Frequently asked questions

With nearly 50% of used cars having a hidden history, finding out the details of a used vehicle before buying really is non-negotiable.

We analyse data from only official and trustworthy sources - with every check based on data from the most accurate sources possible. We're also rated 5/5 on Google and 4/5 on Trustpilot.

There can be a lot of info to take in when you get the results. Read our article here where we simplify what's involved.

There are a lot of pitfalls to be aware of when looking for a used car. Luckily, we have an article than guides you through all the important ones. Read it here.

Here at Carcheck123 we're one of the UK's leading providers of car history checks.

Our free car check offers an unparalleled depth and breadth of information for your vehicle, providing you with an extensive car history timeline, full MOT and road tax checks and a running cost estimator.

Our paid checks also offer unbeatable value, starting at just £1.99.

It's important to make sure the car you're purchasing is in good legal standing and has the proper documentation, such as a current MOT certificate.

You don't want to invest significant money into a car, only to find yourself needing to spend more or losing what you have spent.

Additionally, it's crucial to make sure you're not purchasing a vehicle that's been stolen and resold to you illegally or has been damaged without your knowledge.

We offer three checks: Free, Basic, and Comprehensive.

With the free reg check, you'll be able to see the vehicle's history from the moment it was first registered up until now, as well as current and historical road tax and MOT information. Additionally, you'll get access to an interactive running cost estimator, and details of any emissions zone charges you can expect to have to pay – giving you insight into how much your car is going to cost to run.

For outstanding finance, stolen and scrapped checks, have a look at our basic and comprehensive reports.

Both the basic and comprehensive checks include everything in the free car check, in addition to other information that might be important for your car. The basic check includes a VIN and engine number verification check, so you know the car you're buying and its engine are authentic. You can also check the date of issue for the vehicle's logbook to verify authenticity. Additionally, we'll check to see if a vehicle has been registered as imported or scrapped or has had any license plate or colour changes. A full summary of previous keepers and the corresponding dates of change are also included in the basic check, along with detailed vehicle factsheet and technical information.

The comprehensive check includes all information in the basic check, in addition to a check for any outstanding finance, so you're not faced with any unexpected debt. Using information from the Police National Computer, we'll check to see if the vehicle has been reported as stolen or has any outstanding legal issues. We'll also carry out an accident history check, so we can tell you if the car has been recorded as written off at any point. With the comprehensive check we'll also provide you with a vehicle valuation, so you know you're not getting a bad deal.

Our free car check is a great way to quickly ensure the car you're thinking about buying is road legal, by checking it's MOT and road tax status, in addition to getting a quick overview of its complete history. The free car check is also incredibly useful for estimating the running costs and emission charges for your current vehicle, or the vehicle you are thinking about buying. We'll compile all this information for you, and present it a concise, easy to read report. If you're confident with the vehicle you're purchasing and buying from someone you know and trust, the free car check may be all you need.

However, if you're buying a used car on the open market, even if you research the car thoroughly and inspect it in person, things can still go wrong. The car might have undisclosed damage from a hidden accident history or might have previously been reported as scrapped or stolen. In fact, research has shown that one in five cars in the UK has some undisclosed problem that would make them dangerous to drive, or significantly reduce their value. Our basic and comprehensive checks will reveal all this information before you hand over your money, potentially saving you thousands of pounds and a lot of stress. For this reason, we strongly recommend our basic and comprehensive checks before purchasing a used car.

The results are instant. All it takes is one click, and the service is available 24/7. Results are stored in an easy-to-use portal so you can access them whenever you like.

We're well connected. We use information from a variety of sources, including: the DVLA, DVSA, the Police National Computer, the Motor Insurers Bureau, Experian, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. If your car has any red flags, we'll find them for you.

The free reg check will provide a detailed history of the vehicle, from the moment of its first registration up until the present day. Additionally, it will display the car's current and historical road tax and MOT information.

If you require additional information about your car's financial and accident history have a look at our basic and comprehensive checks.

Cars can be very expensive. You don't want to invest a significant portion of your money into a vehicle only to find out it has hidden damage or has been stolen and is being sold to you illicitly.

Additionally, it's important to make sure you're buying a car that's in good legal standing and has all the necessary paperwork in order, like it's road tax and MOT.

The history timeline includes comprehensive information relating to:

• Importation/exportation
• Changes in owners and registration
• Mechanical and aesthetic modification
• Mileage
• MOT history and status
• Finance
• Damage

The results are instant. All it takes is one click, and the service is available 24/7. Results are stored in an easy-to-use portal so you can access them whenever you like.

DVLA stands for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. They hold over 50 million UK driver records and more than 40 million UK vehicle records. By using their data, we can easily carry out DVLA car checks, compiling information provided by other authorities and agencies to provide you with the most comprehensive list of information for your vehicle.

Using government provided data we'll check your vehicle against the prerequisites for charges in congestion zones, clean air zones, low emissions zones, and ultra-low emissions zones. We'll tell you which emissions charges you can expect to pay for a vehicle, so they don't come as a nasty surprise later. We're the only website to offer a comprehensive check against all emissions charging zones in the UK, and we do it for free.

To use our reg check there's no email or sign up required. You only need to enter your car's registration number and we'll do the rest. Results are available instantly, 24 hours a day.

Although our free check provides plenty of useful information, there might be additional things you want to know about your vehicle. With our paid checks, we're able to provide you with comprehensive information on the financial status of your vehicle and if it has been written off due to an accident. We can also tell you if it's been stolen or reported as scrapped at any point.

Just enter the reg to check for a current MOT and full MOT history. You also get our feature packed free car history check as well.

Every car driven on public roads in the UK must have a valid MOT certificate (unless it is exempt) and be kept in a roadworthy condition. You can drive a car without an MOT certificate but only if you are taking it to be repaired or to a pre-booked MOT test.

It usually takes up to 24 hours for an MOT test to be picked up by our database. It can take up to 5 days in some circumstances.

It is valid for 12 months. You can see the expiry date for the current and past certificated on one of our MOT checks.

There are three probable reasons for this. If the car is under three years old, it does not need an MOT test and almost certainly won’t have one.

Second, the car’s last MOT test was before 2017 (for Northern Ireland) or before 2005 (for the rest of the UK) and we don’t have that information in the database.

Third, the vehicle may be MOT exempt.

Yes, but only to drive it to a place to be repaired or to a pre-booked MOT test.

If you still have a valid MOT certificate you can continue to drive the vehicle but only if no "dangerous" defects were recorded on the MOT test that failed.

If you don’t have a valid MOT certificate, you can only drive it to a place to be repaired or to a pre-booked MOT test.

Just enter the reg of the car into our MOT check tool to get not only the current MOT status but its MOT history and our free car history check.

If your existing MOT certificate has expired or the MOT failure contained any "dangerous" defects then you won’t be able to legally drive your car on the roads. The only exception to this is to drive it to a place to be repaired or to a pre-booked MOT test.

Even if you do have an outstanding MOT certificate you could still get into trouble if the car is not considered roadworthy. It is usually a good idea to get the car fixed and pass an MOT as soon as you can.

Cars over 40 years old don’t require a yearly MOT test. There are also a few categories of vehicle that don’t but even in these cases you are obligated to maintain them in roadworthy condition.

If the test occurred more than 28 days ago, you will need to contact the DVLA to correct the mistake. Otherwise you can ask the centre that conducted the test to issue a replacement certificate.

An MOT certificate is valid until midnight of the expiry date.

If your vehicle is under 3 years old you will not need an MOT. Otherwise just enter the reg of the vehicle into our MOT check tool to find out.

A valid MOT certificate is a good indicator the car is in a roadworthy condition, especially if tested recently. The MOT history provides insight into how well a car has been maintained and also can help highlight any persistent or ongoing issues.

We would recommend doing a full car history check before buying any vehicle but our MOT history check is a free way to get some idea of a car's history.

All components and systems in your car that are safety critical and those that impact environmental standards. The inspection will look at;

• Steering
• Tyres
• Suspension
• Brakes
• Seatbelts and seats
• Exhaust emissions
• Windscreen, mirrors and wipers
• Basic electrics
• Vehicle identification Number (VIN)

You can find the full checklist here.

For your car’s first MOT test (or first after a numberplate change) you should take along the logbook (V5C). Otherwise it is a good idea to check your car over before an MOT test as many failures are due to small things that most people can resolve themselves.

Simple things you can check/fix are;

• Windscreen wiper blades are in good condition
• Screen wash isn’t empty
• Clean the numberplate if it is dirty
• Remove any child seats/boosters from the car
• Make sure all external lights (headlamps, indicators e.t.c) are working

It usually takes between 45 minutes and an hour. However if you agreed for the test centre to fix any issues as well, the process might take longer, depending upon the repairs needed.

We'd generally recommend avoiding any test centre that doesn't charge the maximum an MOT test centre is allowed to charge for a test (currently £54.85 for cars).

Centres that charge less need to make up the difference somewhere and there is always the temptation for an edge-case to become a failure. Otherwise we’d recommend any garage with a good reputation that carries out tests.

Many local authorities run MOT test centres and if you are close to one, these can be a good choice as they usually don’t carry out repairs and so there is no potential conflict of interest.

If the vehicle is being used on the road then it would need to be reported to the police. An abandoned vehicle should be reported to the relevant local council.

The check contains a complete MOT History and status including the expiry date of the most recent certificate. It also includes the Road Tax status and expiry date as well as the make, model, fuel type and other vehicle related data.

We also add our full free car history check.

Any vehicle registered in the UK, but we hold more information on cars, bikes, and vans. If a vehicle has just been registered (for example if it has recently been imported) it may not show up in our check.

Our check will allow you to see when the current keeper (who is usually also the owner) acquired the vehicle. Just scroll to the car history timeline on the check. To find out how many keepers the vehicle has had you can purchase our Basic or Comprehensive car check.

That information can only be requested from the DVLA directly. You can make a request for information here. You would need to provide a justification to get the information.

We’d recommend you do and it’s free. The DVLA check includes a full MOT history which can be useful in identifying any problems a vehicle might have or had. If you want more information you can get our Basic or Comprehensive car checks for car buying peace of mind.

You can use the gov.uk E10 checking service to find out if your vehicle can use E10 petrol. E10 Petrol was introduced in 2021 can contains 10% ethanol compared to 5% under the old E5 petrol.

If your vehicle can’t run on E10, you will probably need to use Premium/Super unleaded as these usually have either 5% or 0% ethanol.

You can use the gov.uk Driving License information service to generate a check code that you can use yourself or send to anyone you want to provide your driving licence information to. The check codes are valid for 21 days.

You can use the MID car insurance check service to find out if a car is currently insured.

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a program that's been in place since April 2019, designed to improve air quality in London. The ULEZ is an area where you'll need to pay a daily charge if your vehicle doesn't meet certain emissions standards.

The ULEZ will apply to all vehicles (cars, vans, motorbikes and heavy goods vehicles) that have emissions standards older than Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel). The only exceptions are cars that are zero-emission vehicles (EVs), such as electric cars or hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The ULEZ charge is based on the emissions of your vehicle. We've built a free ULEZ checker so you can find out exactly how much you'll have to pay. All you need to do is enter your car registration number, and we'll tell you if you’ll have to pay the ULEZ charge, as well as how much you should expect to pay.

The charge only applies to vehicles that don't meet certain emissions standards, so you can avoid it by ensuring your car is up-to-date. For petrol cars, this means having an engine that meets Euro 4 emission standards at the least; most petrol cars produced on or after January 2006 will be compliant with the standard.

For diesel cars, the only way to avoid the charge is if your car meets Euro 6 emission standards; almost every diesel car produced since September 2015 meets this standard. Finally, all electric cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge and hybrid cars with petrol engines must meet Euro 4 emission standards in order to avoid it.

If you drive in London, you'll want to be extra vigilant about the ULEZ zone.

You can tell if you're driving in a ULEZ zone by looking out for signs with a green, circular-shaped ULEZ logo on them. They'll be posted at all entrances and exits to the zone, as well as along routes within the zone itself. Once you pass one of these signs, you’re in the zone and will have to pay the daily charge if your vehicle isn’t compliant with the emissions standards. To check if your vehicle means you need to pay the charge, you can use our free and easy ULEZ check here.

You need to pay the ULEZ charge within three days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice. You can easily pay online here, or alternatively you can use the transport for London app. Set up your vehicle’s information, and pay the charge automatically – saving you time and ensuring you’re not caught out.

If you're planning on driving a classic car through the ULEZ, you might not need to pay.

The ULEZ is an area of London that requires all vehicles to be compliant with certain emissions standards in order to enter. However, if your vehicle falls into the historical vehicle tax class (meaning it was built more than 40 years ago), then it may be exempt from these regulations. This is also true for any vehicles used for commercial purposes that are over 40 years old.

Be sure to check your vehicle registration to see if this exemption applies to you before driving through the ULEZ.

If you live in the ULEZ, you will still need to pay the full £12.50 daily charge (no discount) if you drive inside the zone using a vehicle that doesn't meet the ULEZ emissions standards. However, if you are parked inside the zone and don't drive, there is no charge.

There are various ways to make your car compliant. For example, you could employ emission reduction technologies such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or replace your engine with one that meets the ULEZ standard. You will also need to get the retrofit technology approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).

The best thing you can do is to swap your vehicle out for one that is compliant with the ULEZ emissions standards, such as an electric or hybrid vehicle.

Our ULEZ checker is a free service that allows you to check whether or not your vehicle is subject to the ULEZ charge. It is quick and easy to use and will tell you whether you have to pay the £12.50 daily charge for driving in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

To use the ULEZ checker, enter your vehicle registration number in the box above and click 'Check'. It couldn’t be simpler, and it may save you a lot of money and stress in the form of penalty charge notices.

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone is a program that's been in place since June 2021, designed to improve air quality in Birmingham. The Clean air zone covers part of the city center within the A4540 Middleway.

The Zone is a Class D Clean Air Zone meaning that any vehicle (except motorcycles) that doesn't meet the emission standards will have to pay if they drive into the zone.

Central government has given local authorities the ability to introduce Clean Air Zones in order to tackle air pollution. Air pollution in some cities is now considered a National Health Emergency.

The Clean Air Zone is designed to reduce air pollution and improve public health. The hope is that the Clean Air Zone will encourage those living and working in Birmingham to change the way they travel and reduce emissions when they do drive into the city centre.

Research by Birmingham City Council has found that 50% of journeys are made by car and many of these are under a mile.

By introducing the zone, it is hoped that fewer car journeys will be made and the journeys that are made will result in lower emissions.

All the time. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including Bank Holidays. A charging day runs from midnight to midnight.

It is £8 per day for vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes in weight (cars, taxis, Light Goods Vehicles and minibuses).

Driving anything over 3.5 tonnes (HGV's, Buses and Coaches) will be charged at £50 per day.

A charging day is from midnight to midnight.

If you drive a vehicle that doesn't meet the emission standards into the Zone you will need to pay. You can check if your vehicle meets the emission standards by using our CAZ checker tool. Just enter the reg. It will also check every other charging zone in the UK for free.

All of the roads leading into the Clean Air Zone are signposted with Clean Air Zone notifications. The Zone begins when you reach the signs with "Charges apply. Pay Online" on them. If you drive past one of these signs and your vehicle doesn't meet the emission standards, you will need to pay.

If you drive a petrol or petrol hybrid your car will need to meet the Euro 4 emission standards. Cars produced after 2005 will meet this standard.

Diesel vehicles that meet the Euro 6 emission standards are also exempt. Almost every diesel car produced since September 2015 meets this standard.

Motorcycles are currently exempt.

All of the roads leading into the Clean Air Zone are signposted with Clean Air Zone notifications. The Zone begins when you reach the signs with "Charges apply. Pay Online" on them. If you drive past one of these signs and your vehicle doesn't meet the emission standards, you will need to pay.

You can check if your vehicle meets the emission standards by using our CAZ checker tool. It will also check every other charging zone in the UK for free.

You can pay the CAZ charge up to 6 days before you plan to enter the zone.

Otherwise you will need to pay the CAZ charge within 6 days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice of £120. You can pay online here.

You will need to pay the CAZ charge within 6 days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice of £120. You can pay online here.

You can also pay the CAZ charge up to 6 days before you enter the zone.

If you're planning on driving a classic car through the CAZ, you might not need to pay.

If your vehicle falls into the historical vehicle tax class (meaning it was built more than 40 years ago), then it is exempt from the charge. This is also true for any vehicles used for commercial purposes that are over 40 years old.

Birmingham City Council has partnered with Motorpoint to provide a Scrappage and Mobility Scheme with up to £2000 in support available.

This support is available for anyone who works within the Clean Air Zone and earns less than £30,000 per year. The vehicle must have been yours since 10 September 2018 and you must work more than 18 hours a week within the zone.

You can enquire about the scheme at the Brum Breathes website.

No. The temporary exemption that once applied to residents living inside the Birmingham Clean Air Zone has ended, so an address inside the zone no longer earns a discount — a non-compliant vehicle pays the daily charge wherever its keeper lives.

A limited set of specific exemptions still exists (for example certain historic, military and specialist vehicles), managed by the council. Check the current position on the Brum Breathes website before relying on it.

There are various ways to make your car compliant. For example, you could employ emission reduction technologies such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or replace your engine with one that meets the CAZ standard. You will also need to get the retrofit technology approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).

The best thing you can do is to swap your vehicle out for one that is compliant with the CAZ emissions standards, such as a newer vehicle or an electric or hybrid vehicle.

The council has said that the revenue generated by the zone will be reinvested into transport related projects such as pedestrianisation and cycle lanes.

Our CAZ checker is a free service that allows you to check whether or not your vehicle is subject to the CAZ charge. It is quick and easy to use and will tell you whether you have to pay the £8 daily charge.

To use the CAZ checker, enter your vehicle registration number in the box above and click 'Check'. It couldn't be simpler, and it may save you a lot of money and stress in the form of penalty charge notices.