Check a car's official record, MOT and tax status
Enter a UK registration number to see the vehicle's official DVLA record — make, model, fuel type, CO2 and more — plus its current MOT status, tax status and any condition or risk signals from official records. Your first check is free, and you can go on to see the vehicle's full ownership cost in the same report.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13
Check a car now
Enter a UK registration number — no card details needed for your first check.
What a 73 Auto car check shows
- Official vehicle record — make, model, year, fuel type, engine size, CO2 emissions, colour and registration background, looked up live from DVLA.
- MOT status — current MOT status and expiry date, plus the full DVSA test history — see MOT check for the detail.
- Tax status — current tax status, tax due date and the vehicle's VED cost — see car tax check for the detail.
- Condition and risk signals — indicators built from the MOT history, such as an expired MOT, a run of failed tests, dangerous or recurring defects, or a mileage reading that decreased between two tests. These are signals to look into, not confirmed problems.
- Full ownership cost — continue from the same check into a full total cost of ownership report for that exact vehicle.
What this check doesn't cover
73 Auto's car check is built from official DVLA and DVSA records — it is not a stolen-vehicle check, an outstanding-finance check, or a full vehicle provenance/history check, and it does not replace a professional inspection. If you need to check for outstanding finance or whether a car is recorded as stolen or written off, use a specialist check for that specifically before you buy. See the FAQ and data sources for exactly what is and isn't included.
Other vehicle checks
- Vehicle history checkFull DVSA MOT test history and mileage consistency signals.
- MOT checkCurrent MOT status, expiry date and full DVSA test history.
- Car tax checkVehicle Excise Duty (VED) status and cost, from official rate bands.
- Total cost of ownershipWhat TCO means and how 73 Auto calculates it for a specific car.
- Car running costsThe ongoing annual costs of keeping a car on the road.