Best free car check in 2026
A free car check is a good first filter. It can confirm a car’s MOT history, mileage readings, tax status and specification from public DVLA and DVSA data. It can’t tell you whether the car has outstanding finance, has been stolen or has been written off. For those you need a paid check.
Best free car check: Carpeep
MOT history, mileage readings, tax, ULEZ status, safety recalls, specs and emissions in one free report, with no account needed.
Free car checks compared
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1
Carpeep
MOT history, mileage readings, tax, ULEZ status, safety recalls, specs and emissions in one free report, with no account needed.
Full check: £15 · Overall score 9.0/10
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2
Car Analytics
MOT and tax, mileage history, specs, export status and CO2.
Full check: £10.99 · Overall score 7.5/10
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3
MyCarCheck
MOT status and history, plus a free valuation and an AI summary.
Full check: £8.49 · Overall score 7.3/10
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6
RAC
Basic vehicle details, first registration date and MOT expiry.
Full check: £14.99 · Overall score 8.3/10
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No free check offered: carVertical, AA, VCheck.
The official free checks
The government runs two free services that most free car checks draw on. Both are worth using directly:
- Check MOT history (opens in a new tab) (DVSA): every MOT result since 2005, with advisories, failures and the mileage recorded at each test.
- Get vehicle information from DVLA (opens in a new tab): tax and MOT status, first registration date, colour, engine size and CO2 emissions.
Provider free checks add convenience: everything in one report, mileage charts, ULEZ status, recall information and model statistics.
What a free check can’t show
- Outstanding finance. If finance is still owed, the lender may own the car and can repossess it.
- Stolen status. Police records aren’t public. A stolen car can be seized from you without compensation.
- Insurance write-offs. Cat S and Cat N records come from insurers, not the DVLA.
- Plate changes and some keeper history. These usually need a paid check.
When to pay for a full check
Use free checks to shortlist cars. Run a full check on the car you intend to buy, on the day you buy it, before any money changes hands. A full check with a guarantee of at least £30,000 costs from £9.99. See the cheapest car history checks or our top 10 ranking.