DVLA vehicle lookup API — a full DVLA record from the registration
DVLA registration data by VRM — make, colour, fuel, CO₂, tax and MOT status.
Also known as: DVLA lookup · VRM lookup · registration lookup · number plate lookup
Overview
Look up any UK vehicle by registration and get the DVLA record back as clean, normalised JSON.
Ideal for onboarding flows, quote forms and any journey where you need to confirm a vehicle from just a number plate.
Features
- Make, colour, fuel type and engine capacity
- Tax status and tax due date
- MOT status and expiry date
- Year and month of first registration
- Export marker and wheelplan
Example response
A successful lookup for AB12CDE. Illustrative values.
{
"data": {
"vrm": "AB12CDE",
"registration_number": "AB12CDE",
"make": "FORD",
"model": "FIESTA",
"colour": "BLUE",
"fuel_type": "PETROL",
"engine_capacity": 1499,
"year_of_manufacture": 2019,
"month_of_first_registration": "2019-03",
"co2_emissions": 119,
"tax_status": "Taxed",
"tax_due_date": "2026-09-01",
"mot_status": "Valid",
"mot_expiry_date": "2026-03-14",
"wheelplan": "2 AXLE RIGID BODY",
"export_marker": false
},
"credit_balance": 499
}
Fields returned
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| registration_number | string | The vehicle registration mark (VRM). |
| make | string | Manufacturer, as recorded by the DVLA. |
| model | string | Model, resolved from the MOT record where available. |
| colour | string | Current registered colour, normalised. |
| fuel_type | string | Fuel type, normalised (PETROL, DIESEL, ELECTRIC…). |
| engine_capacity | integer | Engine capacity in cc. |
| year_of_manufacture | integer | Year the vehicle was manufactured. |
| month_of_first_registration | string | Year and month the vehicle was first registered (YYYY-MM). |
| co2_emissions | integer | CO₂ emissions in g/km. |
| tax_status | string | Current tax status (Taxed, Untaxed, SORN). |
| tax_due_date | date | Date the current tax expires. |
| mot_status | string | Current MOT status. |
| mot_expiry_date | date | Expiry date of the current MOT certificate. |
| wheelplan | string | DVLA wheelplan description. |
| export_marker | boolean | Whether the vehicle is marked for export. |
Who uses this
You might also need
Official registers
Vehicle records from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service, MOT records from the DVSA MOT History API.
Charged on delivery
You are charged on a successful lookup. A lookup that returns nothing costs nothing.
No lock-in
No contract and no minimum. Credits last 12 months; monthly plans are rolling.
UK data protection
You act as controller and we act as processor for delivery, under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
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