Does the free check work for Northern Ireland registrations?

Yes. Northern Ireland vehicles are registered with the DVLA, so the free check shows the vehicle details, tax status and MOT status, plus the MOT tests done in Northern Ireland with the mileage at each. It is free, with no sign-up.

Can you check MOT history in Northern Ireland?

Yes, from 2017. GOV.UK's MOT history service holds Northern Ireland tests from that year, and our free check shows them too. Earlier tests are not held online, so ask the seller for older certificates.

When does a car need its first MOT in Northern Ireland?

At four years old for cars and motorcycles, and at three for light goods vehicles, according to nidirect. In the rest of the UK, the first MOT is at three years.

How do I check if a car is taxed in Northern Ireland?

The same way as anywhere in the UK: enter the registration. The free check shows whether it is taxed, SORN or untaxed and when its tax is due, from the DVLA record. Tax never passes to a new keeper, so tax the car yourself before you drive it.

Can I run a full history check on a Northern Ireland car?

Yes. It is sold for any UK registration and adds finance, write-off, stolen and keeper checks. If we cannot produce a report for a registration, the check goes back into your account.

Northern Ireland Car Check by Registration

Northern Ireland car check

Check any car, van or motorbike registered in Northern Ireland by its registration. The free check shows the details the DVLA holds, the tax status, the MOT status and the MOT tests done in Northern Ireland, with the mileage at each one. Below is exactly what works for NI plates, and what does not.

Free. No sign-up.

Why Northern Ireland plates work

Vehicles in Northern Ireland are registered and taxed by the DVLA, as in the rest of the UK, so the details and the tax status come from the same kind of record as any other UK registration. NI registrations look different, with letters that include an I or a Z followed by up to four numbers, such as ABZ 1234, but you enter them in the same way.

We tested the free check on real Northern Ireland registrations before writing this page. Each one returned the vehicle details, the tax status, the MOT status and its Northern Ireland MOT tests with the mileage at each.

MOT history for Northern Ireland vehicles

MOT tests in Northern Ireland are done by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) at its own test centres, not by garages. GOV.UK's MOT history service holds Northern Ireland results from 2017, and our free check shows them with the date, the result and the mileage at each test. Tests before 2017 are not held online, so for an older car, ask the seller for the earlier certificates.

Read the history the same way as for any car: look for repeat problems, advisories that turned into failures and mileage that always goes up. Our guide to reading an MOT history explains each result. nidirect says some private cars have been given a Temporary Exemption Certificate that extends their MOT, so a gap between tests can have an innocent explanation. Ask the seller.

The four-year rule

In Northern Ireland, cars and motorcycles have their first MOT at four years old and light goods vehicles at three, according to nidirect. In the rest of the UK the first MOT is due at three years.

Our report uses the Northern Ireland rule for NI registrations, so a car between three and four years old with no MOT yet shows as not due.

The rest of the report, and the full check

Vehicle tax works the same across the UK, so the tax estimate and running costs apply as normal. The clean air zone verdict is about the zones in England and Scotland, so it matters only if you drive there. The figure for how many are left on the road comes from Department for Transport statistics for Great Britain, so it does not count vehicles registered in Northern Ireland.

The full history check is sold for any UK registration, including Northern Ireland's, and adds outstanding finance, write-offs, the stolen check, keepers and plate changes for £7.99. If we cannot produce a report for a registration, the check goes back into your account.