VIN check UK
What people mean by a VIN check, what you can do for nothing, and where the VIN itself comes into it.
Two different things called a VIN check
Some people searching for a VIN check have a number plate and want the VIN. Others already have a VIN and want to know about the vehicle behind it. They are different jobs, and most sites only do the second, as part of a paid history report.
This site does the first one. You enter a registration and get the full VIN, with the make, model, year of registration, body type and fuel type, for £2.50. If no VIN is found, you are not charged.
What you can check for free
GOV.UK has free services that work from the registration number:
- MOT history. Every test result, the mileage recorded at each one, and the reasons for any failure or advisory.
- Tax and MOT status. Whether the vehicle is taxed and when the MOT runs out, with its colour, engine size and date of first registration.
- Safety recalls. Whether the manufacturer has recalled the vehicle for a fault that has not yet been fixed.
Use them. They are the official record and they cost nothing. What they will not give you is the full VIN.
When you need the VIN itself
- Ordering parts. Suppliers match parts to the VIN. See VIN for car parts.
- Replacing a lost logbook. The application asks for it. See find a VIN without the V5C.
- Insurance, finance and warranty forms that ask for the VIN or chassis number.
- Checking a car before you travel to see it. Know what the VIN should be, then compare it with the one on the car.
Checking a VIN looks right
- Seventeen characters, with no I, O or Q.
- The first three characters match the manufacturer. The common ones are listed in what is a VIN.
- The same number at the windscreen, on the door pillar, stamped in the body and printed on the V5C.
What this is not
A VIN on its own does not tell you whether a car has finance owing, has been written off or has been stolen. If you are about to hand over money for a used car, buy a proper history check as well.
FAQ
VIN check questions
- What is a VIN check?
- It is used for two different things: finding out what a vehicle’s VIN is, and using a VIN to look up information about the vehicle. This site does the first.
- Is there a free VIN check in the UK?
- The government’s free services on GOV.UK show MOT history, tax status and outstanding safety recalls from the registration number. They do not give you the vehicle’s full VIN.
- Do you provide a full vehicle history report?
- No. We return the VIN and the basic vehicle details. We do not report on outstanding finance, write-offs, theft or mileage.
- How do I check a VIN is genuine?
- It should be 17 characters with no I, O or Q, its first three characters should belong to the right manufacturer, and it should be identical everywhere it appears on the car and on the V5C.
More guides
- Chassis number from a regThe chassis number is the VIN. How to get it from the plate.
- Find a VIN without the V5CLost the logbook and need the VIN to replace it.
- VIN for car partsWhy parts suppliers ask for it and how to give it to them.
- Where to find a VINOn the vehicle, on the paperwork, and from the plate.
- What is a VIN?What the 17 characters mean, with the prefixes of common makes.
- VIN year chartThe 10th character and the year it stands for.
Start with the VIN
£2.50 for one lookup, no account, and nothing to pay if we cannot find the VIN.
Find a VIN from a reg