Check a used car's history by number plate

Enter a South African registration number, and the VIN if you have it. You get a PDF of the vehicle record by email in minutes: licensing, roadworthy and security status, guide values and history where available. R199 per check, refunded in full if no record is found.

As on the number plate or licence disc. Spaces and dashes are removed.

Add the VIN from the car in front of you and the report says whether it matches the record for that plate.

  • Refunded if not found
  • PDF by email
  • No owner details
  • Stripe secured

How the vehicle check works

  1. Enter the number plate

    Type the registration number. Add the VIN from the licence disc or windscreen to check it belongs to that plate.

  2. Pay R199 by card

    Sign in or create a free account, confirm your email and pay securely with Stripe.

  3. Get the PDF by email

    If a vehicle record is found, we email the report within minutes. No record? You are refunded in full.

What the report shows

The vehicle record as our provider holds it when you run the check.

  • Make, model, variant, year, colour, body and fuel type
  • Licence number, register number, VIN and engine number on record
  • Registration state, licence expiry and roadworthy status
  • Police clearance and vehicle mark (security) status
  • Engine size, power, tare, GVM and dimensions
  • Retail and trade guide values, where the source has them
  • Stolen, finance, accident, cloning, mileage and registration history, where the source returns it
  • Whether the VIN you typed matches the record for that plate

What it does not show

Owner, driver and title holder details are left out on purpose. A history section marked "Not returned" means the source had no data, not that the vehicle has a clean history. The report is not a police clearance, proof of ownership or a mechanical inspection.

When to run a vehicle check

Before you pay a deposit, sign an offer to purchase or take a trade-in.

Private buyers

Check a car before you pay

Confirm the car in the advert is the car on record: same make and model, licensed, roadworthy and not flagged by the source.

Cloned cars

Match the VIN to the plate

Cloned cars carry the plates of a legitimate vehicle. Type the VIN you see on the car and the report says whether it matches the record.

Price talks

Know the guide value

See retail and trade guide values, where the source has them, before you agree a price or a trade-in.

Dealers and fleets

Screen stock and trade-ins

Run a quick check on a trade-in, a fleet vehicle or stock you are about to buy, with a PDF for your file.

Vehicle check questions

How do I check a car's history in South Africa?

Enter the vehicle's registration number on this page, and the VIN if you have it. CheckID asks our verification provider for the vehicle record and emails you a PDF with the vehicle's identity, registration and licensing, roadworthy and security status, specifications, and guide values and history where the source returns them. It costs R199 per check, and you are refunded in full if no vehicle record is found.

Can I check if a car is stolen by its number plate?

The report shows the stolen history and the police clearance status where the source returns them. If a section says "Not returned", the source had no data for it, which is not the same as a clean history. For certainty before you pay for a car, also ask the seller for a police clearance from the SAPS vehicle clearance office.

Does it show whether there is finance owing on the car?

The finance history is shown where the source returns it. Always ask the seller for a settlement letter from the bank if the car was financed, because the bank may own the car until the loan is paid off.

Why add the VIN?

A cloned car carries the plates of another, legitimate vehicle of the same make and model. If you type the VIN from the car in front of you, the report says whether it matches the VIN on record for that plate. A mismatch is a strong reason not to buy until it is explained.

Does the report show the owner's name or address?

No. The check is about the vehicle only. Owner, driver and title holder details are left out on purpose, and you agree not to use the check to trace or contact the owner.

Is this a police clearance or proof of ownership?

No. It is a CheckID summary of the vehicle record at the time of the check, obtained through our verification provider VerifyNow. It is not a police clearance, a NaTIS registration certificate, proof of ownership or a roadworthy certificate, and it does not replace a mechanical inspection.

What if no record is found?

If our provider has no vehicle record for the registration number, or the check cannot be completed, you are refunded in full. Check the number plate carefully before you pay: personalised and older plates are both supported.

Do you keep the report?

No. The vehicle details are held in memory only while the PDF is built and emailed, and CheckID cannot send it again, so save it. The VIN is removed from the order when the check finishes. The registration number stays in My orders so you can tell which vehicle you checked, and we keep an audit record of your order: your name and email, the time, the price, payment references and the consent you gave.

Check the seller too

Confirm the seller's ID, and that the bank account you pay into belongs to them. Once-off checks with a PDF report and no subscription.

Compare every check and see sample reports

Know the car before you pay

R199 per check. Refunded in full if no vehicle record is found.

Enter a number plateVerify the seller's bank account

A vehicle record is not a mechanical inspection: have the car checked by a mechanic too.