DVLA check. Free.
EVERY REPORT INCLUDES:
*Data provided by Experian
DVLA data, free. Carhealth is not the DVLA.
What does a DVLA check show?
Enter the registration above and the free check shows the tax and MOT status, make, colour, engine, fuel and first registration date, using DVLA data, plus the MOT history. DVLA records do not include finance, write-offs, stolen markers or the number of keepers.
What the DVLA holds. What it doesn't.
In the free check
Free- Tax status
- Taxed until 1 Mar 2027
- MOT
- Valid until 14 Jun 2027
- Make and colour
- Ford, Blue
- Engine and fuel
- 998cc, Petrol
- Euro status and CO2
- Euro 6, 104 g/km
- First registered
- March 2019
Sample figures for illustration.
Only in the full report
Full report- Outstanding finance
- Insurance write-off category
- Stolen marker
- Number of previous keepers
- Plate changes and imports
- Valuation
Free DVLA Data, Plus What It Leaves Out
GOV.UK also offers a free vehicle enquiry service. Ours adds MOT history and a full report option when you need the records DVLA does not hold.
Tax and MOT Status
See whether the car is taxed, untaxed or SORN, and whether its MOT is valid, using DVLA data
Vehicle Details
Make, colour, engine size, fuel type, CO2 and Euro status, straight from the registration record
Plus MOT History
Our free result adds the full MOT history of past tests, advisories and failures, which the vehicle enquiry result does not list
What DVLA Does Not Hold
DVLA records do not show finance, write-offs, stolen markers, keeper count or value. A full Carhealth check covers those
How it works
From registration plate to full report, instantly.
Step 1Enter your registration
Every UK car has a unique registration on its number plate or V5C logbook. Takes seconds to type in.
Step 2We search multiple sources
We pull from DVLA, DVSA, Experian, salvage auction records, and more, all at once.
Step 3Your report is ready
Your history report is ready instantly, covering finance, theft, mileage, accidents, and more.
Step 4Buy with confidence
Use your report to negotiate a better price, avoid hidden problems, and make a safe, informed purchase.
View sample report →
Everything inside a Carhealth report.
Our checks go far beyond the basics: the full picture, before you hand over any money.
Red flags
Sample report- Outstanding finance (data provided by Experian)Hire purchase
- Insurance write-off (data provided by Experian)Cat N, June 2025
- Stolen records (data provided by Experian)Closed record
- Salvage auction (data provided by Experian)Sold July 2025
- Mileage1 reading out of line
- Taxi or private hirePossible, TfL licence
Finance, theft, write-offs and clocking.
Outstanding finance (data provided by Experian)
Any finance agreement still recorded against the car, with the lender and agreement type.
Write-offs and theft (data provided by Experian)
Insurance write-off categories, police stolen records and the car's DVLA status.
Salvage and auction records (data provided by Experian)
Salvage auction history, with links to the auction photos where available.
Mileage checks
Every recorded reading over time, so you can see whether the mileage adds up.
Taxi and private hire
Whether the car has been licensed as a taxi or private hire vehicle.
See this for your car.
Enter the registration and your report is ready instantly.
Check my carView a sample report
*Data provided by Experian
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DVLA check on Carhealth
DVLA vehicle records show the tax status and due date, MOT status and expiry, make, colour, year and month of first registration, engine size, fuel type, CO2 emissions, Euro status, wheelplan, type approval, revenue weight and the date the last V5C was issued. Enter a registration above to see the main ones for a car.
No. Carhealth is not the DVLA and is not affiliated with it. We read DVLA vehicle records and show them alongside MOT history. GOV.UK runs its own vehicle enquiry service, which is also free, if you want to check the DVLA's own page.
Yes. Our DVLA-based check is free by registration, and so is the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service. Ours adds MOT history and vehicle details in one result, with a full report if you want finance, stolen, write-off and mileage records.
No. DVLA data does not include outstanding finance, write-off records, stolen markers, the number of previous keepers or a valuation. A full Carhealth report adds those records from other sources, which are named in each section.
You can check any UK-registered car, van or motorbike by its registration number. A car that has just been registered or imported may not have a full record yet, so some fields can be blank.
It is the date the DVLA last issued a V5C registration certificate (the logbook) for the vehicle. A very recent date can mean a change of keeper, address or details. Ask the seller why, and check the logbook in person. The V5C itself is not proof of ownership.
Looking for one part of the record? Try the car tax check, the SORN check or the car specs check, or run a free car check for all of it at once.
Related guides
Plain-English reading on this check, from the Carhealth blog.