Car Check Prices: How Much a Car History Check Costs
Every CarCostCheck price in one place, with what each check includes and what it does not. One-off payments, no subscription, and the basic check is free.
Enter a reg for the free report, then choose a paid check on the report page if you want one.
Short answer
A CarCostCheck car history check costs £4.99 and includes the outstanding finance, stolen and write-off checks. The car valuation is £2.99 (a valuation only, not a history check), and both together cost £6.99, saving £0.99. The basic car check is free. Each paid check is a one-off payment with no subscription, and extra cars in the same order cost less. Prices correct on 9 October 2026.
Our prices
| Check | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free car check | Free | MOT history explained, mileage check, reliability score, running costs, recalls, tax and MOT status, ULEZ check and an estimated value range |
| Full history check | £4.99 | Outstanding finance, stolen, insurance write-off, keepers with the date of each recorded change, VIN, engine number, plate and colour changes and more |
| Car valuation | £2.99 | A valuation only, not a history check: local dealer value, days to sell, private sale range, years left on the road and our estimated insurance group |
| History check and valuation (bundle) | £6.99 | Both together, £0.99 less than buying them separately (£7.98) |
One-off payments by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. No subscription, nothing to cancel.
What the £4.99 history check includes
Everything in the free report, plus these 13 checks. The finance, stolen and write-off checks use Experian vehicle data, fetched when you buy the check.
- ✓
Stolen vehicle check (PNC)
Checked against the Police National Computer, with the date reported and a police contact if it is stolen
- ✓
Outstanding finance (PCP, HP, loans)
Any agreement still on the car, with the lender, agreement type, start and end dates, agreement number and the number to call to settle it
- ✓
Insurance write-off (Cat A/B/N/S)
Whether an insurer has written the car off, with the date, cause, damage and insurer
- ✓
Previous owners, with dates
How many keepers, the date of each recorded change of keeper and how long each new keeper had the car
- ✓
VIN check
The last 4 characters of the VIN on record (the last 2 for rare models, where fewer than 500 were registered in a year), so you can match it to the car and the V5C
- ✓
Engine number
Shown in full on reports from 9 October 2026, so you can match it against the V5C logbook
- ✓
Colour change history
Whether the recorded colour has changed, with the date where it is recorded
- ✓
Plate transfer history (cherished)
Private plates put on or taken off the car, with the date when there has been one transfer
- ✓
Import and export markers
Whether the car was imported, exported, re-imported or is a non-EU import
- ✓
Scrapped vehicle check
Whether the car has been marked for scrap or had a Certificate of Destruction issued
- ✓
Police high-risk markers
Flags any police high-risk marker held on the car
- ✓
DVLA identity checks
Shows if DVLA has a vehicle identity check recorded for the car
- ✓
Previous checks on the car
How many times insurers, lenders and the motor trade have checked this car, and any burst of checks
Car valuation
£2.99A valuation only, not a history check. It includes:
- ✓Local dealer value: what similar cars are listed for at dealers near you (needs a postcode and enough similar cars listed nearby, so not every car gets one, and fewer cars registered from 2023 onwards)
- ✓Days to sell: how quickly similar cars sell near you, where listings allow
- ✓Private sale price range, with a midpoint (the free report shows the same range)
- ✓Estimated years the car has left on the road
- ✓Our estimated insurance group (not the official Thatcham group), with example quotes by driver age
It does not include:
- A history check (finance, stolen and write-off are in the £4.99 check)
- A part-exchange or trade-in value
- A national average value or a depreciation forecast
- A list of comparable cars for sale
History check and valuation
£6.99The full £4.99 history check and the £2.99 valuation in one payment of £6.99, which is £0.99 less than the £7.98 they cost separately. You get one link to the whole report by email.
Suits a buyer who wants to know the car is clear of finance, theft and write-offs and what it is worth before agreeing a price.
More about the bundle →What is free
The free report needs no sign-up and no card. It uses official DVSA and DVLA data.
- ✓MOT history with every advisory and failure explained
- ✓Mileage check against every MOT reading
- ✓Reliability score from the car's own MOT history
- ✓Running costs: fuel, road tax, MOT and predicted repairs (not insurance)
- ✓Common faults from the car's MOT history
- ✓Outstanding recall check
- ✓Tax and MOT status
- ✓ULEZ and clean air zone check
- ✓Estimated value range
- ✓V5C issue date (when DVLA supplies it) and export marker
- ✓An optional MOT reminder email 4 weeks before the MOT runs out
The free report does not include stolen, finance, write-off, keeper or plate history, or an insurance group.
Checking more than one car
Add up to 5 cars to one order from the buy options on any report, or compare them first on the compare page. Each car gets its own full report, and a side-by-side comparison of the cars is included free.
| Price per car | 1st car | 2nd car | 3rd to 5th | 3 cars total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History check | £4.99 | £4.49 | £4.00 | £13.48 |
| Valuation | £2.99 | £2.49 | £2.00 | £7.48 |
| Bundle | £6.99 | £6.49 | £6.00 | £19.48 |
Trade credit packs for dealers
One-off packs with no contract, joining fee or monthly charge, and the credits never expire. A history check uses 1 credit, a bundle 1.5 and a valuation 0.5. If the same plate was checked on CarCostCheck in the last 24 hours, a trade check reuses that result without using a credit, and a check that fails or returns no data has its credit refunded.
| Pack | Price | Per history check |
|---|---|---|
| 10 credits | £39.90 | £3.99 |
| 25 credits | £87.25 | £3.49 |
| 50 credits | £159.50 | £3.19 |
| 100 credits | £289.00 | £2.89 |
| 200 credits | £518.00 | £2.59 |
How you get your report
On screen as soon as you pay, plus an email with a link to it. The link does not expire.
The history check bought on its own has a Download PDF button. The valuation and the bundle can be printed or saved as a PDF from your browser.
Refunds
Refunded if a report fails to generate, shows the wrong car or has a fault. Not for a change of mind on a correct report. See our terms.
How our price compares
Single-check prices for a check that includes outstanding finance, read on each provider's own site on 8 October 2026. CarCostCheck is listed first; the others are sorted by price.
| Check | Price | Finance | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarCostCheck history check | £4.99 | Yes | None |
| DealerPricing History Check | £3.99 | Yes | Not listed |
| AA Car Check | £14.99 | Yes | £30,000 |
| RAC Full Check | £14.99 | Yes | £30,000 |
| HPI Check (Full) | £19.99 | Yes | £30,000 |
| carVertical | £39.99 | Listed | Not listed |
Why we think it is the best value: £4.99 includes the core checks (stolen, outstanding finance, write-off) plus the date of each recorded keeper change, the report link does not expire, and the MOT analysis, reliability score and running costs are free.
It is not the lowest price: DealerPricing sells a check with finance for £3.99. And unlike HPI, the AA and the RAC's Full check, we do not offer a £30,000 data guarantee, so compare what each check covers.
Common questions about our prices
How much does a car history check cost?▼
At CarCostCheck a full car history check costs £4.99, paid once. It includes the outstanding finance check with the lender and agreement details, the stolen check against the Police National Computer and the insurance write-off check. Elsewhere, a check with finance costs from £3.99 (DealerPricing) to £19.99 (HPI's full check), and carVertical charges £39.99. Rival prices checked 8 October 2026.
Is the basic car check free?▼
Yes. Enter any reg for a free report with the MOT history explained, a mileage check, a reliability score, running costs, recalls, tax and MOT status, a ULEZ check and an estimated value range. There is no sign-up and no card. Stolen, finance and write-off checks are in the £4.99 history check.
Is there a subscription?▼
No. Every CarCostCheck purchase is a one-off payment with nothing to cancel. Trade credit packs are one-off payments too, and the credits never expire.
What is the difference between the £4.99 check and the £2.99 valuation?▼
The £4.99 check is a history check: finance, stolen, write-off, keepers, VIN, plate changes and more. The £2.99 valuation is a valuation only, not a history check: the local dealer value, days to sell, a private sale range, years left on the road and our estimated insurance group. The £6.99 bundle gives you both.
Does the £2.99 valuation include a part-exchange value?▼
No. It shows what similar cars are listed for at dealers near you and the likely private sale range. It does not include a part-exchange or trade-in value, a national average or a depreciation forecast.
Can I check several cars for less?▼
Yes. Add up to 5 cars to one order and each extra car costs less: the history check is £4.99 for the first car, £4.49 for the second and £4.00 for each car after that. The valuation (£2.99, £2.49, £2.00) and the bundle (£6.99, £6.49, £6.00) work the same way, and a side-by-side comparison of the cars is included free.
How do I get my report, and does the link expire?▼
Your report appears on screen as soon as you pay, and we email you a link to it. The link does not expire. The history check bought on its own can also be downloaded as a PDF from the report page; the valuation and the bundle can be printed or saved as a PDF from your browser.
Can I get a refund?▼
Yes, for genuine problems. If your report fails to generate, shows the wrong car or has a fault, contact support@carcostcheck.co.uk and we will refund you. Because the report is delivered instantly, we cannot refund a correct report if you simply change your mind. This does not affect your statutory rights.
Is there a data guarantee?▼
No. CarCostCheck does not offer a data guarantee. HPI, the AA and the RAC's Full check include a £30,000 guarantee with their £14.99 to £19.99 checks.
How much are trade checks for dealers?▼
Dealers buy credit packs from £39.90 for 10 credits (£3.99 a check) to £518.00 for 200 credits (£2.59 a check). A history check uses 1 credit, a bundle 1.5 and a valuation 0.5. Credits never expire and there is no contract or monthly fee.