Vehicle checks
Free number plate check
Enter any UK number plate to see which vehicle it is registered to, whether that vehicle is taxed and what its MOT tests found. Further down, this page shows how to read the plate itself: where the car was first registered and how old it is.
What can you find out from a number plate?
A number plate tells you two things on its own: the region where the car was first registered and the six-month period it was registered in. A number plate check adds the record behind the plate: which car it belongs to, whether that car is taxed and tested and what every MOT found.
How to read a UK number plate
Plates issued since September 2001 all follow one pattern. Take AB26 CDE.
| On the plate | Called | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| AB | Memory tag | The region where the vehicle was first registered |
| 26 | Age identifier | The six months in which it was first registered |
| CDE | Random letters | Nothing about the car. They make the plate unique. |
How old is a car from its plate?
The two numbers change every March and every September. Plates issued from March carry the last two digits of the year. Plates issued from September carry that number plus 50.
| Plate | First registered |
|---|---|
| 24 | March to August 2024 |
| 74 | September 2024 to February 2025 |
| 25 | March to August 2025 |
| 75 | September 2025 to February 2026 |
| 26 | March to August 2026 |
| 76 | September 2026 to February 2027 |
Work backwards for older cars: a 68 plate was first issued between September 2018 and February 2019.
GOV.UK: Vehicle registration numbers and number plates (INF104)
When the plate and the car don’t agree
A private plate breaks the pattern. The DVLA won’t let anyone use a private number that makes a vehicle look newer than it is, but an older number on a newer car is allowed. So the plate is a guide to age and the date of first registration on the record is the fact.
What comes back is the vehicle wearing the plate today. If that record describes a different make, colour or engine from the one you’re being sold, stop there. Criminals copy the plates of an identical car to disguise a stolen one.
GOV.UK: Private (personalised) number platesHow to spot a cloned car
How to check a car by its number plate
- Type the plate exactly as it appears in the advert.
- Compare the make, colour and engine on the record with the car being sold.
- Compare the date of first registration with the age the plate suggests. A gap means the car wears a private plate, so ask the seller about it.
- Read the MOT history for the mileage recorded at each test.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is the number plate check free?
Yes. Looking up a plate costs nothing and you don’t have to sign in.
Can I find the owner of a car from its number plate?
No. A number plate check shows the vehicle, never the person. Keeper details are held by the DVLA alone.
How do I tell a car’s age from its plate?
Read the two numbers. 26 means March to August 2026. A number above 50 means the second half of that plate year, so 76 is September 2026 to February 2027. Plates from before September 2001 use a letter for the year instead.
Does a private plate change the car’s record?
No. The record follows the vehicle. A private plate changes the registration it shows, while the make, the date of first registration and the MOT history stay with the car.
Are any letters left off number plates?
Yes. The letters I, Q and Z are never used in the first two letters of a plate. Z can appear only among the last three.
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