What you get for free
The DealerPricing free vehicle check returns the data that the UK government publishes through the DVLA and DVSA APIs. That covers the basics of any used car decision — current tax, current MOT, full MOT history, vehicle make and model, year, fuel, CO₂ and colour.
- Full MOT history from 2005 with all advisories and defects
- Current MOT expiry date
- Current vehicle tax status and expiry
- Mileage at every recorded MOT test
- DVLA-registered colour, fuel, year, body and engine
What you don't get on the free check
Stolen markers, outstanding finance, insurance write-off history, plate and colour change history, keeper count, export/import/scrap markers — these come from non-public registers (PNC, MIAFTR, finance houses) and are only available on the paid HPI check from £2.50.
How DealerPricing fits with the official government services
The DVLA and DVSA both publish their own free vehicle check tools. DealerPricing's free check uses the same underlying APIs but bundles the results into a single report with a cleaner UI, mileage-history graph and one-click upgrade path to a full HPI check.
For motor traders, the free check is also a useful brand-awareness step for buyers — sellers can run a free check on their own vehicle and supply the result to a buyer as part of the listing.