Know before you buy — every time

Who we are

AI Plate Checker is built and run by an independent UK developer, trading as AI Plate Checker from London. It launched in 2026 after six months of building and testing on real used-car listings.

We are a small, independent UK business. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the DVLA, the DVSA, HM Government, or any car dealer, manufacturer, insurer or finance company. Nobody pays us to rate a car well or badly.

Why we built it

Most people buy a used car two or three times in their life, so they never get good at it. The seller has done it hundreds of times. The free gov.uk MOT page gives you the raw history, but it does not tell you whether “corrosion to rear subframe” on three consecutive tests is a concern, or what it will cost to fix. Meanwhile a proper history check costs money before you even know if the car is worth it.

AI Plate Checker closes that gap. Type a registration and, in seconds, you get the MOT history read the way a mechanic would read it — with the red flags surfaced, the repeat faults explained, the likely repair bill estimated, and a condition score out of 100 that means something. If the car looks worth pursuing, a full history report tells you the things the seller might not.

What is free and what is paid

Free — every check, no sign-up:

• Full MOT history, including advisories and failures
• Tax and MOT status, and ULEZ compliance
• AI condition score out of 100 with a plain-English analysis
• Problems you may need to fix, with an estimated repair cost
• Indicative market price where listings are available
• Saved Cars to compare the cars you are considering side by side

Full history report — one-off £9.99, no subscription:

• Outstanding finance
• Insurance write-off (Cat A, B, S, N and legacy C, D)
• Stolen marker
• Mileage discrepancy analysis — separating genuine clocking from MOT keying errors
• Registered keepers and plate changes
• Colour changes, import/export status and scrapped status
• Salvage auction and taxi/private-hire records
• Running costs, CO2 band and emissions detail
• An in-depth AI verdict that re-scores the car using everything above

Reports are delivered instantly and stay available for 60 days. We do not offer a data guarantee or compensation scheme — see our Terms of Service for what we do and do not promise.

Where the data comes from

• MOT history and vehicle details — official UK government vehicle and MOT records.
• Finance, write-off, stolen, salvage, keeper and plate data — licensed UK vehicle-data providers whose records are used across the motor trade and insurance industry.
• Market prices — live third-party listings for comparable vehicles.
• The analysis — our own. The scoring rules, the mileage-discrepancy logic, the repair-cost model and the AI verdict are built in house.

Source records can be incomplete or mis-keyed, and no check can see everything. Always inspect the car, check the V5C and service history, and get a professional inspection before you pay.

How the AI works

The condition score is not a keyword count. It reads the whole MOT record — failures, advisories, how often the same fault comes back, gaps between tests, and how the mileage has moved — and weighs it the way an experienced mechanic would. It knows that a keying error on an MOT certificate is not clocking, that a Cat S record is not the same as a Cat N one, and that a clean latest test on a car with five years of repeat corrosion advisories still deserves a second look.

AI output is guidance. It can be wrong, and it is only as good as the records it reads. We label it clearly and we never tell you whether to buy — we give you the facts and the questions to ask, and you decide.

Accuracy and corrections

We test the site against real vehicles with known histories and fix data issues as we find them. If you spot something wrong about a car you know — a wrong spec, a fault we missed, a score that does not add up — please tell us at feedback@aiplatechecker.co.uk. Real-world corrections are how the product gets better.

Legal

AI Plate Checker is a trading name of a sole trader registered in the United Kingdom (full details in our Terms of Service). ICO registration ZC215125. Read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for what we do and do not promise, and how we handle your data.

Who we are & how to reach us

AI Plate Checker is built by an independent UK developer and launched in 2026. Questions, feedback or ideas? Email feedback@aiplatechecker.co.uk, or find us on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok.