Vehicle Provenance Report
UK Car History Check

What a provenance check actually covers

A provenance check asks a set of questions about a vehicle’s recorded past that you cannot answer by looking at it. Is money still owed against it? Has an insurer written it off? Has it been reported stolen? Does the mileage history make sense? Each answer comes from a record held by a third party — a finance house, an insurer, the police, or the DVLA — and the report brings them together against one registration.

None of this is visible in an inspection, and none of it is something a seller is reliably able to disclose even when acting in good faith. A car can look straight, drive well, and still carry an outstanding finance agreement that follows it to the next owner.

Outstanding finance

Where a vehicle was bought on hire purchase or a conditional sale agreement, the finance company retains an interest in it until the agreement is settled. If you buy a car with finance outstanding, the lender may still have a claim over it. This is the single check most likely to cost a buyer the whole purchase price, which is why it sits first in the report.

Write-off and salvage records

Insurers record vehicles they have written off, along with the category assigned at the time. Categories describe the extent of damage and whether the vehicle was judged repairable. A recorded write-off is not automatically a reason to walk away — plenty are repaired properly and sold on legitimately — but it changes what the vehicle is worth and it must be disclosed when you come to sell it.

Stolen markers

A vehicle recorded as stolen and not recovered remains the property of its owner or their insurer. Buying one in good faith does not transfer title, and the car can be recovered from you.

Mileage history

Mileage readings are captured at points across a vehicle’s life, including at each MOT. Read in sequence they should only ever increase. A reading lower than an earlier one, or a period where recorded mileage barely moves before jumping, is worth explaining before you commit. A service history check by VIN adds manufacturer-recorded readings to that timeline.

Plate and identity changes

Registration transfers are legitimate and common, but a plate change can also break the trail between a vehicle and its earlier history. The report lists recorded changes so the timeline can be followed, and checks the VIN and engine number against official records.

When to run one

Before money changes hands, and before a vehicle enters your stock. For traders appraising part-exchanges or bidding at auction, the check is what tells you whether the price in front of you reflects the vehicle’s actual history. For private buyers it is the last step before a deposit, not something to run afterwards.

A provenance check describes what is on record at the time you run it. It does not assess mechanical condition — for that you want a physical inspection alongside MOT history and service records.