Check Number Plate History & Private Reg Transfers
Find every number plate linked to a vehicle
Enter a car license plate below:
Access complete number plate history with CarVeto’s private plate checker
The CarVeto database reveals past and present personalised number plates, previous registration details, and plate change dates for any vehicle registered with the DVLA since the first registration.
CarVeto registration certificates compile essential vehicle data, helping you track car:
- Number plate changes
- Ownership transfers
- Registration records
Benefits of a Number Plate History Checker
- View Past Licence Plates – See previous registration numbers linked to your vehicle.
- Track Plate Change Dates – Know when a number plate was updated.
- Check Personalised Plates – Identify private or custom registrations.
- DVLA-Verified Data – Ensure accuracy with official registration records.
Your vehicle must be registered with the DVLA to generate an accurate number plate history.
Our reports provide a detailed history of number plate changes since the car was first registered.
What Is a Plate No History Check?
A plate no check reveals key vehicle history linked to number plate changes.
It includes past registration numbers and their connection to official DVLA records.
When a vehicle has had plates transferred, personalised, or replaced, a plate no check helps trace:
- 📜 Previous Registration Numbers – All number plates assigned to the vehicle
- 📆 Plate Change Dates – When each plate was added, removed, or retained
- 🚗 MOT & Road Tax Records – Linked to each reg number at the time
- 🔢 Mileage Logs – Detect odometer discrepancies across different plates
- 💷 Outstanding Finance – See if any past plate was associated with unpaid loans
- ⚠️ Write-Off & Theft Records – Includes stolen vehicle alerts linked to any registration
- 🛑 Cloning or Fraud Flags – Check for mismatched VINs, duplicate plates, or suspicious history
A no-plate check is essential for understanding a vehicle’s full identity. Verify private plates or plate changes that may hide theft, accident damage, or financial risk.
Learn more about the CarVeto Number Plate Check.
Search number plate history
Official DVLA data for reliable checks
Type your car reg number, such as (WD19 VSO)
What’s Included in a Free License Plate Check?
Our free license plate lookup includes car VIN identity checks as follows:
- Vehicle details
- Road tax and MOT status
- Road fund licence costs
- Performance data
- Engine size
- CO2 output/emissions
- Brake horsepower checks
- Euro status
- Export status
- Fuel type
- Body colour
- Date of registration
Plus askMID motor insurance database check
How to Start a Personalised Number Plate Check?
Enter a registration number into our car database to instantly get a personalised DVLA number plate check.
Assess detailed license plate information about the vehicle. It includes VRM change history, the latest V5C issued date, previous car ownership history, and further details.
How do You Verify Car Number Plate Changes and History?
DVLA Number plate history checks are verified through our database.
Reg and car history are provided through well-known motoring authorities, including Gov DVLA licensing, DVSA, MIAFTR, Police, Motor Insurance Bureau, BVRLA and the RMI.
Why is a DVLA Private Number Plate Check Important?
Our private DVLA registration plate checker is essential for motorists who own a car and want to learn more about its past.
It also helps drivers buying a car to check for hidden history that could impact safety, legality, and roadworthiness.
Popular reasons to use our private licence plate search tool:
- Ensure the current number plate is legitimate: Compare the current car registration number with the VIN (vehicle identification number) and engine numbers to verify that the car isn’t cloned or stolen.
- Investigate plate history: Examine a list of personalised registrations and plate transfer or retention dates.
- Verify car mileage: With records from multiple sources, confirm the odometer reading is genuine.
- Confirm car ownership: Compare accurate car data with the information provided by the seller to assess the legitimacy of the vehicle.
Accessing Our Private Plate Checker Service
CarVeto provides helpful information for motorists at different stages of car ownership.
To suit your requirements, run a DVLA vehicle registration number check.
Do you already own the car?
Investigate vehicle data to reveal hidden history and clarify your findings.
For example, a report showing the VIN does not match your report.
This may occur during routine maintenance or repair, when the service department identifies that the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and VIN do not match the car's chassis or body shell (car cloning).
- Ensures you have not Bought a Stolen Car.
- Confirms your car is not an Accident Write-Off, which can impact vehicle safety and value.
Are you about to buy a car?
- Get further information about a recent road traffic accident, such as checking whether a third-party vehicle is insured with the Motor Insurance Bureau.
- Examine a customised MOT history to see previous advisory notes that may lead to maintenance costs.
- Check if a car is safe, roadworthy, and legal to buy. A vehicle with outstanding finance cannot be legally sold until the loan is paid off. Avoid paying even a holding deposit until the car is legally purchased.
A CarVeto HPI Check provides a layer of protection before you invest in buying a used car.
FAQs About Number Plate History
Yes, you can trace all number plates registered to your vehicle from its first DVLA-issued plate to the most recent private registration.
Our system shows each plate change, along with the transfer dates, even if the plate has since been removed or retained.
A local memory tag is the first two letters of a UK number plate that indicate where the vehicle was first registered.
For example, “LD” identifies London, while “MA” refers to Manchester. It’s part of the official DVLA format and helps identify vehicle origin.
Yes, our private number plate checks use data from authoritative sources such as the DVLA, MOT databases, and national insurance registries.
This ensures a high level of accuracy, compliance, and trustworthiness for every lookup.
Number plate retention is the process of removing a registration plate from a vehicle and holding it for future use.
This is officially documented via the DVLA’s V778 certificate. Our check shows when a plate was removed, but not the certificate itself.
Learn about Number Plate Retention.
An HSRP (High-Security Registration Plate) is a tamper-proof plate designed to prevent cloning and theft.
In the UK, while not officially termed “HSRP,” secure plates are standard.
Plate changes for security reasons may appear in DVLA history, but do not affect your plate’s retention or assignment records.
No, a private or standard number plate can only be legally assigned to one vehicle at a time.
If the same registration appears on multiple vehicles, it could indicate number plate cloning, a common tactic in car theft.
You can check if your registration number is private by comparing it to the standard DVLA format: two letters (region), two numbers (year), and three letters (random).
Any deviation, like a name or word, suggests a cherished or personalised plate.
No, UK data protection laws restrict public access to vehicle owner names and addresses.
However, our checks reveal the number of previous keepers and the dates of ownership changes, helpful in verifying a vehicle’s history without breaching privacy.
Learn more with a Free DVLA Vehicle Ownership Check.
No, unless you have the registration number. DVLA systems don’t offer a public reverse lookup by name.
However, if you know a plate, we can trace its full history, including whether it was ever reassigned or retained.
Yes, you can retrieve your vehicle’s full number plate history by entering its current registration into our system.
The report shows every private and original plate assigned to the vehicle, including exact change dates and reassignment patterns.