Car Registration check

Reg check: how to check a UK vehicle by its registration number

A reg check (also called a car reg check, number plate check, vehicle registration check or simply a reg lookup) lets you find out detailed information about any UK car, van or motorbike using only its number plate. The data comes from official sources — the DVLA and the DVSA — so it's a quick, legitimate way to confirm a vehicle is genuine, roadworthy and correctly registered before you buy.

Enter any registration on Motorscan for a free car check covering the vehicle's specification, MOT history, road tax status and more. Below we explain the different types of reg check and what each one shows.

Different types of reg check

Number plate check & vehicle details

A basic number plate check confirms a vehicle's core details — make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type, CO₂ emissions and the date it was first registered. These are the same DVLA-held details returned by the official Get vehicle information from DVLA service, and they let you check that the car in front of you matches its paperwork.

MOT history check

An MOT history check shows every MOT test recorded for the vehicle from 2005 onwards — whether it passed or failed, the recorded mileage at each test, and any advisory or failure items. This is the best way to spot mileage discrepancies and recurring faults. You can cross-reference it against the government's Check the MOT history of a vehicle service.

Vehicle tax (VED) & SORN check

A tax check tells you whether a vehicle is currently taxed, untaxed or declared off the road (SORN), along with the next due date. Motorscan shows the live tax status as part of the free check, and you can verify it against the DVLA's Check if a vehicle is taxed service.

Full vehicle history (provenance) check

A full vehicle history check goes beyond the free data to reveal provenance information that matters most when buying used: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage anomalies, plate and colour changes, import/export status and the number of previous keepers. These checks help you avoid paying for a car with hidden debt or a damaged past.

Number plate & plate-change history

Because a registration stays with the vehicle rather than the owner, a plate history check can trace the registrations a vehicle has carried — from its original DVLA-issued plate through to any private or personalised number plate it has worn since.

What a reg check shows at a glance

Make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type and CO₂ emissions
Date of first registration and vehicle age
MOT history, test results and mileage records
Road tax (VED) status, band and SORN status
Number of previous keepers and plate-change history
Provenance markers — finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and import/export (full check)

Is a reg check legal and private?

Yes. A reg check uses publicly available data provided by the DVLA and DVSA and is completely legal. Under UK data-protection law, no vehicle check service — including Motorscan — can disclose the personal identity of a registered keeper. A check can tell you when ownership changed and how many keepers a vehicle has had, but never who they were.

Official sources: Get vehicle information from DVLA, Check the MOT history of a vehicle, Check if a vehicle is taxed, Personalised (private) number plates.

Why do we need to have vehicle number plates?

Vehicle registration numbers are needed to identify the owner of a car, this is useful in an event of an accident or a crime. The government can then use the number plate to track down the owner and take appropriate actions.

It is important to note that number plates are issued to the vehicle and not the registered keeper. This will stay with the vehicle until it is scrapped, destroyed or exported out of the country. However if you would like to keep a number plate, you can do so by putting the vehicle reg on another vehicle or retain it by applying for a V778 retention certificate.

How do you get number plate?

There are many ways you can obtain a vehicle registration number (VRM), You can obtain a VRN when you purchase a vehicle. If you’re looking for something personal you can also purchase a personalised number plate through the DVLA or any other VRN dealer.

When you buy a personalised number plate you buy the rights to put it on any vehicle registered to yourself or someone else you may nominate. It is important to know that if you do sell a vehicle that has a personalised plate, it will stay on with the vehicle unless you apply to take it off and put it on another vehicle. Alternatively can also retain the number plate using a VV778 certificate if you don’t have a vehicle to transfer it to.

What do the letters on a license plate mean?

At first glance it may look like a bunch of gibberish characters but when DVLA issue a number plate it actually follows a clear format. This format was introduced on the 1st of September 2001. Here’s what the characters on your number plate mean:

First two letters (Memory Tag) – This refers to the region of the country where it was first registered. See the full list of regions.
Two numbers (Age Identifier) – The numbers tell you what year the vehicle was registered in
Last three letters (Random letters) – These are just chosen at random

Laws around displaying vehicle number plates correctly

There are strict laws around how your vehicle number plate should be displayed, these are set out in the Road Vehicles Display of Registration Marks Regulations. These strict regulations govern how your number plate must be design and displayed.

You cannot rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers on the vehicle registration plate so they are hard to read. For example adding spaces or bolts to form names or words. Doing so is illegal and can cost you a hefty fine up to £1,000.

If you drive around with incorrectly displayed registration you will fail your MOT and in some cases the vehicle registration may be permanently withdrawn. If this happens you will not be reimbursed for any money you have paid for the vehicle registration number or any other costs you may have had to pay!

Finally, you cannot use a registration number to make your car look younger than it actually is.

Learn more about ANPR systems: All you Need to Know

List of all DVLA registration regions

Anglia

View A reg vehicles that were registered in Anglia.

Peterborough

AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AJ AK AL AM AN

Norwich

AO AP AR AS AT AU

Ipswich

AV AW AX AY

Birmingham

View B reg vehicles that were registered in Birmingham.

Birmingham

BA BB BC BD BE BF BG BH BJ BK BL BM BN BO BP BR BS BT BU BV BW BX BY

Cymru (Wales)

View C reg vehicles that were registered in Cymru (Wales).

Cardiff

CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CK CL CM CN CO

Swansea

CP CR CS CT CU CV

Bangor

CW CX CY

Deeside

View D reg vehicles that were registered in Deeside.

Chester

DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK

Shrewsbury

DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY

Essex

View E reg vehicles that were registered in Essex.

Chelmsford

EA EB EC ED EE EF EG EH EJ EK EL EM EN EO EP ER ES ET EU EV EW EX EY

Forest & Fens

View F reg vehicles that were registered in Forest & Fens.

Nottingham

FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FO FP

Lincoln

FR FS FT FU FV FW FX FY

Garden of England (Kent)

View G reg vehicles that were registered in Garden of England (Kent).

Maidstone

GA GB GC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO

Brighton

GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY

Hampshire & Dorset

View H reg vehicles that were registered in Hampshire & Dorset.

Bournemouth

HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ

Portsmouth

HK HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY

Luton/Northampton

View K reg vehicles that were registered in Luton/Northampton.

Borehamwood

KA KB KC KD KE KF KG KH KJ KK KL

Northampton

KM KN KO KP KR KS KT KU KV KW KX KY

London

View L reg vehicles that were registered in London.

Wimbledon

LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ

Borehamwood

LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT

Sidcup

LU LV LW LX LY

Manchester & Merseyside

View M reg vehicles that were registered in Manchester & Merseyside.

Manchester

MA MB MC MD ME MF MG MH MJ MK ML MM MN MO MP MR MS MT MU MV MW MX MY

North

View N reg vehicles that were registered in North.

Newcastle

NA NB NC ND NE NF NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO

Stockton

NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY

Oxford

View O reg vehicles that were registered in Oxford.

Oxford

OA OB OC OD OE OF OG OH OJ OK OL OM ON OO OP OR OS OT OU OV OW OX OY

Preston

View P reg vehicles that were registered in Preston.

Preston

PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT

Carlisle

PU PV PW PX PY

Reading

View R reg vehicles that were registered in Reading.

Theale

RA RB RC RD RE RF RG RH RJ RK RL RM RN RO RP RR RS RT RU RV RW RX RY

Scotland

View S reg vehicles that were registered in Scotland.

Glasgow

SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ

Edinburgh

SK SL SM SN SO

Dundee

SP SR SS ST

Aberdeen

SU SV SW

Inverness

SX SY

Worcester

View V reg vehicles that were registered in Worcester.

Worcester

VA VB VC VD VE VF VG VH VJ VK VL VM VN VO VP VR VS VT VU VV VW VX VY

West of England

View W reg vehicles that were registered in West of England.

Exeter

WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ

Truro

WK WL

Bristol

WM WN WO WP WR WS WT WU WV WW WX WY

Yorkshire

View Y reg vehicles that were registered in Yorkshire.

Leeds

YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK YL

Sheffield

YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU YV

Beverley

YU YV YW YX YY