How To Find Out When A Car Was Sold

One of the most common things to ask yourself when buying a used automobile is probably: "how many previous owners have there been?"

Or perhaps "Who was the terminal registered keeper?"

It is non always easy to find out how to check these yourself, as a lot of the advice is out of date or only inaccurate.

At FreeCarCheck nosotros endeavor to go along things elementary, so here's our guide on how to find out more nigh the previous owners of UK vehicles.

NB: If you want the easiest, fastest solution then our Premium vehicle checks will tell yous the number of previous owners.

Is previous owner information in the V5 Logbook?

No. Only the electric current keeper plus the previous keeper information is shown in the V5 logbook.

That'southward assuming that the V5 logbook is genuine. Finding out about the residuum of the previous keeper(s) history becomes a bit more involved. Hither'southward how to (kind of) do it…

Are previous owner's names, addresses available for free?

Yes and no.

The DVLA will sometimes release details related to the previous/current keepers – merely it's non possible to request them online, currently.

None of the various vehicle information check services (such every bit ours, or HPICheck) can provide you with previous keeper details – nosotros only provide you with the actual number of previous keepers (eg: "Previous keepers: 3"). For almost people this is plenty, only if you want to know something specific, information technology gets a little more hard.

Due to privacy laws, the DVLA doesn't just hand over this information willy-nilly either, and then make certain that you lot qualify before asking for it.

Firstly, you will need a good reason – a "reasonable cause" as the DVLA call it.

Examples of what the DVLA considers a 'reasonable cause' are:

finding out who was responsible for an accident
tracing the registered keeper of an car wreck
tracing the registered keeper of a vehicle parked on private land
giving out parking tickets
giving out trespass charge notices
tracing people responsible for driving off without paying for goods and services
tracing people suspected of insurance fraud

Then you cannot request previous keeper information simply because y'all are interested in buying the car, or just because you want to know if the automobile was previously used as a private rent (taxi) vehicle, for example.

Carry in mind that lying on this form is an offence too, and so don't practise information technology.

If you retrieve your request is however valid, you will need to fill out course V888.

How do I fill out form V888?

Fill up in a form and utilize past post, information technology's that uncomplicated. The grade you lot need to use depends on whether y'all're:

an individual – use form V888 here
a company that issues parking or trespass charge notices – apply grade V888/three here

The V5 Log Book does not testify full previous keeper information sadly.

Can companies come across current keeper information?

If they pay for it aye, only it's tightly regulated. And only for the same reasons above, for example if they are a parking charge house (such equally ParkingEye), and they need to view your details to send you a fine or invoice by post.

The DVLA makes a lot of money from giving out driver details. Each fourth dimension i of these requests is fabricated, the DVLA charges them.

FreeCarCheck and other similar vehicle check services do non have total access to all the previous keeper history information from the DVLA as we are not a parking charge firm. All nosotros tin tell you is the number of previous keepers. But nosotros do offer many other used vehicle checks too, for a one-off price.

How else tin I get in bear on with DVLA?

If yous want to write to the DVLA instead, and request these details, and then that is besides entirely possible. You lot can ship your asking to DVLA by e-mail or post.