Check any car's MOT, mileage and tax. Free. Our free car check shows the full MOT history, every recorded mileage, tax status and the known faults for that model. Straight from official DVLA and DVSA records.
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6 data categories and 30+ data fields from DVLA, DVSA and our own fault database covering 700+ models.
Every pass, fail, advisory and defect since 2005, so you can see what's been flagged and whether it was fixed.
The mileage recorded at every MOT, with any drop or suspicious gap flagged automatically.
Whether the car is taxed or declared off the road, checked live with DVLA.
The common problems for that generation and engine, so you know what to look at on a test drive.
Make, model, colour, fuel, engine size and year, so you can confirm the car matches the advert.
How many of that model are still licensed on UK roads, from DVLA figures.
Finance, write-off and stolen records aren't public. The full check adds them from Experian, for a one-off £7.49.
| What's checked | Free | Full check £7.49 |
|---|---|---|
| MOT history and mileage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax status and vehicle details | ✓ | ✓ |
| Known faults for the model | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outstanding finance | — | ✓ |
| Write-off status (Cat A, B, S, N) | — | ✓ |
| Stolen check (Police National Computer) | — | ✓ |
| Previous owners and plate changes | — | ✓ |
| What similar cars are advertised for | — | ✓ |
Type the number plate from the advert or the car itself.
MOT history, mileage, tax and known faults appear on screen in seconds.
If you're serious about it, run the full check for finance, write-off and stolen records.
Yes, completely. No sign-up, no email address, no card details. Enter a registration and the results appear instantly. We make money from the paid checks (finance, stolen, write-off), not from the free one.
No. Finance records are held by the lenders and accessed through Experian. There is no free way to check them. Our full check at £7.49 includes finance, stolen and write-off data.
DVLA for vehicle details and tax status. DVSA for MOT history and mileage readings. Our own database for known faults by model generation and rarity figures from DVLA registration statistics.
Yes. The free check works for cars and vans, including light commercial vehicles. Enter the registration the same way.
The free check covers everything from public data sources: DVLA details, MOT history, mileage, tax status, known faults and rarity. The paid check (from £7.49) adds data that requires commercial API access: outstanding finance checks, stolen vehicle checks, insurance write-off records and VIN plate checks.
DVLA and MOT data is retrieved in real-time when you run a check, so you are seeing the latest information available from government systems. Our known faults database is updated regularly as new data becomes available.
No. Write-off records (Cat S, N, B, A) are on the MIAFTR insurance register and need a paid lookup. Our full check shows whether it has been written off, what category, and when.
No. Stolen vehicle records sit on the Police National Computer and you need a paid query to access them. Our full check includes this.
Most free checks show the same DVLA basics and MOT status. GetCarWise is one of the most in-depth free checks available — you get full MOT history with every advisory and defect, mileage at every test, known faults for your specific model generation (700+ models covered), and our rarity index showing how many are registered in the UK. All from official DVLA and DVSA sources, no sign-up needed.
Most free checks show the same DVLA basics — make, model, tax and MOT status. We include two things no other free check offers:
Every MOT result since 2005 — passes, failures, advisories and dangerous defects from official DVSA records. See the full testing pattern at a glance and spot recurring problems. Mileage at each test is included, so you can catch clocking automatically.
Our free check shows the current tax (VED) status live from DVLA — whether it's taxed, when it expires, or if it's on SORN. If a car is being sold as taxed but shows as SORN, that's a red flag.
1 in 16 UK used cars has had its mileage wound back. Our check shows mileage at every MOT since 2005. Watch for:
Vehicle data from DVLA. MOT data from DVSA. Known faults from manufacturer and DVSA sources. Rarity from DVLA registration statistics. Last updated October 2026.