Check a Car's Service History Online
You can check a car's service history online in the UK using official manufacturer dealership records. Enter a registration number or VIN and Service History Check retrieves the services logged at franchised dealers — the date, mileage and work recorded — for £9.99, alongside full MOT history and the vehicle's DVLA details. The lookup is free; you only pay once your report is ready.
Official dealer records for 39 brands, typically delivered within minutes.
Ways to check a car's service history
There are four practical ways to find a car's service history in the UK, and the best buyers and sellers tend to use them together. Each one tells you something slightly different, and the gaps in one are often filled by another.
1. Manufacturer dealership records (most reliable)
When a car is serviced at a franchised dealer, the work is logged on the manufacturer's central system against the VIN rather than in a paper book. That record cannot be edited by previous owners, it captures the exact date, mileage and work performed, and it survives even when the service book is lost. It is the record dealers, insurers and experienced buyers treat as proof, and you can retrieve it online in minutes from just a registration number.
2. The physical service book
The traditional paper book should carry a stamp from each service, so it is always worth checking the glovebox, boot and any under-floor storage. Treat it as supporting evidence rather than proof, though: books get lost or water-damaged, and stamps are easy to fake, which is exactly why verifying the paper trail against the manufacturer's digital record is the sensible next step.
3. The servicing garage directly
If you know which garage looked after the car, it may be able to supply duplicate invoices or a printout of the work it carried out. This is the only way to confirm servicing done at independent garages, since that work never reaches the manufacturer's system. You will usually need the registration and, for data-protection reasons, some proof that you own or are buying the vehicle.
4. MOT history (free)
The DVSA publishes every MOT result, advisory and mileage reading for free. It is not a service record, but the mileage captured at each test is invaluable for spotting inconsistencies and confirming the car has been driven normally. Reading MOT mileages alongside the service dates is the clearest way to sanity-check a history, which is why we include full MOT data with every Service History Check report. See how our check works.
Why manufacturer records are the most reliable
A paper service book lives in the car and depends entirely on whoever held it being honest and organised. The manufacturer's record works the other way around: it belongs to the vehicle, not the owner. Because it is stored centrally and tied to the VIN, it cannot be altered by a previous keeper, and it stays with the car through every change of ownership.
It is also recorded at the moment of service by the franchised dealership, so there is no opportunity to backdate or invent entries after the fact. And it is specific: you see the dates, the odometer readings, the type of service and which dealership carried it out, rather than an unreadable stamp. That combination of tamper resistance and detail is why the manufacturer record is the standard buyers, insurers and the trade rely on. A service book supports the story; the digital record is what actually proves it.
What an online check won't show
An online service history check retrieves manufacturer dealership records, and only those. Work carried out at independent garages, even highly capable specialists, will not appear, because those garages have no way to write to the manufacturer's system. A car that has been serviced entirely by a trusted local independent may return no manufacturer records at all — which is not the same as never having been serviced, and is worth keeping in mind before you read too much into an empty result.
It is also worth being clear about what a service history check is not. It does not cover outstanding finance, insurance write-offs or stolen markers; that is the job of a separate vehicle history (HPI-style) check, which looks at the car's legal and financial background rather than how it has been maintained. The two answer different questions, and a thorough used-car buyer usually wants both.
How to check service history with Service History Check
Start on the check page and enter the registration number (or the 17-character VIN) along with your email address. We validate the registration against the DVLA so we are certain we have matched the right vehicle before going any further, then search the manufacturer's systems for the service records held against it.
Payment is £9.99, taken securely through Stripe — your card details never touch our servers. Within a couple of minutes you receive your report on screen and by email, covering every franchised-dealer service on record along with full MOT history, a dated mileage timeline and the vehicle's DVLA details.
Because the report always includes that MOT and vehicle data, you receive a report even if no manufacturer service records are found for the car. We issue a full refund only when we genuinely cannot look the vehicle up — for example an unrecognised registration, an unsupported vehicle, or the manufacturer database being unavailable. You can read the full detail in our refund policy.
Who checks service history online?
Used-car buyers use it to verify a vehicle's maintenance record before handing over a deposit, and to turn any gaps into dated, concrete evidence they can negotiate with. Sellers use it the other way round, providing verified proof of servicing to build buyer confidence and protect their asking price — particularly when the paper book has gone missing but the digital record is still on file.
Motor-trade professionals appraising stock rely on it to price accurately, with trade accounts paying a flat £3.99 per check. And owners who have lost the service book use it to recover their own history ahead of a sale, warranty claim or insurance query.
Keep reading
Supported manufacturers
The 39 brands we cover, with per-brand coverage detail.
How it works
The three steps from registration to full report.
See a sample report
Exactly what the service records, MOT history and details look like.
Frequently asked questions
Coverage, refunds, delivery times and everything else.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check a car's service history online in the UK?
Yes. Service History Check retrieves official manufacturer dealership service records for any UK car using just the registration number or the 17-character VIN. These are the same digital records the franchised dealer network logs against the vehicle, so you are not relying on the seller handing over a paper service book.
Can I check service history by registration number?
Yes. Enter the number plate and we validate it against the DVLA to confirm the exact vehicle, then look up any main-dealer service records held on the manufacturer’s system for it. You can also enter the VIN directly if you have an imported car or do not have the registration to hand.
How do I find a car's service history?
The most reliable route is the manufacturer’s own digital record, which is tied to the VIN rather than a paper book. Enter the registration on Service History Check and we return every service logged at a franchised dealer — date, mileage and work done — for £9.99, even when the paper service book is long gone. You can supplement that with the free DVSA MOT history for a mileage timeline, and with invoices from any independent garage that serviced the car.
Can I check a car's service history for free?
The lookup is free — you only pay the £9.99 report fee — and full DVSA MOT history (mileage readings, advisories and pass/fail results) is included with every report. What no service can give away for free is the manufacturer’s own dealer service record: that is the paid part, because it comes straight from the manufacturer’s system.
What does a service history check show?
It shows the manufacturer dealership service record: the date, mileage and type of each service (interim, annual or major), the specific work carried out, and the dealership that did it, wherever the manufacturer records that detail. Every report also includes full MOT history, a dated mileage timeline and the vehicle’s DVLA details. It does not include work done at independent garages, which cannot write to the manufacturer’s system.
How much does a service history check cost?
A one-off retail check is £9.99, with full MOT history and vehicle details included. Motor-trade accounts pay a flat £3.99 per check. There are no subscriptions and no hidden fees.
Is this the same as an HPI check?
No. An HPI-style vehicle history check looks at finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers and plate changes — the legal and financial background. A service history check is about how the car has been maintained: the dealer service record, MOT history and mileage. They answer different questions and complement each other.
What if no service history is found?
You still receive a full report — MOT history, a mileage timeline and DVLA vehicle details — because a zero-records result is still useful information. No manufacturer records does not mean the car was never serviced: it may have been maintained at independent garages, which do not appear on the manufacturer’s system, or serviced before digital records began for that brand. We only issue a refund when we genuinely cannot look the vehicle up at all, for example an unrecognised registration or an unsupported vehicle.
Does it cover cars serviced at independent garages?
No. We report the official manufacturer dealership feed only, because that is the record buyers, dealers and insurers treat as proof. Work carried out at an independent garage — even an excellent specialist — will not appear, so the only way to verify that is to ask the garage for its invoices.
How far back do digital service records go?
Coverage is strongest for cars from around 2012 onwards, which is when most manufacturers moved from paper stamps to central digital records. Some premium brands started a little earlier. Pre-2012 vehicles may have little or no digital record, so paper history matters more for older cars.
Where do I find my VIN?
You do not need it if you have the registration — the plate is enough. If you would rather use the VIN, it is the 17-character number in Section D of the V5C logbook, and it is also stamped at the base of the windscreen and on the driver’s-side door frame.
How long does the report take?
Most reports are ready within a couple of minutes and are delivered on screen and by email, so you can save or share the PDF straight away. There is no account to create and the report link is yours to keep.
Which manufacturers are covered?
We cover 39 brands, including Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Škoda, SEAT and Mini. Coverage depth varies by manufacturer, and you can see the full list and per-brand detail on our supported manufacturers page.
Check a vehicle's service history
Retrieve official manufacturer dealership service records from just a registration number, with full MOT history included. Results typically arrive within minutes.