Free car check
Type a number plate and get the whole free record at once. No account, no card, no trial that turns into a charge.
What do you get for free?
- MOT status, expiry and every test on file, including the advisories and the reasons for any failure.
- Tax and SORN status, with the date the current tax runs out.
- Every mileage reading in date order, with drops and unusual jumps flagged.
- Full specification: engine, power, fuel, gearbox, body, colour and emissions.
- Road tax rates for 12 months and 6 months.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no account, no trial and no card. More of the vehicle record is free on Caroat than on most UK check sites, which usually show a make and model and then ask for payment before anything useful appears. The only paid thing on Caroat is the premium report, and it is clearly priced and clearly labelled everywhere it appears.
What is not in the free check?
Three things, because they come from paid commercial registers rather than the public record: outstanding finance, write-off and damage categories, and a stolen marker. Those, plus previous keepers, plate changes, import and export markers, VIN identity and a value guide, are in the £6.99 premium report.
Is the free check enough before buying a car?
It is enough to rule a car out, and it often does. A failed MOT last month, a mileage that goes backwards, or a car showing as SORN when the seller says it is ready to drive are all reasons to walk away before you have spent anything. It is not enough to rule a car in. A car can have a perfect MOT record and still be on finance, previously written off, or reported stolen, and none of that appears in the free record.
Does the page stay available?
Every registration checked keeps its own permanent page, so you can come back to it or send someone the link. Browse every vehicle checked by make.
Bought a premium report and lost the email? Get it back on the help page with the address you paid with.