Free MOT and Tax Checker

The MOT confirms a vehicle met minimum safety and environmental standards on the day of the test. A valid MOT does not guarantee the vehicle is free from faults between tests — it must remain roadworthy whenever driven.

• •Valid — the vehicle has a current MOT certificate.
• •Expired — the MOT is no longer valid and the vehicle cannot be driven on a public road except to a pre-booked test.
• •No result — the vehicle may be too new, or the registration may not match DVLA records.

Road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) is maintained by the DVLA. A vehicle must be taxed or declared SORN if it is kept off the public road.

• •Taxed — road tax is current, with a renewal date where available.
• •Untaxed — no valid tax; the vehicle cannot be driven or kept on a public road.
• •SORN — declared off-road; no tax or MOT needed while it stays off the public road.

Both MOT and tax are independent legal requirements. A vehicle can be taxed but have an expired MOT, or have a valid MOT but be untaxed. Driving without either can lead to fines, clamping or invalid insurance.

For used-car buyers, checking both statuses before purchase confirms the seller's claims and reveals whether the vehicle is road legal the moment you drive it away.

MOT data is supplied by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Vehicle identity and tax data is supplied by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Availability of new results depends on when each agency updates its records after a change is made.

MotR's standard free vehicle check does not include outstanding finance, theft, insurance write-off or accident-history data. A valid MOT does not prove complete mechanical safety, and tax status does not prove the vehicle is insured.