Enter a UK registration number and the car's page shows its details free: make, model, colour, fuel type, engine size in cc, year of manufacture, month of first registration, CO2 emissions, tax and MOT status, and every MOT test with its mileage. These records come from the DVLA and the DVSA. Keepers, plate changes, valuation and the finance, write-off and stolen checks are in a paid report.
What car details can you get from a reg number?
- Make and model, as recorded when the car was registered.
- Colour, fuel type and engine size in cubic centimetres (cc).
- Year of manufacture and month of first registration: see the car reg date check for what they tell you.
- CO2 emissions, which set the road tax band of many cars.
- Tax status and expiry date, or SORN, and the MOT status and expiry date.
- Every MOT test with its result, advisories, failure items and mileage, and the recall status.
How do you check a car's make and model by reg?
- Type the registration in the box above, without worrying about spaces.
- The car's page opens with the make and model at the top, with its colour, year, fuel and engine size.
- Compare them with the advert and the car. A different model or colour is a reason to ask questions before going further.
The records name the model, but trim levels and optional extras are often not recorded. Check those on the car itself and in its service book.
How do you check the engine size by reg?
The engine size is recorded in cubic centimetres, so a car sold as a "1.6" usually shows something like 1,598 cc and a "2.0" around 1,995 cc. If the advert says 2.0 and the records say 1,598 cc, it is the wrong car or the wrong advert.
Fully electric cars have no engine capacity: the fuel type shows "Electricity" instead.
What if the details do not match the car?
A colour that differs can be an honest respray, which the keeper must tell the DVLA about. A different make, model or engine size is more serious: the plates may belong to another car. Ask to see the V5C logbook and compare its VIN with the one on the car.
A paid report adds the past number plates of the car, its keepers and the full VIN (Premium). A car lookup by registration shows everything a report contains.
What else do people ask?
Is it free to get car details from a reg number?
Yes. The make, model, colour, fuel, engine size, year, CO2 emissions, tax and MOT status and MOT history are free on the car's page, with no account.
Can I find out the exact trim level from the reg?
Not always. The records give the make and model, but trim levels and extras are often missing. The service book, the V5C and the car itself are the best places to check them.
Why is the engine size shown in cc?
Engine capacity is recorded in cubic centimetres. Car makers round it in their model names, so 1,598 cc is sold as a 1.6 and 999 cc as a 1.0.
Does a reg check show the colour of the car?
Yes, the colour recorded by the DVLA. If the car has been resprayed a different colour, the keeper should have told the DVLA.
What details need a paid report?
The keeper history, plate changes, valuation and mileage verdict are in the Basic report (£3.99). The finance, write-off and stolen checks and the full VIN are in the Premium report (£7.99).
