Number Plate Check: Free Reg Check for Any UK Car
Type the registration to see the official record behind the plate, then check it against the car and the logbook. Free, with no sign-up.
Works for cars, vans, motorbikes and motorhomes registered in the UK.
Short answer
A number plate check (a reg check or registration check) looks up the DVLA and DVSA records for a UK registration. CarCostCheck's free check shows the make, model, colour and engine, tax and MOT status, the full MOT history with every mileage reading, any outstanding recall and the V5C issue date. Whether the car is stolen, has outstanding finance, has been written off or has had private plates is in the £4.99 history check.
What a free registration check shows
From DVLA and DVSA records, refreshed at least once a week. Use each line to test the car and the seller's story.
| What you see | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Make, model, colour, fuel and engine size | Should match the advert and the car in front of you. If they do not, the plate may not belong to that car. |
| Year of the car | Compare it with the plate's age identifier. DVLA lets a private plate make a car look older, but not newer. |
| Tax status and due date | Vehicle tax does not pass to a new keeper, so you tax the car yourself before you drive it away. |
| MOT status and expiry date | Driving without a valid MOT can mean a fine of up to £1,000. With an expired MOT the car can only go to a pre-booked MOT or to have failed items fixed. |
| Full MOT history with the mileage at each test | The readings should only go up. We flag readings that look wrong. |
| Outstanding safety recall | Ask the seller whether the recall work has been done, or book it before you rely on the car. |
| V5C logbook issue date | The seller's V5C should carry this date. An older logbook may have been replaced. |
| Export marker | A car marked for export should not be on sale as a normal UK car. |
The free report also explains the MOT history and adds a reliability score and running costs; see the free car check. For the full DVLA specification, including the month of first registration, use the car spec check.
What the £4.99 history check adds
One-off, no subscription- ✓Stolen check against the Police National Computer
- ✓Outstanding finance (PCP, HP, loans) with the lender and agreement details
- ✓Insurance write-off (Cat A, B, N, S) with the date, cause and damage
- ✓Number of keepers, the date of each recorded change and how long each new keeper had the car
- ✓Private plate transfers recorded for the car
- ✓The last 4 characters of the VIN on record (the last 2 for rare models, where fewer than 500 were registered in a year), and the engine number in full on reports from 9 October 2026
- ✓Colour changes, import and export markers, scrapped status
- ✓Police high-risk markers, DVLA identity checks and previous checks on the car
How to read a UK number plate
The current format started on 1 September 2001. Take a plate like AB25 CDE:
AB
Memory tag
The region where the car was first registered. A is Anglia; AB is one of the Peterborough tags.
25
Age identifier
When it was issued: 25 means March to August 2025.
CDE
Random letters
Three letters chosen at random, after a space.
The age identifier
New plates change twice a year. From 1 March to 31 August the number is the last two digits of the year (25 for 2025). From 1 September to the end of February it is the year plus 50 (75 for September 2025 to February 2026). The first plates in this format, in September 2001, were 51 plates.
| Year | March to August | September to February |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 | 76 (to Feb 2027) |
| 2025 | 25 | 75 (to Feb 2026) |
| 2024 | 24 | 74 (to Feb 2025) |
| 2023 | 23 | 73 (to Feb 2024) |
| 2022 | 22 | 72 (to Feb 2023) |
| 2021 | 21 | 71 (to Feb 2022) |
| 2020 | 20 | 70 (to Feb 2021) |
| 2019 | 19 | 69 (to Feb 2020) |
| 2018 | 18 | 68 (to Feb 2019) |
| 2017 | 17 | 67 (to Feb 2018) |
| 2016 | 16 | 66 (to Feb 2017) |
| 2015 | 15 | 65 (to Feb 2016) |
| 2014 | 14 | 64 (to Feb 2015) |
| 2013 | 13 | 63 (to Feb 2014) |
| 2012 | 12 | 62 (to Feb 2013) |
Plates issued before September 2001 used an older format, and private numbers can move between cars, so the plate is a guide only. The year on the free report is the record to trust.
What the first letter means
The first letter of the memory tag is the area, and the two letters together point to a DVLA office. DVLA does not use I, Q or Z in memory tags.
| Letter | Area | DVLA offices |
|---|---|---|
| A | Anglia | Peterborough, Norwich, Ipswich |
| B | Birmingham | Birmingham |
| C | Cymru | Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor |
| D | Deeside to Shrewsbury | Chester, Shrewsbury |
| E | Essex | Chelmsford |
| F | Forest and Fens | Nottingham, Lincoln |
| G | Garden of England | Maidstone, Brighton |
| H | Hampshire and Dorset | Bournemouth, Portsmouth (HW is for Isle of Wight residents) |
| K | No area name | Borehamwood, Northampton |
| L | London | Wimbledon, Borehamwood, Sidcup |
| M | Manchester and Merseyside | Manchester |
| N | North | Newcastle, Stockton |
| O | Oxford | Oxford |
| P | Preston | Preston, Carlisle |
| R | Reading | Theale |
| S | Scotland | Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness |
| V | Severn Valley | Worcester |
| W | West of England | Exeter, Truro, Bristol |
| Y | Yorkshire | Leeds, Sheffield, Beverley |
Source: DVLA guide INF104, Vehicle registration numbers and number plates.
Private plates and plate transfers
A private (cherished) number can be moved from one car to another. DVLA will not let you use a number that makes a car look newer than it is (its own example is an 07 number on a 2003 car), but an older-looking number is allowed, so a plate on its own cannot prove a car's age. Private numbers cannot go on a Q-registered vehicle.
When a private number is taken off, DVLA usually gives the car its original number back automatically and issues a new V5C, and the owner keeps the right to the private number on a V778 retention document.
Our £4.99 history check lists the plate transfers recorded for the car. When there has been one transfer, the report shows its date. When there have been several, it lists the plates without dates. A past plate change is common and not a problem in itself; what matters is that the V5C shows the plate now on the car and the VIN on the car matches the V5C.
Cloned plates: how to spot one
DVLA describes cloning as copying the identity of a similar car that is already on the road: criminals put that car's registration on a stolen car of the same make, model and colour so it looks legal. A clean reg check on the plate will not catch it, because the record belongs to the genuine car.
- ✓Match the VIN on the car (base of the windscreen and door frame) with the V5C, and with the last characters shown on our history check.
- ✓Check that the make, model, colour and engine size on the free check match the car you are looking at.
- ✓Check that the MOT history fits the car: the mileage on the dashboard should be above the last MOT reading.
- ✓Make sure the seller's V5C carries the issue date shown on the free check.
Number plate check questions
What is a number plate check?▼
A number plate check, also called a reg check or registration check, looks up the official records held against a UK registration. CarCostCheck's free check shows the make, model, colour, fuel and engine size, tax and MOT status, the full MOT history with the mileage at each test, any outstanding recall, the V5C issue date when DVLA supplies it and the export marker. The £4.99 history check adds stolen, outstanding finance, write-off, keeper and plate transfer checks.
Is a reg check free?▼
Yes. The basic check is free for any UK registration, with no sign-up and no card. The paid extras are the £4.99 history check, the £2.99 valuation and £6.99 for both.
Can a reg check tell me who owns a car?▼
No. A reg check does not show the keeper's name or address. The £4.99 history check shows how many keepers the car has had and the date of each recorded change, but not who they were. DVLA only releases keeper details to people with a reasonable cause, such as tracing the driver after an accident, using form V888.
How can I tell a car's age from its number plate?▼
On plates issued since 1 September 2001, the two numbers after the first two letters are the age identifier. From March to August they are the last two digits of the year, so 25 means March to August 2025. From September to February DVLA adds 50, so 75 means September 2025 to February 2026. A private plate can make a car look older but DVLA does not allow one that makes it look newer, so check the year on the free report.
What are the newest number plates?▼
New cars registered from 1 March to 31 August 2026 got 26 plates. From 1 September 2026 to the end of February 2027 new cars get 76 plates, and 27 plates follow in March 2027.
Does the check show if a car has had a private plate?▼
Yes, in the £4.99 history check. It lists the private plate transfers recorded for the car. When there has been one transfer it shows the date; when there have been several, it lists the plates without dates. The free check does not show plate transfers.
What happens to the original number when a private plate is taken off?▼
DVLA usually gives the car its original registration number back automatically when a private number is taken off, and sends a new V5C logbook. The private number goes onto a V778 retention document so the owner can use it again.
Can I space out or restyle the letters on my plate?▼
No. DVLA says you cannot rearrange or misrepresent the letters and numbers on a plate, for example with fixing bolts, to make words or names. You could be fined up to £1,000, the car will fail its MOT, and in some cases the number can be withdrawn.
Is a reg check the same as an HPI check?▼
Not quite. A free reg check uses DVSA and DVLA records. An HPI-style history check adds the stolen, outstanding finance and write-off checks. CarCostCheck's history check costs £4.99; HPI's full check costs £19.99 (prices checked 8 October 2026).