What does a car reg check include?

A Carpeep reg check covers outstanding finance, insurance write-off history (Cat S, Cat N and older categories), stolen vehicle markers, mileage verified against MOT records, keeper changes, and core DVLA vehicle details. One report, £15.

How do I check a car by registration?

Type the registration into the box on the page. Carpeep checks it against DVLA, finance, insurance and police records. Takes a few seconds, and you don't need an account.

Can I check MOT history for free?

Yes. Carpeep offers a free MOT history check showing past test results, advisories and mileage readings. Finance, write-offs and stolen markers require a full paid check.

Why should I run a reg check before buying a used car?

Outstanding finance, write-offs and clocked mileage don't show on a test drive. Buy a car with finance still on it and the lender can take it back. A write-off marker alone can knock 20-40% off resale value. Worth checking before the money changes hands.

Where does the data come from?

Carpeep pulls data from DVLA, DVSA and MOT test centres for vehicle and MOT records, finance houses for outstanding agreements, insurance industry records for write-off categories, and police databases for theft markers.

What if the report data does not match the car?

Could be a previous plate change, a data entry error at DVLA, or something worse like a cloned identity. Cross-check against the V5C logbook. If things still don't line up, that's a reason to walk away or dig deeper.

Check any car by reg

Enter the registration. See if anything is wrong before you buy.

Finance, write-offs, theft, mileage and MOT history. One report, £15.

£15 flat · Apple Pay · No account needed

What a reg check reveals

Carpeep checks DVLA, DVSA, police, finance and insurance databases. One report covers all of it.

Outstanding finance

HP, PCP or lease agreements still attached to the car. If a lender has an interest, you need to know before you pay.

Insurance write-offs

Cat S, Cat N and older Cat C / Cat D markers. Shows if the car was ever written off by an insurer.

Stolen markers

Active theft records from police databases. If the car is flagged, it can be seized regardless of whether you paid for it.

Mileage verification

Mileage readings checked against every MOT test on record. If the numbers jump, drop or have gaps, you'll see it.

MOT history

The full timeline of passes, fails, advisories and dangerous items from DVSA test centres, not just the latest result.

Keeper and vehicle details

Previous keeper count, plate changes, colour changes, VIN validation and DVLA registration data.

See exactly what a report looks like

How a reg check works

Enter the registration

Type the number plate into the search box. Works for cars, vans and motorbikes.

We pull the records

We check it against DVLA, DVSA, police, finance and insurance databases. Takes seconds.

Read the report

It flags the risks first. You decide whether to go ahead, negotiate or walk away.

You don't need to create an account or wait for an email. The report loads straight on screen.

Why check before you buy

Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, clocked mileage. None of it shows up on a test drive. A car can look and drive perfectly and still have thousands in debt attached to it, or a write-off marker that tanks its resale value.

A reg check catches all of this before money changes hands. Takes about 30 seconds and costs £15.

— If a car has outstanding finance and you buy it, the lender can repossess it. You lose the car and the money.
— Cat S and Cat N write-off markers knock 20-40% off resale value, even after a proper repair.
— Clocked mileage still turns up regularly on used car lots. The MOT mileage trail makes it obvious.
— Stolen markers mean the police can seize the car whenever they find it. Doesn't matter that you paid for it.

Where the data comes from

Carpeep pulls from official UK sources, the same databases that dealers, insurers and lenders use. Nothing is estimated or guessed.

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DVLA for registration, keeper history, tax, V5C and vehicle identity

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DVSA and MOT test centres for test history, mileage readings and advisories

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Police databases for theft markers and stolen vehicle records

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Insurance industry records for write-off categories and damage history

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Finance houses for outstanding HP, PCP and lease agreements

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Auction and trade records for vehicle movement and sale history

Common questions about reg checks

Check a car now

Enter the reg. Get the answer before you pay.

£15 flat · Apple Pay · No account needed · £30,000 data guarantee