Vehicle export check
Find out whether a vehicle is recorded as exported, and when, alongside its import and scrapped status and finance, write-off and theft checks in one £15 report.
£15 vehicle history report · Instant results
What exported means on the record.
The keeper tells the DVLA, and the record changes.
A keeper taking a vehicle abroad for good fills in the permanent export section of the V5C logbook and sends it to the DVLA. The DVLA marks the vehicle as exported and refunds any full months of tax left. The rest of the logbook goes with the vehicle to register it in its new country.
So an export marker is a statement that the vehicle has left the UK permanently. That is exactly why it matters when the same vehicle turns up for sale here.
Why an export marker matters to a buyer.
Exported, but for sale here
If the record says the vehicle left the UK, you need to know how it came back and whether it was properly re-registered. Get that explained, with paperwork, before any money changes hands.
Brought back to the UK
A vehicle returning from abroad goes through the import process again, and its time outside the UK leaves gaps in the MOT and mileage trail.
Import checkIdentity worth checking
A registration marked as exported can be copied onto another vehicle. Match the VIN on the car to the V5C before you buy.
Cloned car checkWhat the report shows about export.
The export marker is one part of the vehicle history the report reads.
| Record | In the £15 report |
|---|---|
| Export marker | Included |
| Date the export was recorded | Included where held |
| Import status | Included |
| Scrapped status | Included |
| Plate changes and previous registrations | Included where recorded |
| Finance, write-off, theft and keepers | Included |
Export check FAQs
How do I check if a car has been exported?
Enter the registration above. The £15 report shows whether the vehicle is marked as exported and the date it was recorded, where held, together with its import and scrapped status.
What does "marked for export" mean?
It means the DVLA has been told the vehicle has left the UK permanently, normally because the keeper sent in the permanent export section of the V5C logbook.
Can an exported car come back to the UK?
Yes. It has to go through the import and registration process again. Ask the seller how and when it came back, and for the paperwork that shows it.
Why might a registration have no current DVLA record?
That can happen after a vehicle is exported or scrapped, or when the registration has moved to another vehicle. If no vehicle is found for the registration you enter, you are told before you pay.
Does the report show the date a car was exported?
Yes, where one is held. The £15 report shows the date the export was recorded, together with import and scrapped status.
More vehicle checks
Need the full story?
See the export date, import and scrapped status, plate changes, finance, write-offs and theft records in a £15 vehicle history report.
In the report, export, import and scrapped markers come from DVLA records and MOT history from the DVSA MOT history service. Carpeep is not affiliated with the DVLA or DVSA.