Cat N Check
Don't buy a hidden write-off. Enter your reg to find out if a vehicle has been recorded as a Category N insurance write-off.
The basics
What is a Cat N Check?
A Cat N check reveals whether a vehicle has been classified as a Category N (non-structural) insurance write-off. Cat N means an insurer deemed the vehicle uneconomical to repair, even though the chassis or frame was not affected. Our vehicle history check tells you if a write-off marker exists so you can make an informed decision before buying.
Uncover Write-off Status
Find out if a vehicle has been recorded as a Category N write-off, meaning it sustained non-structural damage that an insurer chose not to repair.
Spot Hidden Markers
Sellers don't always disclose a write-off history. A Cat N check ensures you know a vehicle's insurance status before committing.
True Market Valuation
A Cat N marker significantly lowers a car's resale value. Ensure the price you pay reflects its write-off status.
Insurance Transparency
Knowing whether a vehicle carries a write-off marker helps you secure accurate insurance quotes and avoid unexpected premium increases.
Inside the report
Where a Cat N marker shows up
The write-off panel is open on the category search. Cat N covers non-structural damage, it is legal to sell, and it stays on the record for the life of the car.
Is the vehicle still on finance?
If a lender still has an interest in the vehicle, they can repossess it from your driveway. The seller keeps your money.
- Searched against
- The UK finance register
- Agreement types
- PCP, HP, lease, unit stocking
- Report shows
- Agreement type, date and status
- Recorded by
- The lender, not the seller
Source: UK Finance Register
Has it been written off?
Insurers record a category when a vehicle is damaged badly enough to be uneconomical to repair. Cat S and Cat N vehicles can legally return to the road.
- Searched against
- MIAFTR, the insurance loss register
- Categories covered
- A, B, C, D, S and N
- Report shows
- Category, and the date of loss
- Also covered
- Salvage and total-loss records
Source: MIAFTR
Does the mileage add up?
Every MOT reading is on record. A reading that goes down, or a jump that does not fit the pattern, is the clearest sign of a clocked vehicle.
- Readings used
- Every MOT reading on file
- Looking for
- Readings that fall, or jump
- Report shows
- The full run of readings, in order
- Also covered
- Average miles a year
Source: DVSA MOT history
Is it recorded as stolen?
A car reported stolen and never recovered stays flagged on the Police National Computer. Buying one means losing the vehicle and the money.
- Searched against
- The Police National Computer
- Marker covers
- Vehicles reported and not recovered
- Report shows
- Whether a theft marker is held
- Also covered
- The vehicle's registration status
Source: Police National Computer
How many hands has it passed through?
Frequent keeper changes can mean a problem car being passed along. The V5C record shows every change of keeper since first registration.
- Source record
- The DVLA keeper record
- Report shows
- How many keepers it has had
- Dates given
- First registration and last change
- Also covered
- How many V5Cs have been issued
Source: DVLA
Has it crossed a border?
An import can be fine, but it changes the history you should expect to find, and an exported marker on a vehicle still being sold here is a red flag.
- Markers checked
- Imported and exported
- Covers
- Vehicles first registered abroad
- Report shows
- Which marker is held, and when
- Also covered
- Whether UK history starts late
Source: DVLA
Has it been scrapped?
A certificate of destruction means the vehicle should not exist on the road. Vehicles with cloned plates borrow the identity of scrapped vehicles.
- Markers checked
- Scrapped, and destroyed
- Covers
- Certificates of destruction
- Report shows
- Whether the record was closed, and when
- Also covered
- Whether the VIN matches the record
Source: DVLA
Has the plate been changed?
Plate changes are legal and common, but they are also how a past identity gets buried. The full history lists every registration the vehicle has worn.
- Source record
- The DVLA registration record
- Report shows
- Every plate the vehicle has worn
- Dates given
- The date of each change
- Also covered
- Personalised plates added and removed
Source: DVLA
What does the MOT record say?
Every test, pass, failure and advisory since the vehicle's third year. Advisories are the useful part: they are a mechanic telling you what was already wearing out.
- Tests listed
- Every test on record
- Report shows
- Result, date and mileage for each
- Also covered
- Advisories and reasons for failure
- Goes back to
- The vehicle's third year
Source: DVSA MOT history
Is there an outstanding safety recall?
Manufacturers issue recalls when a fault could be dangerous. The work is free, but it only happens if somebody books it in, and a recall can sit unactioned for years.
- Searched against
- The DVSA recalls database
- Report shows
- Recalls affecting this vehicle
- Also covered
- Recall history for the model
- Cost to put right
- Free, at a franchised dealer
Source: DVSA recalls database
Has it been resprayed?
A recorded colour change can be a personal choice. It can also be how accident repairs or a previous identity stop being obvious at a glance.
- Source record
- The DVLA vehicle record
- Report shows
- Every recorded colour change
- Dates given
- The date of each change
- Also covered
- The colour at first registration
Source: DVLA
Does the vehicle match its paperwork?
The VIN on the vehicle should match the one on the record. When it does not, you are looking at a cloned or altered identity, and everything else in the history belongs to a different car.
- Compared
- The VIN against the DVLA record
- Report shows
- Whether plate, VIN and record agree
- Catches
- Cloned and altered identities
- Also covered
- How many V5Cs have been issued
Source: DVLA
What will it cost to tax?
The rate depends on emissions and registration date, and the difference between bands is large enough to change which vehicle you should buy.
- Source record
- The DVLA tax record
- Report shows
- Tax status, and the date it runs out
- Rate given
- The annual rate for this vehicle
- Based on
- Emissions and registration date
Source: DVLA
What is actually under the bonnet?
Engine size, power, fuel type and economy, taken from the manufacturer record rather than the advert. Useful for checking a listing describes the vehicle it is actually selling.
- Taken from
- The manufacturer record
- Report shows
- Engine size, power and fuel type
- Also covered
- Economy, emissions and gearbox
- Useful for
- Checking the advert is accurate
Source: Manufacturer data
What will it cost to keep?
Fuel, servicing, insurance group and tax in one place, so the monthly cost of owning the vehicle is visible before you commit to it rather than after.
- Report shows
- Fuel, tax, insurance and servicing
- Fuel worked out from
- The vehicle's own economy figures
- Adjustable
- By the mileage you actually drive
- Also covered
- Typical service and MOT costs
Source: Car Owl running-cost model
What will it be worth later?
What the vehicle is worth now and what it is likely to be worth in three years. Depreciation is usually the largest single cost of owning a vehicle, and the easiest one to ignore.
- Report shows
- What the vehicle is worth today
- Ranges given
- Private sale and trade
- Projected to
- Three years ahead
- Based on
- Age, mileage and market data
Source: Car Owl valuation model
What has happened to this vehicle?
Keeper changes, MOT tests, mileage readings and plate changes on one timeline. Patterns that are invisible in a list of dates tend to be obvious once they are in order.
- Events shown
- Keepers, MOTs, mileage and plates
- Ordered by
- Date, from first registration
- Also covered
- Stretches with no record at all
- Drawn from
- DVLA and DVSA records
Source: DVLA and DVSA records
What should you check in person?
A checklist built around this specific car, including what its own MOT advisories say to look at. It turns a viewing into something you can work through rather than guess at.
- Built from
- This car's own MOT advisories
- Also built from
- Known faults for the model
- Report shows
- What to check, in viewing order
- Includes
- Questions to ask the seller
Source: Car Owl
Also in every full report: VIC marker · Unpaid loan records · Common faults and typical repair costs · Fuel cost calculator · Priority support · Money-back promise
Step by step
Why Category N is Often Misunderstood
Sellers often claim Cat N damage was 'just a light scuff' or 'minor cosmetic work.' In reality, insurance companies only write off a vehicle when repair costs are uneconomical. Checking whether a vehicle carries a Cat N marker is an essential first step before arranging an independent inspection.
AA19 MOT
Vauxhall Astra
Overall outcome:
CAT N
All checks:
- Cat N Non-structural
- No Finance
- Not Stolen
- Not Imported
- Not Scrapped
- Mileage Verified
Write-off Status Check
Our vehicle history check reveals whether a car has been recorded as a Category N or any other insurance write-off category.
Know Before You Buy
A write-off marker is a red flag that warrants further investigation. Use the result to decide if the vehicle is worth pursuing.
Part of a Full Check
Write-off status is included alongside MOT history, mileage records, outstanding finance, and more in our vehicle history report.
Compare the categories
How Cat N compares with the other categories
Cat N is the least severe of the four. Tap across to see exactly where it sits, and what each of the others would have meant for the same vehicle.
Category A: scrap only
The most severe category there is. The damage is bad enough that nothing may be reused, not even a wing mirror or a set of wheels. The whole vehicle has to be crushed, frame and all.
- Damage
- Severe, beyond any repair
- What happens to it
- Crushed whole, no parts salvaged
- Effect on value
- None. It has no legal value as a vehicle
- If you are buying
- A Cat A vehicle cannot legally be sold to drive. If one is advertised, walk away and report it
Category B: break for parts
The body shell or frame must be crushed, but usable parts can be stripped and sold on. The vehicle itself can never go back on the road, though its components legally can.
- Damage
- Extensive structural damage
- What happens to it
- Shell or frame crushed, parts recycled
- Effect on value
- Only the value of the parts on it
- If you are buying
- Never roadworthy again. A Cat B on anything being sold to drive is a serious red flag
Category S: structural damage
Structural damage serious enough for the insurer to write the vehicle off, but which can be professionally repaired. Cat S vehicles are legal to repair, re-register and sell, and plenty are on the road right now.
- Damage
- Structural, to the chassis, frame or subframe
- What happens to it
- Repairable, and legal to sell once repaired
- Effect on value
- Typically 20 to 40 percent below an unrecorded equivalent
- If you are buying
- Ask for the repair invoices and an independent inspection. A good repair is fine, a cheap one is not
Category N: non-structural damage
The least severe of the modern categories. The damage did not affect the chassis or frame, but repairing it cost more than the insurer thought the vehicle was worth. That can mean cosmetic damage on an older van, or electrical and safety component faults on anything.
- Damage
- Non-structural: cosmetic, electrical or safety components
- What happens to it
- Repairable, and legal to sell once repaired
- Effect on value
- Typically 10 to 25 percent below an unrecorded equivalent
- If you are buying
- Check what was actually damaged. Non-structural still covers brakes, steering and airbags
These four categories apply to any vehicle an insurer writes off, cars, vans, motorbikes and motorhomes alike. They replaced the older C and D markers in October 2017, and anything written off before then still carries its original category, so both sets turn up on a history check.
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Answered
Cat N Check: Frequently Asked Questions
Category N (formerly Cat D) is a common marker in the used car market. Here is what you need to know before signing the logbook.
What is the difference between Cat N and Cat S?
Cat S (Structural) means the car's frame or chassis was damaged. Cat N (Non-structural) means the damage did not affect the structural integrity of the vehicle. However, Cat N can still involve expensive repairs to the engine, electrics, or safety features.
Does a Cat N marker affect my insurance?
Yes. While most insurers will cover a Cat N car, some may charge higher premiums or require a fresh MOT to prove roadworthiness. Always perform a Cat N check so you can disclose the status to your insurer accurately.
Can I remove a Cat N marker from a car?
No. Once an insurance company has recorded a vehicle as a Category N write-off on the MIAFTR register, the marker is permanent and will stay with the vehicle's history forever.
Why it matters
Why Check for Cat N with Car Owl?
Our vehicle history check tells you whether a car carries a Category N write-off marker, so you can negotiate fairly or walk away from a risky purchase.
Trusted Data Sources
We check industry databases to confirm whether a vehicle has been recorded as an insurance write-off.
Avoid Overpaying
Cat N cars are typically worth 20–30% less than clean equivalents. Knowing the status helps you negotiate the right price.
Instant Results
Enter a reg and receive your full vehicle history check, including write-off status, in seconds.
At a glance
Run a Cat N Check Instantly
Non-Structural Transparency
Don't let a 'clean' exterior fool you. Category N vehicles may have a history that isn't obvious from the outside. Our vehicle history check tells you if a write-off marker exists, giving you the confidence to buy or the reason to walk away.
Insurance Write-off Check
Every Cat N check we perform checks whether the vehicle has been recorded as an insurance write-off across any category.
Comprehensive Vehicle History
Write-off status is just one part of your report, which also covers MOT history, mileage, outstanding finance, and more.
The Smarter Way to Check Cat N Status
Whether it's a car, van, or motorcycle, our Cat N check tells you if a write-off marker is on file. Protect your safety and your wallet with Car Owl.
Still unsure?
Expert FAQ: Category N Write-offs
What is a Cat N check?
A Cat N check is a search of insurance databases to see if a vehicle has been written off as Category N (Non-structural). This means the car sustained damage that didn't affect the frame or chassis but was too expensive for an insurer to fix.
Is it safe to buy a Cat N car?
Cat N cars can be safe if repaired properly, but they may have had significant non-structural issues. A Cat N check tells you whether the vehicle carries a write-off marker, so you can then arrange a professional mechanical inspection before committing to a purchase.
Does a Cat N check include photos or damage details?
No. Our Cat N check confirms whether a vehicle has been recorded as an insurance write-off and the category assigned. It does not include photos, damage descriptions, or repair details. If a write-off marker is found, we recommend arranging an independent mechanical inspection.
What was Cat N called before?
Before 2017, Category N was known as Category D. Both refer to non-structural write-offs where the repair costs were significant compared to the vehicle's value.
Will a Cat N car have a lower resale value?
Yes, typically a Cat N car is worth 20% to 30% less than a car with a clean history. Checking the status ensures you pay a fair price.