# UK MOT History Checker: MOT Status, Mileage & Defects (`best_actors/uk-mot-history`) Actor

Check any UK vehicle's MOT history from the official DVSA data: MOT status and expiry, every test result, mileage history with a clocking warning, advisories, failures and dangerous defects. Bulk-check fleets or stock. For car traders, buyers and fleet managers.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/best_actors/uk-mot-history.md
- **Developed by:** [Lewis O'Rorke](https://apify.com/best_actors) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$3.00 / 1,000 vehicles

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK MOT History Checker: MOT Status, Mileage & Defects

**Check any UK vehicle's MOT history from official DVSA data: MOT status and
expiry, every test result, mileage history with a clocking warning, advisories,
failures and dangerous defects. Bulk-check a whole fleet or a car lot in one
run. For car traders, buyers, fleet managers and insurers.**

***

### Who it is for

- **Car traders and dealers** checking stock before buying at auction
- **Private buyers** checking a car's real history and mileage
- **Fleet managers** tracking MOT expiry dates across all vehicles
- **Insurers, lenders and AI agents** that need clean vehicle data

***

### What you get (one row per vehicle)

| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| `make`, `model`, `colour`, `fuel`, `engine_cc`, `first_used`, `age_years` | The vehicle |
| `mot_valid`, `mot_expiry`, `mot_days_left` | Is the MOT current, and when it runs out |
| `tests`, `fails`, `last_test_date`, `last_test_result` | Test record |
| `last_mileage`, `miles_per_year` | Latest mileage and average use |
| `mileage_drop_warning`, `mileage_drops` | **Mileage went down between tests**: a common sign of clocking |
| `last_test_advisories`, `last_test_dangerous`, `last_test_defects` | What the last test found |
| `most_common_failures` | Repeat problems across all tests |
| `mileage_history` | Every recorded reading, oldest first |
| `outstanding_recall` | Recall status, as DVSA reports it |

***

### How to use it

1. Paste one or more **registrations** (with or without spaces).
2. Click **Start**. Export as Excel, CSV or JSON, or connect to Google Sheets.

```json
{ "registrations": ["AB12 CDE", "XY65 ZZZ"] }
```

Schedule it monthly on your fleet list to get warned before MOTs expire.

***

### Good to know

- Data comes from the **official DVSA MOT History API**.
- Covers cars, vans and motorbikes in Great Britain with MOT records. Vehicles
  under 3 years old usually have no MOT yet.
- Registrations with no record are listed and **not charged**.

***

### FAQ

**Does it show the owner or keeper?** No. MOT data never includes personal details.

**How reliable is the clocking warning?** It flags any reading lower than an
earlier one. Some drops are typing errors at the test centre, so treat it as a
reason to look closer, not proof.

# Actor input Schema

## `registrations` (type: `array`):

UK number plates, with or without spaces, e.g. AB12 CDE. Up to 5,000 per run.

## `includeDefectsAndMileage` (type: `boolean`):

Turn off for a shorter row: status, expiry, last result and mileage only.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "registrations": [
    "ML58FOU"
  ],
  "includeDefectsAndMileage": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `vehicles` (type: `string`):

No description

## `all` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "registrations": [
        "ML58FOU"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("best_actors/uk-mot-history").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "registrations": ["ML58FOU"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("best_actors/uk-mot-history").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "registrations": [
    "ML58FOU"
  ]
}' |
apify call best_actors/uk-mot-history --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,best_actors/uk-mot-history"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/KuZzYLKNbRvKL4EOt/builds/mTxQVOG7bBabITcHv/openapi.json