Cat N check
Find out if a car is recorded as a Category N write-off, when it happened and which insurer recorded it, in one £15 report.
Included in your report:
- Write-off category
- Date of the loss
- Recording insurer
- Older Cat C and Cat D records
- Outstanding finance
- Mileage history
Example report section
What a Cat N record looks like in your report.
A recorded write-off appears in its own section, with the category, the date of the loss and the insurer where one is recorded.
Write-Off History
Information found
Write-Off Record
Example data shown. Your report shows what is recorded for the registration you check.
What a Cat N check tells you.
The answer comes from the insurance industry's write-off records, checked against the registration you enter.
Whether it is Cat N
Whether the car is recorded as a Category N write-off, or with any other category, including Cat S.
When it happened
The date of the loss, so you can set it against the MOT history, the mileage and what the seller has told you.
Who recorded it
The insurer that settled the claim, where the record holds one. More than one record means more than one write-off.
Older Cat D records
Cat N replaced Category D in October 2017. A car written off before then carries Cat D, and the check shows that too.
Why you have to check for Cat N.
A Cat N car can go straight back on the road after repair. It keeps its registration, there is no re-registration step, and the logbook can pass from keeper to keeper without anything on it announcing the category. Nothing about the paperwork a seller hands you will tell you.
The marker lives on the insurance industry's write-off records against the vehicle, and it stays there for good. A repair, a fresh MOT or a change of keeper does not remove it. Checking the registration is how a buyer finds out.
Sellers do not always know, and some would rather you did not. A car can pass through several keepers after a write-off, so the person selling it may have bought it without checking either. Whether they know or not, the category affects what the car is worth and what it costs to insure. For what the category itself means, see what is a Cat N car.
Run a Cat N check
Check the registration before you view it.
Find out if it is recorded as Cat N, or any other write-off, in one report.
- Instant results
- Write-off category and date
- £30,000 data guarantee
If the check shows Cat N.
A Cat N record is a reason to ask questions and adjust the price, not always a reason to walk away.
1
Find out what was damaged
Non-structural does not mean minor. Deployed airbags, flood-damaged electrics and expensive cosmetic damage can all end in Cat N. Ask the seller what the claim was for.
2
Ask for the repair evidence
Invoices and photos from the repairer, and a list of what was replaced. Airbag and electrical repairs are the ones worth seeing paperwork for.
3
Read the MOT history around the date
The record shows the date of the loss. Look at the MOT tests either side of it for advisories, mileage gaps or long periods off the road.
Free MOT history check4
Get a quote before you buy
Tell an insurer it is a Cat N car and get a price. Most will cover a repaired Cat N car, but the premium can differ and some decline.
5
Price it as a Cat N car
A recorded write-off usually sells for less than the same car without one, and you will be selling a Cat N car when you move it on. See how much value a Cat N car loses.
6
Have it inspected
An independent inspection is money well spent on any write-off. It tells you about the car in front of you, which no record can.
When a Cat N check can come back clear.
A clear result means no write-off is recorded. It is not proof the car has never been damaged.
- Damage repaired privately, with no insurance claim, is never recorded as a write-off.
- A claim where the insurer paid for a repair rather than writing the car off does not create a category.
- Only write-offs recorded by insurers against the vehicle appear, so an uninsured loss will not.
Signs of repair on a car with a clear record are still worth asking about. The MOT history and an inspection fill the gap.
Where our data comes from.
Always from official records. We do not create, edit or estimate any data.
DVLA
Registration, keeper history, import and export status and recorded vehicle details.
DVSA
Full MOT test history including results, advisories and mileage at each test.
Insurance industry records
Recorded write-off markers such as Cat A, B, S and N from insurance industry records.
UK finance lenders
Outstanding finance agreements including HP, PCP and conditional sale records.
Police stolen vehicle records
Stolen vehicle markers from UK police records, checked against the registration and VIN.
Vehicle identity checks
VIN and registration cross-referenced to flag plate changes, cloning or identity mismatches.
Cat N check FAQs
How do I check if a car is Cat N?
Run a history check on the registration. Write-off categories are held on the insurance industry's records against the vehicle, not on the logbook, so the registration is the way in. The report shows the category, the date of the loss and the insurer where one is recorded.
Does Cat N show on the V5C logbook?
You should not rely on it. A Cat N car keeps its original logbook and needs no re-registration, so the paperwork a seller hands over will usually say nothing about the write-off. A check against the registration is the reliable way to find out.
Is a Cat N car the same as a Cat D car?
Near enough. Category N replaced Category D on 1 October 2017, and both mean non-structural damage that was uneconomical to repair. Cars written off before that date carry Cat D, and a Cat N check shows either.
Can a seller hide that a car is Cat N?
They can stay quiet about it, and because nothing on the paperwork shows it, a buyer who does not check will not know. They cannot remove it: the marker stays on the record for the life of the vehicle.
Does a clear Cat N check mean the car has never been damaged?
No. It means no write-off is recorded. Damage repaired privately, or a claim where the insurer paid for a repair, never creates a category. The MOT history and an inspection cover what the record cannot.
Should I buy a Cat N car?
It can be a sensible buy at the right price, if you know what was damaged, have seen evidence of the repair and have an insurance quote. Our guide <a href="/blog/should-you-buy-a-cat-n-car">should you buy a Cat N car</a> goes through it.
Before you pay
Know if it is Cat N before you negotiate.
Enter the registration to see any recorded write-off, its category and its date.
- Full vehicle history
- No account required
- £30,000 data guarantee