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VIN check · Free · No sign-up

Free VIN check: check a car by its VIN or chassis number

Enter the car's 17-character VIN, also called the chassis number. CarVouch matches it to the registration using DVSA MOT history data, then runs the same free check as a reg search: MOT history, mileage, tax status, recall alerts and a 0 to 100 risk score. Finance, stolen and write-off records are part of the Full Vehicle Check (£9.99).

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 VIN check · No account needed · Full Vehicle Check from £9.99

What is a VIN?

The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a 17-character code that identifies one vehicle. In the UK it is also called the chassis number. It uses letters and numbers but never I, O or Q, so they can't be confused with 1 and 0.

The number plate can change, for example when a private plate is added or removed, but the VIN stays with the car for life. That is why it is worth checking a car by its VIN as well as its plate.

The VIN is printed in section E of the V5C logbook and marked on the car itself, usually at the bottom of the windscreen and on a door pillar. See where to find the VIN number on a car for every common place to look.

How the free VIN check works

  1. Enter the VIN. Type all 17 characters into the form above. Spaces are removed for you.
  2. We find the registration. CarVouch looks the VIN up in DVSA MOT history data and matches it to the registration DVSA holds for the car.
  3. The free scan runs. You get the same results as a registration search, with the matched registration at the top of the page.
  4. Go further if you need to. Add the Full Vehicle Check from the scan result for finance, stolen and write-off records.

What a VIN check shows

Free

  • The registration matched to the VIN
  • Full MOT history with advisories and failures
  • Mileage readings and inconsistencies
  • DVLA tax status and recall alerts
  • A 0 to 100 AI risk score

Full Vehicle Check (£9.99)

When a VIN can't be found

The VIN search depends on DVSA's MOT history data having a record for that VIN. You may see "We couldn't find a vehicle with that VIN" when:

  • The car has no MOT record yet, for example a newer car that hasn't had its first MOT.
  • The VIN was mistyped. Check every character against the V5C. A VIN never contains I, O or Q, so those are usually a 1 or a 0.

In either case, search by registration instead. If DVSA is busy, you'll be asked to try again in a minute.

Make sure the VIN matches the car

A VIN check tells you about the vehicle records, not the car in front of you. At the viewing, compare the VIN on the windscreen and door pillar with the V5C and with your check. If the registration CarVouch found for the VIN isn't the plate on the car, ask the seller why before you go any further.

For the full logbook checks, read V5 checks before you pay, and for what to look at on the day, the used car pre-viewing checklist.

Where the data comes from

The VIN is matched to a registration using the DVSA MOT History API. The free scan then uses DVSA MOT data and DVLA vehicle data, and the Full Vehicle Check adds Experian data. CarVouch is not affiliated with DVSA, DVLA or GOV.UK. See our data sources or the VIN search facts on CarVouch AI info.

VIN check FAQs

The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a 17-character code of letters and numbers that identifies one vehicle. It never contains the letters I, O or Q. It is also called the chassis number, and it stays with the car for life, even when the number plate changes.

Enter the VIN in the form on this page. CarVouch looks it up in DVSA MOT history data and, if it finds a match, the free check result shows the registration DVSA holds for the car, with its MOT history and mileage.

The VIN search only works when DVSA's MOT history data has a record for that VIN. A car without an MOT record, such as a newer car that hasn't had its first MOT, may not be found, and a VIN typed with a letter O instead of a zero (or I instead of 1) won't match. If there's no match, search by registration instead.

Yes. Searching by VIN costs nothing and needs no account. You get the same free scan as a registration search: MOT history, mileage, tax status, recall alerts and a 0 to 100 risk score.

From the scan result you can add the Full Vehicle Check (£9.99). It adds Experian outstanding finance, stolen and write-off records, keeper and plate history and salvage auction records, and the VIN you searched with is passed to Experian with the check. An account is needed to buy it.

No. CarVouch never shows the registered keeper's name or address. The VIN is only used to find the car's registration and its vehicle records.

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Check a car by VIN now

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