Find the Owner of a Car by License Plate Number in the UK
There are many reasons as to why you might want to find out the owner of a car. From witnessing a hit and run to querying about an abandoned car, finding out the owner would be sure to make life a whole lot easier. But, unfortunately, nothing is as black and white as it seems.
Finding out the owner of a car is a fairly long-winded and fiddly process. Due to privacy laws and regulations, you can’t simply enter a car’s license plate into our car check (Just Car Checks) and expect to find the name and address of the owner. There are, however, ways around this if you contact the DVLA. Within this guide, we will be taking you through how to find the owner of a car by license plate number in the UK.
Will A Car Check Tell Me The Owner Of The Car?
The short answer is no – a car check will not tell you the owner of a car. A car check will, however, provide you with information about the car, including the date it was first registered. Here at My Car Tax Check, you can use our car checker to find:
- The date of the car’s last sale
- The date of the car’s last purchase
- How many owners the car has had (providing it has been noted in the logbook)
- The date the car was first registered
- The city the car was first registered
- The model year
- And much more!
While we can’t legally give you the name and address of the car owner, the above information is more than satisfactory. This information is particularly helpful if you are planning to purchase a used car and want to check you’re involved in a reliable sale. Unfortunately, car scams frequently occur in the sale of second-hand cars, so obtaining as much information about the vehicle as possible will fill you with greater confidence.
Why Can’t I Find Out The Owner Of A Car Through A Car Check?
As mentioned previously, you can’t find out the owner of a car through a car check due to the fact that it is against the law. While we can give you a huge range of details about the car itself, handing out names and addresses is a breach of privacy; it’s illegal. You’ll have to make a pretty good case for yourself against the DVLA if you wish to find out further information.
Under What Circumstances Can I Find Out The Owner Of A Car?
The only way to find the owner of a car through license plate number is by contacting the DVLA. We will discuss more on how to go about this shortly. It’s important to remember, however, that there are only a few circumstances in which the DVLA will comply with.
Please note that the following pointers will vary between cases – no matter what your situation, it’s extremely rare for the DVLA to hand you personal information. More times than not, the DVLA or your local council will take matters into their own hands.
With that being said, here are the circumstances that may allow you to obtain a vehicle owners information:
- Witnessing a hit and run
- Wanting to locate the owner of a dumped car
- Needing to send out a parking ticket
- Needing the owners information due to suspected insurance fraud
- Needing a parked car to be removed from private property
You will not be able to find out the owner of a car through curiosity or without good reason.
How To Find The Owner Of A Car Through DVLA
While it’s not easy to find out the owner of a car, the DVLA accepts applications for people willing to do so. If you are an individual, head to the DVLA website and fill out form V888. Please note that you can only use this form if:
- It’s your vehicle
- You used to own the vehicle
- You wish to know information about the registered keeper of a vehicle
As mentioned earlier in this guide, you must give the DVLA a reasonable cause if you wish to know information about the registered keeper of a vehicle.
What Information Does Form V888 Need?
Now that you know how to apply for information about a vehicle’s owner, let’s dive deep into establishing what the application needs to proceed. The form is split into seven sections, which we will explain in further detail below:
- What are you asking for?
- Your details
- Details of the vehicle you want information about
- What information you want and why
- How you are going to use the information
- Details to support your request
- Declaration
1. What Are You Asking For?: Don’t worry – this part simply requires putting a tick in a box. You have the option to either request for:
- The name and address of the registered keeper at a specific date (£2.50)
- Information about a vehicle that was previously registered in your name (£5.00)
If you are asking for the name and address of a registered keeper, you must fill in all sections of form V888. If you are asking for information about a vehicle that was previously registered to you, however, you can skip section six (details to support your request).
2. Your Details: You are expected to provide the DVLA with your full name, full address, date of birth and phone number. Phone number is needed just in case the DVLA needs to get in touch with you.
3. Details Of The Vehicle You Want Information About: You must be able to provide the car’s vehicle registration number, make/model, and colour. This helps to avoid any miscommunication or wrong information.
4. What Information You Want And Why: The V888 form will provide you with more information on how to answer this question. Remember that you must be able to give a very solid case to the DVLA if you wish for the application to be successful.
5. How You Are Going To Use The Information: As personal information is involved, the DVLA needs to ensure that you aren’t going to use the information for foul play. You must give the DVLA an honest account of exactly what you’re going to use the information for. And no – simply needing it to track someone down will not work in your favour!
6. Details To Support Your Request: Section six is full of simple questions and answers. This section is particularly useful for if the vehicle you are inquiring about was involved in an incident. You will be expected to provide thorough details about the incident, including the address of the incident, details of injury, police information and insurance information.
7. Declaration: Finally, the last section of form V888 is a declaration. You must declare that the information given is correct and truthful (as you are under Section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998). To finish, sign the form with your full name, signature and the date.
Keep It Legal
Remember that requesting for – and handling – someone elses personal information is a very sensitive matter. Finding out the owner of a vehicle is not an easy task, but providing you have a good enough reason, you may have a bit of luck. No online car checker will be able to get this information for you, so always contact DVLA if in need. Alternatively, you can use our free car checker to find out basic information.