MOT Plate

Optional Apps

About this app

MOT Plate checks any UK vehicle's MOT history — from a photo, a listing screenshot, or just the plate.

A mate sends you a photo of a car they're thinking of buying. You screenshot a listing on Marketplace, AutoTrader or eBay. You don't need to be anywhere near the car — share that picture with MOT Plate and in seconds you'll see its full UK MOT history.

That's what makes MOT Plate different: most plate checkers assume you're stood at the car. This one works from a forwarded photo or a saved screenshot just as well as your camera — point the camera, share/drop in an image, or just type the plate.

In seconds you'll see when the MOT runs out, every test result on file, the recorded mileage, and any advisories the tester flagged.

WHEN TO USE IT
• A friend sends you a photo of a car they're considering — check it before they buy
• You're browsing car listings and screenshot one — verify its MOT history instantly
• Considering a used car at a dealer or on a driveway
• Spotted a vehicle on the road and wonder if it's road-legal
• Need your own MOT expiry without digging through paperwork

WHAT YOU'LL SEE
• MOT pass/fail outcome for every recorded test
• Test date and recorded mileage at the time
• Days until the current MOT expires
• Advisories — the items the tester noted but didn't fail it on
• Make, model, fuel type, colour and first-registration year (from DVSA)

PRIVACY-FIRST BY DESIGN
The photo or screenshot never leaves your phone. Plate recognition runs entirely on-device — we never see your image, your location, your identity, or anything else about you. The only thing our server receives is the plate you confirmed, which we use to query the official DVSA MOT History service. Full policy: https://optional.org.uk/mot-plate/privacy.html

WHY MOT PLATE
• Works from a shared photo or a listing screenshot — not just your camera
• On-device plate recognition tuned for UK plates (current, prefix and older formats)
• Stores your last 20 lookups locally so you can re-check quickly — never synced anywhere
• No ads. No analytics SDKs. No third-party trackers.
• Official data — straight from the DVSA MOT History API, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
• Tiny battery footprint, works offline once a lookup is cached

UK ONLY
Data comes from DVSA, covering vehicles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

DATA IS PROVIDED AS-IS
MOT history is provided by DVSA and may be out of date. For the definitive position on any vehicle contact DVSA or DVLA directly.

Published by Optional Ltd, registered in the United Kingdom.

What’s new

Welcome to MOT Plate - instant UK MOT history from a photo, screenshot or typed plate.