Free UK registration check
Type any UK number plate to see what DVLA and DVSA record for it: make, fuel, colour, tax status and due date, MOT expiry, MOT test history with advisories and failures, and recall status. It does not show outstanding finance, stolen or write-off status, the number of owners, or the full history.
What the check shows
- Make, fuel type, colour, engine size, year of manufacture, and the month first registered (from DVLA).
- Tax status and due date, and MOT status and expiry date (from DVLA).
- Every MOT test DVSA holds: pass or fail, date, recorded mileage where a reading was taken, advisories and failure reasons (from DVSA).
- Whether DVSA’s recall data lists an outstanding recall, with the four possible answers kept separate (from DVSA).
- Our own estimate of the annual road tax rate and of ULEZ and Clean Air Zone charges, worked from that record and GOV.UK’s published rates.
What it does not show
- Whether there is finance owing on the vehicle.
- Whether it has been reported stolen.
- Whether it has been written off, or recorded in an insurance category such as Cat S or Cat N.
- How many keepers it has had. DVLA’s online vehicle service gives no keeper details; you have to write to DVLA to request them.
- Its full history. Service history, accident repairs and the true mileage are not in these records.
For finance, stolen and write-off checks you need a separate vehicle history check from a provider you choose. GOV.UK lists the checks to make when you buy a used vehicle, and explains how to ask DVLA about a keeper.
Where the information comes from
Vehicle details, tax and MOT status come from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. MOT tests and recall status come from the DVSA MOT history service. Both are asked when you press the button, and every block of the result says which one it came from and when. The road tax and clean air figures are Autoza's own working from that record and GOV.UK's published rates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
More free tools
- MOT due date checker — work out when an MOT is due and the earliest you can test.
- Car tax calculator — the annual rate for any car from its registration date and CO2.
- ULEZ and Clean Air Zone checker — what each zone charges.
- What to ask a car dealer — questions before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a free registration check show?
It shows what DVLA and DVSA hold for the plate you enter: the make, fuel type, colour, engine size, year of manufacture and month first registered; the tax status and due date; the MOT status and expiry date; every MOT test DVSA holds, with the result, date, recorded mileage, advisories and failure reasons; and whether DVSA’s recall data lists an outstanding recall. We add an estimate of the annual road tax and of ULEZ and Clean Air Zone charges, worked from that record and GOV.UK’s published rates.
What does a free registration check not show?
It does not show whether the vehicle has finance owing on it, has been reported stolen, has been written off or recorded in an insurance category such as Cat S or Cat N, or how many keepers it has had. DVLA’s online vehicle service gives no keeper details, and you have to write to DVLA to request them. Finance, stolen and write-off checks need a separate vehicle history check, which is usually paid for, from a provider you choose. GOV.UK’s page on checking a used vehicle you are buying lists the checks to make yourself.
Where does the data in this registration check come from?
From two government services, asked when you press the button: the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service for vehicle details, tax and MOT status, and the DVSA MOT history service for test results and recall status. Both are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The road tax and clean air figures are Autoza’s own working from that record and GOV.UK’s published rates, and each block says which it is.
Does Autoza keep my number plate or the result?
No. Your plate is sent to DVLA and DVSA to get the answer. It is not stored, written to our logs or put in the address of any page on our site, and the result is not saved. To stop misuse we count requests using a one-way code made from your network address, which is deleted after about two days and cannot be turned back into the address.
Why does the check say a recall is unknown or unavailable?
DVSA gives one of four answers. Yes means at least one recall has not been fixed. No means there were one or more recalls and all have been fixed. Unknown means no known recall was found in the data DVSA holds. Unavailable means DVSA’s recall service could not be reached. GOV.UK says recall information depends on the manufacturer and is not guaranteed for every vehicle, so Unknown and Unavailable never mean that there is no recall. Use the official recall service on GOV.UK to be sure.
Can I rely on a registration check to confirm a vehicle’s details?
Treat it as a cross-check, not proof. It is DVLA’s and DVSA’s record of the plate you typed, as at the time shown, and DVLA says it cannot warrant the accuracy of its data. A registration can also move between vehicles, so compare the make, colour and year with the vehicle and its V5C logbook. For a vehicle brought in from abroad, the year of manufacture is the year it was built, which can be earlier than the year it was first registered here.
Does the registration check work for vans, motorbikes and electric cars?
Yes, for vehicles registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. A vehicle under 3 years old has no MOT test yet, because the first MOT is due on the third anniversary of first registration in Great Britain (4 years in Northern Ireland). DVSA’s test history starts in 2005 for cars, motorcycles and vans in Great Britain and 2017 in Northern Ireland, so an older vehicle can show fewer tests than it has had. A vehicle more than 40 years old can be exempt from the MOT, which the keeper declares on form V112, and this check cannot show whether they have.