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MOT and tax

MOT and Tax check

Enter a registration to see MOT status, tax status and the MOT history.

5,000,000+ vehicle checks generated in the last 12 months

  • MOT history
  • Tax status
  • Mileage
  • VehicleScore
  • MOT included
  • Tax or SORN
  • No account needed
  • MOT historyStatus, tests and advisories
  • Tax statusTaxed, SORN or due
  • MileageFrom MOT records
  • FreeNo sign-up required

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What the MOT and tax check shows

Enter a registration above. VehicleScore opens a free report for that vehicle with the MOT record and the tax record side by side.

On the report you can see:

  • MOT status, shown as valid or not.
  • The MOT expiry date, taken from the latest pass on file.
  • Tax status: taxed, untaxed or SORN.
  • A tax due date, when the record includes one.
  • The MOT history: test date, pass or fail, advisories, and the mileage recorded at that test.
  • Make, model and year, plus a VehicleScore out of 999.

If you only want the previous tests, check MOT history. The amount of vehicle tax is a separate question from whether the car is currently taxed. Bands and CO2 figures sit on their own pages.

Featured MOT & tax articles

How to read the MOT lines

Valid means the latest pass has not expired. Anything else means you should read the history before driving the car or buying it. A fail is a test that did not pass. An advisory is a comment, not a fail. A run of advisories on the same item, such as a tyre or a bush, is the useful bit: it shows what the tester has already flagged.

Mileage on each test is the odometer reading taken that day. Compare the readings in date order. A drop, or a jump that does not fit the gap between tests, is worth asking the seller about. The check lists the recorded figures. It does not prove the mileage is genuine.

How to read the tax line

Taxed, untaxed and SORN are different states. SORN is a declaration that the vehicle is off the road, not a type of tax disc. This check does not tax the car. Payment is still made on GOV.UK, and you normally need the registration and a current MOT where one is required.

A car used on a public road generally needs both a valid MOT, once it is due, and tax, unless it is exempt. Driving without a valid MOT can lead to a fine of up to £1,000. An untaxed car can be clamped. The report is the record, not a substitute for taxing the vehicle or booking a test.

What this check does not do

It does not inspect the car, book an MOT, or take a tax payment. It also does not show outstanding finance, a stolen marker or a write-off category. Those sit in the separate Hidden History check. A clear MOT and a taxed status only mean the records say that today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enter the registration at the top of this page. The free report shows the current MOT status, the MOT expiry date when a pass is on file, the tax status, and the MOT test history.

Each recorded test shows the date, whether it passed or failed, any advisories, and the mileage taken at that test. Advisories are notes from the tester. They are not failures, but they are the items that often come back next time.

Taxed means the record says vehicle tax is in place. Untaxed means it is not. SORN means the keeper has declared the vehicle off the road. A due date is shown when the record includes one. This page does not take a tax payment.

Yes. The lookup uses the registration, so it works for a car you are thinking of buying. A brand-new car, or one only just imported, may not have an MOT history yet.

No. This check shows the dates on the report. It does not email you when the MOT or tax is due.

The MOT is the roadworthiness test. Tax, or vehicle excise duty, is whether the vehicle is taxed for the road. A car can have a valid MOT and still be untaxed, or be taxed with an MOT that is about to run out.

Cars under three years old often have not been tested yet. Some vehicles are MOT-exempt. If there is no test to show, the report says so. It does not fill in a result.