How our reg check works
Three steps, about a minute, and you only pay if you want the checks that protect your money.
1. Enter the registration
Type in the number plate from the advert, or better still from the car itself. You don't need an account, a card, the logbook or the owner's permission. A registration is public information and checking it before you buy is exactly what it's for.
2. Read the free check
We ask the DVLA and DVSA for the car's official record and show it straight away:
- Make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type and first registration date.
- Whether it's taxed, and when its MOT runs out.
- Every MOT test since 2005, with fails and advisories.
- Every recorded mileage, with any reading that went down flagged in red.
- The export marker and a ULEZ estimate.
Check that it matches the car you're looking at. If the colour or engine size doesn't line up, ask the seller why before you go any further. Our free car check page explains what to look for.
3. Unlock the full picture
The free data can't show finance, write-offs or theft, because those records are held by finance companies, insurers and the police. If the car looks right, choose:
- Standard check (£4.99): the written off check, damage history, salvage history, advanced mileage, previous keepers, plate changes, recalls and a VIN check.
- Full check (£8.99): the most comprehensive check, adding outstanding finance, high risk and stolen markers, salvage history, log book loans, an advanced mileage check, previous keepers, plate changes and a valuation.
Pay securely by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. We never see your card details.
4. Get your report
Your report opens on screen in seconds, with a simple result at the top: Passed, Warning or Failed, and each finding linked to the section that explains it. We email you a link too, so you can come back to it or send it to someone else. Log in with the same email any time to see all your reports; there's no password, just a one-time code.
Want to see one first? Have a look at the sample report.
Checking more than one car?
Buy a bundle of Full checks and each one costs less. You get coupon codes by email, you can use the first one on the car you're looking at straight away, and they never expire. See prices.