Vehicle Check
A vehicle check pulls everything official sources hold about a UK car, van, motorbike or light commercial vehicle. RegRadar runs the free DVLA and MOT lookup instantly and offers a £9.99 premium upgrade for finance, theft, write-off and mileage history.
Free vehicle check vs premium
The free vehicle check covers everything the DVLA and DVSA make available: make, model, fuel, engine size, CO2, tax status, MOT status and full MOT history. The premium upgrade adds the commercial datasets — finance, stolen, write-off, mileage anomaly detection — that aren't in the free government APIs.
What types of vehicle can I check?
Anything registered with the DVLA. That includes private cars, vans, light goods vehicles, motorbikes and motorcycles. Heavy goods vehicles and buses are also covered, but their MOT histories sit on a different DVSA endpoint and may take a moment longer to load.
When you should run a vehicle check
Before you view, before you put down a deposit, before you pay the balance, and as evidence of due diligence after the sale. If you are buying privately, a fresh report dated within 48 hours of the handover is your best protection against later disputes.
How the data is sourced
DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service and DVSA MOT History API for the free tier. The premium tier additionally uses a regulated UK data partner that aggregates finance markers from over 40 lenders, MIAFTR write-off data, the Police National Computer's stolen markers, and dealer-network mileage records.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the V5C to run a vehicle check?
No. The number plate alone is enough for both the free and premium checks. The V5C is useful as a cross-reference once you have the report in hand.
Can I check a vehicle abroad?
Only UK-registered vehicles. If a car has been exported, our free check will tell you so.
Are commercial vehicles supported?
Yes. Vans, light commercials, motorbikes and HGVs are all covered.