Vehicle checks

Free reg check

Type any UK number plate to see the car it belongs to: the make, model, colour and engine, the tax and MOT status and every MOT test on record.

What does a reg check show?

A reg check matches a number plate to the vehicle on the DVLA record. You see the make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type and year, its tax and MOT status, when its logbook was last issued and its full MOT history since 2005.

What the reg check returns

Make, model and colour
Year of manufacture and the month of first registration
Engine size, fuel type and CO2 emissions
Tax status and MOT status, with expiry dates
The date the DVLA issued the latest V5C logbook
Any export marker on the record
All MOT tests on record, each with its mileage

GOV.UK: Get vehicle information from DVLA

How to check a car matches its advert

Run the registration from the advert before you travel.
Compare the colour, engine size and year on the record with the listing.
At the viewing, check the same details against the V5C logbook the seller shows you.
If the V5C was issued very recently, ask the seller how long they have owned the car.

A plate that comes back as a different colour or engine is a reason to walk away. Thieves sometimes put copied plates from an identical model on a stolen car.

How to spot a cloned car

Private plates

If a car carries a private plate, the check returns the vehicle the plate is on now. It doesn’t list the car’s earlier registrations.

How to read a number plate

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is the reg check free?

Yes. The vehicle details, tax and MOT status and the full MOT history are all free. You don’t need an account or a card.

Can I find out who owns a car from its registration?

No. A reg check shows details about the vehicle, never about the person who keeps it. Keeper names and addresses are personal data and we don’t hold them.

What if the registration isn’t found?

Check the plate for typing mistakes, especially the letter O and the number 0. A private plate that isn’t on a vehicle at the moment returns no record.

Can I see how many owners a car has had?

Yes, in the CAR Confidence Score report. It lists the number of previous keepers alongside the legal checks.

Guides

Where to buy a used carThe main UK used car websites, who sells on each and what they say you get.Finding a car Using ChatGPT or Claude to find a carWhat an AI assistant can do in a car search and what only the record can tell you.Using AI in your search

MOT checkMOT status and expiry, then every test since 2005 with failures, advisories and mileage.Free Car tax checkTaxed, untaxed or SORN, with the date the tax runs out.Free Stolen car checkWhether the car has been reported stolen, plus how to spot a clone.In the CAR Confidence Score

Free car check

Check it before you go and see it

DVLA details, tax and MOT status, mileage and the full MOT history, free for any UK registration.