How to check if a car is stolen

Buying a stolen car means you can lose both the car and your money — the police can seize it and you have no legal title. A few checks before you pay dramatically cut the risk.

Checks worth doing

Vehicle history / data check. A paid history check queries the police-linked stolen register and flags a vehicle recorded as stolen.
Match the VIN. Confirm the Vehicle Identification Number on the chassis, under the bonnet and on the windscreen all match each other and the V5C logbook.
Check the V5C. Look for the DVLA watermark; be wary of a logbook in the serial range of known stolen blank documents (the DVLA publishes these).

Warning signs

Price well below market value and a seller in a hurry.
Seller wants to meet somewhere neutral rather than a home address.
Signs the VIN plate has been tampered with or re-fixed.
Only one key, no service history, reluctance to let you note the VIN.

Never buy a vehicle you cannot verify against its paperwork. If anything about the identity doesn't line up, walk away.

You can run the free official check any time at gov.uk/check-mot-history.