Standard Vehicle Check vs Full Vehicle Check: What You Get
The standard check reads official DVLA and DVSA records at no charge. The Full Vehicle Check (£9.99) adds the checks that come from insurance and finance databases.
Published
What the standard check shows
Enter a registration and you see the vehicle details held by the DVLA (make, model, year, fuel, engine size, colour, CO2 and Euro status), the MOT status and expiry date, road tax status, the full MOT test history from official DVSA records, and a mileage chart built from those tests. There is no charge and no account is needed.
This tells you a good deal about whether a car is what the advert says and how it has been looked after. It does not cover things that are recorded outside DVLA and DVSA systems.
What the Full Vehicle Check adds (£9.99)
The Full Vehicle Check is a paid, one-off report for a single vehicle. It adds the provenance checks drawn from insurance and finance databases: whether the car is recorded as an insurance write-off, whether it is on the police stolen register, whether there is outstanding finance against it, and the industry mileage register. It also shows the full VIN and previous registration plates.
A check is only as good as the data returned for that vehicle. Where a source returns nothing, the report says so instead of showing a clean result.
Which one do you need?
If you are browsing or comparing adverts, the standard check is a quick first filter. If you are about to pay for a car, the extra checks matter, because finance on a car can follow the car to a new keeper, and a write-off record changes both safety and value. Neither report replaces inspecting the car, and a clean report is not a guarantee of its condition.
Run a vehicle check
Enter a UK registration to start with the standard check, then add the Full Vehicle Check if you need it.
Frequently asked questions
What does the standard vehicle check include?
DVLA vehicle details, MOT status and expiry, tax status, the full MOT history from DVSA records and a mileage chart.
What does the Full Vehicle Check add?
Insurance write-off, police stolen marker, outstanding finance, the industry mileage register, the full VIN and previous plates, for £9.99 per vehicle.
Will the standard check tell me about outstanding finance?
No. Finance records sit in finance databases, not in DVLA or DVSA data. That is part of the Full Vehicle Check.
Is the Full Vehicle Check a guarantee?
No. It reports what the source databases hold at the time of the check. It does not replace inspecting the car.
Do I need an account?
Not for the standard check. See the pricing page for how purchases work.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Check MOT history
- GOV.UK: Check if a vehicle is taxed
- GOV.UK: Get vehicle information from DVLA
General information only. Rules can change, so confirm the current position on GOV.UK before you rely on it.