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VIN to reg · Free · DVSA data

Find a car's reg number from its VIN

Enter the 17-character VIN below. CarVouch looks it up in DVSA MOT history data and, if there's a match, shows the registration DVSA holds for the car on a free check result, with its MOT history, mileage and risk score. It never shows the keeper's name or address.

Published by CarVouch · Last reviewed: 24 October 2026

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The VIN is printed on the V5C logbook and usually at the bottom of the windscreen.

Free · No account needed · Keeper details are never shown

How to find a reg number from a VIN

  1. Find the VIN. It's in section E of the V5C logbook and on the car, usually at the bottom of the windscreen. See where to find the VIN number.
  2. Enter all 17 characters in the form above. The chassis number is the same number.
  3. Read the result. The registration appears at the top of the free check, with the car's MOT history and mileage underneath.

Where the registration comes from

CarVouch sends the VIN to the official DVSA MOT History API and shows the registration DVSA holds for that vehicle. The same free scan as a registration search then runs on it. CarVouch is not affiliated with DVSA. Product facts are summarised on CarVouch AI info.

Why a VIN might not return a registration

  • No DVSA record. A car without an MOT record, such as a newer car that hasn't had its first MOT, may not be found.
  • A typing mistake. VINs never contain I, O or Q. If you typed one, it's probably a 1 or a 0.
  • DVSA is busy. You'll be asked to try again in a minute.

If you can't get a match, ask the seller for the registration and use the free car check instead.

What a VIN lookup won't tell you

  • Who owns the car. CarVouch never shows the registered keeper's name or address.
  • Factory build details. CarVouch doesn't decode a VIN into a build sheet. It uses the VIN to find the registration and the car's records.
  • Finance, stolen or write-off records in the free check. Those are part of the Full Vehicle Check (£9.99), which you can add from the scan result.

Check the plate matches

Once you have the registration, compare it with the plates on the car and the V5C. If they don't match, ask the seller why before you travel or pay anything. The VIN check page explains what else the free check shows, and V5 checks before you pay covers the logbook.

Reg number from VIN FAQs

From DVSA's MOT history data. CarVouch sends the VIN to the official DVSA MOT History API and shows the registration DVSA holds for that vehicle. CarVouch is not affiliated with DVSA.

DVSA may have no record for that VIN, which can happen with a car that has no MOT record yet. The VIN may also have been mistyped: VINs never contain I, O or Q, so check for a 1 or a 0 instead. If DVSA is busy you may be asked to try again in a minute. You can always search by registration instead.

No. CarVouch never shows the registered keeper's name or address. You see the registration and the car's vehicle records, such as its MOT history and mileage.

Yes. The VIN search and the free scan that follows cost nothing and need no account. Finance, stolen and write-off records are part of the Full Vehicle Check (£9.99).

Yes, if it is the full 17-character VIN. In the UK the chassis number and the VIN are the same number, and it is printed in section E of the V5C logbook.

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Find the registration from a VIN

Enter the 17-character VIN. Free, instant, no sign-up.

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The VIN is printed on the V5C logbook and usually at the bottom of the windscreen.

Free · Instant · No sign-up needed