Vehicle export check
Find out whether the DVLA shows a vehicle as exported. Free and instant from the live DVLA record, with its tax and MOT status alongside.
Free · No sign-up · Live DVLA record
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 checkThe free check and the full report.
The free result reads the marker on the live DVLA record. The report reads the full vehicle history.
| Free export check | £15 report | |
|---|---|---|
| Export marker | Included | Included |
| Date the export was recorded | Not included | Included where held |
| Import status (EU, non-EU, Northern Ireland) | Not included | Included |
| Scrapped status | Not included | Included |
| Plate changes and previous registrations | Not included | Included |
| Finance, write-off, theft and keepers | Not included | Included |
Export check FAQs
How do I check if a car has been exported?
Enter the registration above. The check reads the DVLA record and shows whether the vehicle is marked as exported, along with its tax and MOT 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 does the check say there is no DVLA record?
The DVLA holds no live record for that registration. That can happen after a vehicle is exported or scrapped, or when the registration has moved to another vehicle. The full report checks the export and scrapped markers directly.
Does the free check show the date a car was exported?
No, only whether it is marked as exported. The £15 report shows the date the export was recorded, where the DVLA holds one, 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.
Export marker, tax and registration details from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. MOT status from the DVSA MOT history service. Carpeep is not affiliated with the DVLA or DVSA.