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Check a Licence Plate Instantly

Enter a licence plate number to get MOT status, tax info, mileage history, and more in seconds.
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Vehicle check report on a phone for Ford Focus RS showing 'PASS' and no issues like finance, theft, or imports, with green ticks.
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What Is a Licence Plate Check?

A licence plate check lets you view key details about a car using its plate number. Use our free car licence plate checker to access MOT history, tax status, and mileage records. Want to see finance, write-off or theft data? Upgrade to a full vehicle history check.

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Check Car Plates

Enter a plate to see the vehicle’s make, model, fuel type, CO2 rating, and more.

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MOT & Tax Lookup

Check if the vehicle has valid MOT and tax before you buy.

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Unlock Full History (Optional)

Upgrade to see if the car is financed, written off, or reported stolen.

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Mileage & Ownership Data

See how many owners the car had and check for mileage tampering.

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How Do I Check a Licence Plate?

Enter a car’s licence plate number into our tool to instantly view MOT history, mileage, road tax, and more — all for free.

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Find the Licence Plate

Look at the plate on the vehicle or find it on the logbook (V5C document).

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Enter the Plate Number

Type the number into our car check licence plate tool and click 'Check'.

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Get Instant Results

We’ll instantly return the car’s MOT status, mileage, tax status and more.

Rated 4.9 'Excellent' on Trustpilot

Very pleased with the report on the car that we had purchased. It was detailed and covered all the information on the history of the car from new to the present day

Saved my a**! The car was a write out - and being sold as premium low mileage!

Easy to use website. Fast results.

The car history check is a must if your buying a second hand car which I was recently contemplating. The car owl check flagged a red warning so I declined the purchase. Well worth the money, thankyou.

Great product, service & price

I nearly bought a car that looked perfect—until Car Owl flagged it as a write-off. Dodged a huge expense!

Great service told me everything I needed to know about a car.

Does what it says, provided me with a full history report for a car I wanted to buy. Quick and easy. Will use again in the future

Easily the best online history checker I've used. The report told me everything I needed to know about the car I was going to buy for my daughter as she's just past her test and was looking for a second hand car. This service is easy for old folk like myself looking for a simple way to check over cars before purchasing.

The customer service was very good and very responsive. They also gave a lot of suggestions for selling the car as the deal was not successful.

Quick response from a member called Milly. Very helpful and polite and explained the process throughout.

It's great, and it's free. No hassle sale. Thanks once again.

Listed my car within the first hour got an offer I was happy with. Buyer accepted same day. Overall 5/5 exceptional service and I have recommended to friends and family.

Was referred by a friend. Easy to use and friendly support. Sold my Toyota Aygo through car owl and didn't have to pay any fee. Thankyou and good luck in the future!

Great service, easy to use. Got a price I was happy with buyer collected next day. Can’t fault it, Will use again.

Very easy process, uploaded my car details along with service history and received an offer I was happy with. After accepting the offer the buyers details were presented to me, gave them a quick call and arranged for my car to be collected next day. Very straight forward.

Great website and cheap fees!

I can highly recommend Car Owl. I received the best price for my car and the whole experience was quick and seamless. I had brilliant and professional service from start to finish.

Thanks. Helpful support team, got a great price for my car. Recommend.

Very good experience both times. Very easy platform to use and the customer service was great both times. Highly recommend.

My experience with Car Owl was very easy, received offers I was happy with and sold it the next day. Really great service and quick. Would recommend.

Was recommended by a friend, easy to use and got the price I wanted! Would recommend. Helpful support team, the dealer which won my car was fully verified and very friendly when collecting my car. Thanks once again!

Made selling my Hyundai very easy. My car was accepting offers quickly I received offers from dealers quickly, sold within 3 days. A+ would highly recommend.

I was initially skeptical about selling my car online, but Car Owl made it so easy. The team was supportive, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quick response from potential buyers. A fantastic experience overall!

Selling my car with Car Owl was a great decision. The platform is user-friendly, and the process is transparent. I submitted my car details, and within a few hours, I received multiple offers from verified dealers. The team at Car Owl was very supportive and guided me through the entire process. I was able to compare offers and choose the best one for my car. The transaction was smooth, and I received payment promptly. I would definitely use Car Owl again in the future.

I recently sold my car through Car Owl, and I must say, the experience was fantastic. The process was straightforward, and the staff were very helpful. They connected me with verified dealers who offered competitive prices for my car. I didn't have to worry about haggling or dealing with time-wasters. Car Owl took care of everything, and I got a fair price for my car. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking to sell their car quickly and easily.

I recently used Car Owl to sell my car and had a great experience. The process was simple and straightforward. I just had to enter my car's registration number, fill out a few details, and upload some photos of the vehicle. Within a few hours, my car was approved and I began receiving offers from verified UK car dealers. I was impressed by the variety of offers I received and the transparency of the process. I was able to compare offers and choose the one that was best for me. The best part of it was that it was all done online, and I didn't have to deal with any middlemen or haggling. I would highly recommend Car Owl to anyone looking to sell their car quickly and easily.

Great customer service team and such a conveniently quick way to sell your car.

This was a quick and convenient way to sell my car. Great experience from start to finish!

Very easy to sell my car, dealer came next day, payment was instant, would recommend.

A big thank you! I’ve sold a few cars in my life but this is far and away the easiest I’ve ever found it! Highly recommend you give them a go 👌

Got recommended by a friend. Wasn’t expecting it to be as quick and convenient as it was, couldn’t have gone better for me. Will definitely come back if I ever need to sell again.

Very easy way to sell your car. Convenient & simple to use.

Recommended by a family member. Was very easy to use, highly recommended!

Very user-friendly! Definitely recommend if you are looking to buy or sell a car.

Out of all the options by far the easiest! Top service, cheers.

Very positive, Fast response, and really easy navigating the website. I would highly recommend this to anyone, finally got the audi a3 that I've dreamed of.

Amazing service, prompt response, reliable and all round great company. Couldn’t recommend enough.

Great service. User-friendly.

It's great. Much easier to use than motorway.

A fresh approach to buying and selling any car.

Simple & straight forward, all that is wanted when selling your car.

Thought I’d give carowl ago after a friend’s recommendation. Grateful I did! Such an easy process and a brilliant result. Try it..you won’t be disappointed!

Simple and easy to list your car, very quickly did I have dealers bidding on my car. Will be recommending to friends and family.

Really good to buy stock as a dealer. Easy to communicate with the seller.

I put my car on carowl after struggling to find anyone to buy it myself. I had a quite few offers within the first few days and sold not too soon afterwards at a price I was happy with. I just wish I put it on carowl sooner.

Licence Plate Check FAQs

Looking to check a car by licence plate? Here’s everything you need to know about running a quick and accurate plate check in the UK.

How do I check a licence plate number?

Just enter the licence plate into our online tool. You’ll instantly see MOT history, mileage records, road tax status, and more.

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Black car parked in a driveway with an MOT logo overlay

Can I check car plates for free?

Yes. Our free licence check plate service gives you access to key details at no cost. Upgrade if you want to see theft or finance records.

Is this a DVLA licence plate check?

Yes, we use data from DVLA, MOT history, and other official UK sources. It’s fast, free, and reliable.

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Why Use a Car Licence Plate Checker?

Checking a licence plate before buying helps you avoid problems like unpaid finance, mileage fraud, or stolen vehicles. Always run a licence plate check for peace of mind.

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Avoid Stolen Vehicles

Upgrade to find out if the licence plate is linked to a stolen vehicle.

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Check for Finance

Make sure the car isn’t under finance or lease agreements.

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Spot Previous Damage

A full check will show write-offs, total losses, and repair history.

Free Licence Plate Check UK

Fast, Free & Accurate Lookup

Check a car licence plate online and get MOT, mileage, tax, ULEZ, and vehicle specs in seconds. Use our free tool to check licence plate numbers anytime.

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Search by Licence Plate

Run a car check by licence plate and get instant data pulled from trusted UK sources.

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Free Unlimited Checks

You can check as many licence plates as you need — our free tool never limits basic lookups.

Check a Licence Plate Now

Use our licence plate checker to instantly see MOT, mileage, tax, and car details. No signup needed.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Licence Plate Checks

How do I check a licence plate?

Simply enter the licence plate number into our online checker. You'll instantly see MOT status, tax details, mileage records, and more.

Is this a license plate check with DVLA data?

Yes. We use trusted sources like the DVLA and MOT databases to give you accurate, real-time vehicle data based on the licence plate.

Can I check car plates for free?

Yes. You can check car plates at no cost with our free tool. See MOT dates, tax status, mileage, and key vehicle specs instantly.

What details can I get from a licence plate check?

A licence plate check gives you info like MOT history, mileage records, tax expiry, fuel type, engine size, and more. Upgrade for finance and theft data.

Can I check a car license plate from the US?

This tool is built for UK-registered vehicles. If you're in the UK, just enter a valid plate. For US plates, results may be limited.

Is this tool safe to use?

Yes. We don’t store your search history or licence plate data. It’s a secure and trusted tool used by thousands across the UK.

Can I run a licence plate check on any vehicle?

Yes. You can check any UK-registered vehicle — cars, vans, motorcycles — as long as the licence plate is valid and current.

Why should I check a car by licence plate before buying?

It helps you avoid hidden problems like expired MOT, missing tax, mileage fraud, or even a stolen car. It’s a must before buying used.

What is a licence check plate?

It means using the vehicle's registration number (licence plate) to pull key information from official records. Our tool makes this simple and fast.

Can I check multiple licence plates for free?

Yes. You can run as many free checks as you like to compare vehicles. Just enter each plate number one at a time.