Check Registered Keeper

Our registered keeper check helps you find out the number of registered keepers of a vehicle in the UK. Get an instant, accurate car history report to help you buy or sell with confidence.

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Who is a Registered Keeper of a Car?

The registered keeper of a car is the person recorded on the V5C logbook as responsible for the vehicle’s everyday use and legal obligations. This includes paying road tax, keeping the MOT up to date, and ensuring it is insured.

It’s important to understand that the registered keeper may not always be the legal owner. For example, in leased or financed cars, the finance company remains the legal owner, while the driver is listed as the registered keeper.

Why Know the Registered Keeper of a Car?

The records of a car registered keeper help protect buyers from fraud and ensure that the car’s details are legitimate. It gives peace of mind and builds trust during the buying process. Here are reasons why you should get a registered keeper check:

Avoid Buying from Fraudulent Sellers

Confirming the registered keeper ensures the seller is truly responsible for the car. Without the DVLA registered keeper check, you could unknowingly buy from a fraudster using forged documents or even sell a stolen vehicle. This simple step protects you from financial loss and legal trouble.

Verify Ownership History

The registered keeper history shows how many people have owned the vehicle and for how long. A car with fewer long-term keepers often suggests proper care, while one with many short-term keepers could indicate hidden problems or poor maintenance.

Check for Consistency in Records

By comparing registered keeper details with MOT records, logbook entries, and service history, you can spot gaps or mismatches. Inconsistencies often point to fraud, mileage tampering, or attempts to disguise the vehicle’s true background.

Help in Negotiating Price

Knowing how many keepers a car has had gives you an advantage when negotiating. A vehicle with several short-term keepers might raise questions, allowing you to ask for a lower price with valid reasons.

Identify Potential Risks

If the latest keeper change happened very recently, it may signal underlying issues the last owner wanted to get rid of quickly. This insight helps you proceed with caution and make an informed decision.

Build Confidence Before Purchase

When registered keeper records align with other car history checks, you can buy with confidence. Transparency in ownership shows the car’s background is legitimate, making the purchase process smoother, safer, and less stressful.

What’s Included in a Registered Keeper Check?

A registered keeper check provides detailed history about the vehicle’s past and present keepers, dates of transfer, and registration updates. This gives you a clear picture before making a decision.

Here’s what you can verify with the check:

  • The total number of keepers the vehicle has had
  • Number of previous keepers
  • Latest keeper change date
  • Last ownership transferred date
  • Date of last keeper change
  • Date of each transfer
  • Year and month the vehicle was registered
  • Date first registered
  • Date first registered in the UK
  • Date of last update (V5C)
  • Plate change history
  • Number of V5C certificates issued

Our registered keeper check also provides other essential records about the car’s history, not just ownership details. These additional checks help you make safer, smarter decisions when buying a used vehicle.

Vehicle Specifications

This section confirms details such as the make, model, engine size, fuel type, and body type. It ensures the car being sold matches official DVLA records and prevents you from falling victim to cloned or misrepresented vehicles.

Outstanding Finance

This check alerts you if there is unpaid finance on the car. If you buy a vehicle still under finance, the lender can legally repossess it, leaving you out of pocket with no legal ownership.

Written-Off Records

Reveals whether the vehicle has ever been declared a total loss by insurers. Some write-offs may return to the road with safety concerns, so this record helps you avoid unsafe or overvalued cars.

Logbook History

Verifies that the logbook (V5C) details are accurate and match DVLA records. It also shows how many V5Cs have been issued, helping detect stolen or cloned logbooks that fraudsters often use to trick buyers.

Stolen Records

This check identifies if the vehicle has been reported stolen by the police or insurance companies. Buying a stolen car means you risk losing both the car and your money when it’s reclaimed by authorities.

High-Risk Records

Flags vehicles linked with financial disputes, fraud investigations, or legal claims. These cars may not be safe or legal to purchase, so spotting high-risk records early prevents unnecessary legal or financial problems later.

MOT History

Shows past MOT test results, advisory notes, pass/fail outcomes, and recorded mileage. This helps identify patterns of neglect, potential hidden issues, or mileage discrepancies that may affect both safety and resale value.

Plate/Colour Change

Lists if the car has had a registration number or paint colour change. While sometimes legitimate, frequent changes can be red flags for concealment of the car’s true history or past criminal use.

Other Records

Alongside these checks, you also get insights into scrapped records, auction history, VIC inspection records, import/export details, and VIN validation. These help paint a full picture of the vehicle’s journey and any risks attached.

How Do I Run a Registered Keeper Check?

Running a registered keeper check is quick, simple, and only takes minutes. Follow the steps below to access your report instantly.

Fact 1

Step 1: Enter the Reg Number

Type in the vehicle registration number or use the VIN to start the check.

Fact 2

Step 2: Search Reg or VIN Number

Click on “Search” and our system scans several trusted databases for the keeper information and records.

Fact 3

Step 3: Get Car Check Report

Receive a full car check report showing keeper history, logbook records, stolen alerts, and more.

Legal Owner Vs Registered Keeper: What’s the Difference?

The registered keeper and legal owner are not always the same. The table below explains the key differences between them.

Legal Owner

  • The person named on the V5C logbook.
  • Responsible for day-to-day use, road tax, MOT, and insurance.
  • Receives fines, penalties, and correspondence from DVLA.
  • Can only sell the car if they are also the legal owner.

Registered Keeper

  • The person or company with financial rights to the car.
  • Holds the legal title of the vehicle.
  • May be a finance or leasing company.
  • Has the right to sell and can repossess the car if payments are missed.

Get Registered Keeper Information & More

Don’t take risks when buying a used car. Our registered keeper check gives you clear, trusted details about the vehicle’s past, ensuring safety, legitimacy, and peace of mind every time.

FAQ About Registered Keeper Check

A legal owner of a car is a person or a company that has paid for or received it as a gift, and he or she has financial control over the car. This is not necessarily the same as the registered keeper, the individual that the DVLA has on record as being in charge of things such as tax, MOT, and insurance.

No, you cannot simply determine the owner of a car by the registration number due to the privacy legislation. The DVLA, however, is allowed to reveal this information upon having a legitimate need to do so, including to trace a driver following an accident, to locate the owner of an abandoned vehicle, or to combat a trespassing problem. Should you wish to find out more about the keeper history and more, our car owner check will offer safe, legal, and reliable information, without violating the law of personal data.

Upon registration of a new car in the UK, a number plate is issued which displays the year of registration. When you purchase a new vehicle, the dealer will normally have it registered by the DVLA on your behalf. You must fill in the form V55/4 in order to register it yourself, pay the fee, and ensure the vehicle tax.

Car check services that use DVLA records, such as Smart Car Check, are generally reliable at revealing how many owners a car has had and when it changed hands.. Please note that the person listed as the keeper isn’t always the real owner.