Stolen marker

Stolen car check

Check if a car is recorded as stolen before you buy. Enter the registration for a free VehicleScore, then use Hidden History to check for recorded stolen markers.

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  • Before you buy
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  • Paid hidden history
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  • Buyer checkSee the risk before you pay
  • Only if returnedA field appears when we hold it

How to check if a car is stolen

This is a stolen vehicle check by registration — the number on the plate. The plate is how the record is looked up. It does not, by itself, prove the car in front of you is that vehicle. Confirm the identity on the free registration check, then compare the VIN on the car with the V5C.

The registration lookup is free. The stolen marker itself is in the paid Hidden History Check. VehicleScore reports stolen status from the industry data it receives. It does not query a live police database.

  1. Enter the vehicle registration.
  2. Confirm VehicleScore has identified the correct vehicle.
  3. Open Hidden History.
  4. Review the stolen-vehicle section for any recorded stolen marker.
  5. If a stolen marker appears, do not proceed with the purchase. Follow the guidance further down this page.

What does a stolen car check show?

Enter the plate above to open the free VehicleScore (score, MOT, tax, mileage). Stolen results are part of the paid Hidden History Check.

When stolen data exists, the report can include:

  • Whether the vehicle is currently recorded as stolen
  • Stolen status text, when provided
  • Dates (stolen or reported), when provided
  • Police force name and contact number, when provided

Fields are only shown when the data source supplied them.

What does a stolen marker mean?

A stolen marker means the vehicle has been recorded as stolen on the industry data we receive. For a buyer that is serious: the car can be seized even if you paid the seller in good faith.

These are not the same result:

  • Current stolen marker — the vehicle is recorded as stolen now. Do not buy it.
  • Previous stolen record — a past theft record can still appear when the car is not currently marked stolen. Ask for proof the police record is closed.
  • Stolen-recovered salvage history — a salvage auction lot is sometimes described as stolen recovered. See the salvage check. That is a past theft signal, not a current stolen marker.

A stolen check is not proof of ownership. A clear result does not prove the seller is the registered keeper or the legal owner. Match the VIN on the vehicle to the V5C and the report. A cloned number plate is a separate risk: the record can belong to a different car wearing the same plate.

If a stolen marker appears

  1. Do not go ahead with the purchase or pay a deposit.
  2. Do not confront the seller in person or try to seize the car.
  3. Note the registration, listing URL and any seller details, then contact the police.
  4. If you already paid, contact the police and your bank or card issuer.
  5. Still review finance, write-off and the full vehicle history check on any other car you consider instead.

A clear stolen result does not prove the seller is the keeper. Match the VIN on the car to the V5C and the report, and be cautious with cloned plates.

Enter the registration for a free VehicleScore. Open Hidden History from the result to see recorded stolen markers.

Hear from people like you

Recent reviews from people who checked a car before they bought.

  • Simple, informative, easy to navigate and gives confidence in the decision making process.

    Keith

    Verified Customer

  • Brilliant, easy to use, will use VehicleScore for all my car purchases in the future.

    Peter

    Verified Customer

  • Very helpful and a necessary part of buying a car privately. Two cars showed up faults — one was a cat S, the other had finance outstanding. This third one is totally clear. Thank you for the service.

    Michael

    Verified Customer

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a record that the vehicle has been reported stolen on the industry data VehicleScore receives (Experian stolen-vehicle items and related UK vehicle status).

It is not a live police terminal and it does not verify that the person selling the car is the legal keeper.

The vehicle can be seized. Paying the seller does not give you good title if the car is stolen.

If a current stolen marker appears, do not complete the purchase. Contact the police and keep a record of the registration and the listing.

The paid Hidden History Check can show whether a stolen record exists, stolen status, dates, and police-force details when those fields are returned.

The free VehicleScore does not reveal stolen markers. Some salvage lots are also labelled stolen recovered — that is a past-theft signal, not the same as a current stolen marker.

No. A clear stolen marker only means no stolen record was returned. Always match the V5C, VIN and seller identity separately.