Can I find out who owns a car from its number plate?

What the free check shows

GOV.UK’s vehicle information service shows details of the vehicle, such as its tax and MOT status, first registration date, year of manufacture, engine size, fuel type and emissions. It does not show who the keeper is: GOV.UK says you must write to DVLA to request information about the current or previous registered keeper of a vehicle.

Asking DVLA for keeper details

You need a “reasonable cause”. GOV.UK’s examples include finding out who was responsible for an accident, tracing the registered keeper of an abandoned vehicle, tracing the keeper of a vehicle parked on private land, giving out parking tickets or trespass charge notices, tracing people who drove off without paying and tracing people suspected of insurance fraud.

An individual uses form V888 and applies by post; how to pay and where to send it are on the form. A company that issues parking or trespass charge notices uses form V888/3, and private car parking companies must belong to the British Parking Association or the International Parking Community to ask.

The keeper is not always the owner

GOV.UK says the V5C shows the vehicle keeper’s name and address. A 2010 Department for Transport written statement on GOV.UK said buyers often mistakenly believe the V5C is proof of ownership and that this is not the case. On hire purchase or a PCP, the Financial Ombudsman Service explains, the finance provider owns the car, so the keeper DVLA holds may not be the owner.

If you are buying a car

You do not need DVLA for that. Ask the seller for the V5C and check that its details match the car, and ask for proof of ownership such as a bill of sale. nidirect advises buying from the address shown on the V5 log book, and a vehicle history check from a checking company shows whether finance is owing; our answer on checking for finance covers it.

Your own record

DVLA will tell you what it holds about you, your current vehicle or a vehicle that used to be registered in your name, free of charge, through a subject access request. GOV.UK explains how to make one.