither GOV.UK page says its service shows these:

  • outstanding finance on the car
  • whether the car is recorded as stolen
  • whether an insurer has recorded it as a write-off, or its category

Those are the questions a paid history check is for. GOV.UK points you to a separate check of the V5C serial number, to spot a stolen log book. That checks the document, not the car.

A CarCheckHQ report can include these, where a connected source returns a record:

  • outstanding finance markers
  • stolen and other theft or legal markers
  • an insurance write-off marker and category
  • dated mileage readings
  • MOT history, as a summary of recorded mileage readings
  • number of previous keepers, keeper change dates, plate changes and V5C dates

Finance, theft and write-off markers come from a UK vehicle-data provider. It draws on finance-house, police and insurance-company records.

What a paid check doesn't replace

Our report doesn't include MOT test-by-test results, failures or advisories. Its MOT history covers recorded mileage only. It doesn't show recall status either. So keep using the GOV.UK MOT history for test detail, and the GOV.UK recall check for recalls.

If a report section has no data, it's marked "Not covered". That means the information isn't available in this report. It doesn't mean the car is clear.

Using both together

  1. Check the MOT history. Look for mileage that drops between tests, long gaps and repeated failures.
  2. Check the vehicle enquiry. Make sure the make, colour, first registration date and V5C issue date match what you're told.
  3. Check the V5C serial number at the viewing.
  4. Run a history check for finance, theft and write-off records before you pay.

To see how a car's mileage compares with others of the same age, our free mileage for age tool uses DVSA's anonymised MOT data.

Questions buyers ask

Is an MOT history check the same as a car history check?

No. The MOT history shows test results and the mileage at each test. A car history check looks for records such as outstanding finance, theft markers and insurance write-offs.

Does the MOT history show if a car has finance on it?

No. The GOV.UK MOT history page doesn't list finance. A paid history check looks for finance markers. Ours come from a UK vehicle-data provider.

Does the MOT history show if a car has been written off?

No. GOV.UK doesn't say the service shows write-off records. A repaired write-off can still pass its MOT.

Can I rely on the free checks alone?

They're a good start and they cost nothing. They can't tell you about finance, theft or write-off records. Our coverage page sets out what the free DVLA and MOT checks show, and what our report adds.

Does a paid history check show MOT advisories?

Ours doesn't. Its MOT history covers recorded mileage only. Use the GOV.UK MOT history for failures and advisories.

What this guide and our report can't tell you

Neither a free check nor a paid one is an inspection. A report shows what its sources return at the time you run it, and some events are never recorded. Have the car looked at by someone you trust.

CarCheckHQ is a brand of DESKLINK LTD. It isn't affiliated with HPI, DVLA or DVSA.

Mileage for age contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), MOT anonymised data. Not endorsed by DVSA.

Sources

All checked 25 October 2026.