Free Car Checks

Terms of Service

Last updated: 16 July 2026

1. Who We Are and Acceptance of These Terms

Free Car Checks ("we", "our", "us") operates the website at freecarchecks.org (the "Service"). By using the Service you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to them, please do not use the Service.

The Service is free to use. There are no charges, subscriptions or payments of any kind.

2. The Service

We provide free vehicle information checks for UK-registered vehicles. When you enter a vehicle registration mark (number plate), we look up and display:

  • Vehicle details and tax/SORN status from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service API
  • MOT history, including test results and recorded mileage, from the DVSA MOT History API

We also offer other free tools, including a ULEZ compliance check, a car tax (VED) calculator, and editorial guides about buying, owning and checking vehicles.

3. Data Accuracy and What a Check Is Not

The vehicle data we display comes from official UK government sources (DVLA and DVSA) and is presented as-is, as returned to us at the time of your lookup. Government records may be incomplete, delayed or contain errors, and we do not verify, correct or guarantee them.

A free check is informational only. It is not:

  • A substitute for a professional mechanical inspection or test drive
  • A provenance check: we do not provide outstanding-finance, stolen-vehicle or insurance write-off data
  • A guarantee of a vehicle's condition, history or legal status

If you are buying a vehicle, treat our results as one part of your research. Verify documents (V5C, MOT certificates, service records) independently, inspect the vehicle in person, and consider a paid provenance check from a specialist provider before you commit to a purchase.

4. Acceptable Use

The Service is provided for personal, non-commercial vehicle lookups. You agree not to:

  • Scrape the site or run bulk or automated queries against it
  • Circumvent, or attempt to circumvent, our rate limits or other anti-abuse measures
  • Resell, republish or systematically extract data from the Service
  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in a way that interferes with its operation for others

We apply per-IP rate limits and other anti-abuse measures to keep the Service free and available for everyone. We may block or restrict access that breaches this section.

5. Accounts

You can use the Service without an account. Optionally, you can create an account to save checks for later. We use passwordless login: you enter your email address and we send you a magic sign-in link.

  • You must provide an email address you control, and you are responsible for activity under your account
  • You can also ask us to email a check result to you, whether or not you have an account
  • We may suspend or close accounts used to abuse the Service or breach these Terms
  • You can delete your account at any time from your account settings, which removes your saved data. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle personal data

6. Intellectual Property

The Free Car Checks website, branding, guides, tools and software are our intellectual property (or that of our licensors) and may not be copied or reused without permission. The underlying vehicle data belongs to the respective public bodies (DVLA and DVSA) and is subject to their terms. You may use the results of your checks for your own personal purposes.

7. Availability and Changes to the Service

The Service is provided free of charge, "as is" and "as available". We do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, error-free or always available; for example, the government APIs we rely on may be down or slow. We may change, suspend or withdraw any part of the Service at any time without notice.

8. Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

  • We are not liable for decisions you make based on information shown by the Service, including vehicle purchases
  • We are not liable for inaccuracies, errors, omissions or delays in data supplied by DVLA, DVSA or other third parties
  • We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from your use of, or inability to use, the free Service

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud. If you are a consumer, your statutory rights are unaffected.

9. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our guides and pages may link to third-party websites (for example, GOV.UK services or other information sources). These are provided for convenience only. We do not control third-party sites and are not responsible for their content, accuracy or practices.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Before pursuing any formal action, please contact us first, as most issues can be resolved quickly by email.

12. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service.

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