Number plate lookups built into your website
A customer types their registration and your site fills in the vehicle, using DVLA, DVSA or commercial data under your own access.
In plain English.
A reg lookup, sometimes called a VRM lookup (VRM is the vehicle registration mark), lets a customer type their number plate instead of choosing make, model and engine from a list. It speeds up booking forms, part-exchange requests and parts searches, and it cuts down on enquiries for the wrong vehicle. The hard part is choosing the right data source for what you need.
The DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service API is free with an API key issued to your business. It returns make, colour, fuel type, engine size, year of manufacture, month of first registration, tax status and MOT status, but not the model or trim. The DVSA MOT History API adds the model and past odometer readings, and needs its own approval and credentials.
If you need the exact derivative, a TecDoc K-Type for parts fitment or valuation data, that comes from a commercial vehicle data provider on a paid contract in your name. We help you pick the cheapest source that does the job, then build the lookup with caching, where the provider allows it, so you are not paying twice for the same plate.
It suits you if.
- Your booking forms ask customers for make and model by hand
- You sell parts and want buyers to search by number plate
- You take part exchanges and want accurate vehicle details
- You already pay for a lookup provider but barely use the data
- You want to check tax and MOT status before booking a job
What we do.
Free government data first
Where make, colour, fuel and MOT status are enough, we use the free DVLA and DVSA APIs, so you avoid a per-lookup bill.
Commercial data when needed
For model derivative, K-Types or valuations we connect to a paid provider, such as UK Vehicle Data or CAP HPI, under your own contract.
Plate cleaning
Spaces, lower case and common mix-ups like O for 0 are tidied before any request is sent, so typing errors do not cost you a lookup.
Caching and cost control
Results are stored for as long as the provider terms allow, so a customer who searches twice is only charged for once.
Works in any form
The lookup can sit in booking forms, WooCommerce product search, part-exchange forms or an internal tool for your staff.
Privacy handled
A plate can become personal data once it is linked to a customer, so we log only what you need and cover it in your privacy notice.
How it runs.
- 01
Choose the source
We work out which fields you need and match them to DVLA, DVSA or a paid provider, with the cost per lookup made clear.
- 02
Get access
You apply for the API keys in your business name, with our help on the forms and the technical details.
- 03
Build and test
We add the lookup server-side, test it with a range of plates and handle errors, empty results and rate limits.
- 04
Monitor
After launch we watch usage and failures, and tell you if a provider changes its terms or its data fields.
Questions people ask.
Is the DVLA lookup free?
Yes. The DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service API costs nothing to use, but you need to register and be issued an API key, and usage limits apply. It does not return the model, so if that matters you add the DVSA MOT History API or a paid provider.
Why not call the API straight from my website?
Your API key would be visible to anyone who opens the page source, and others could use it up or abuse it. We route every lookup through your server, which keeps the key private and lets us cache results and control usage.
How much does reg lookup integration cost?
The build is a fixed quote after a free call. The data itself is either free from DVLA and DVSA or charged by a commercial provider, usually per lookup or as a monthly bundle, under your own contract and paid to them directly.
Can it tell me which parts fit?
Not from DVLA data alone. Parts fitment needs a link from the vehicle to a catalogue identifier such as a TecDoc K-Type, which commercial providers can return. We then match that identifier to the fitment data on your products.
Your next chapter starts with a conversation.
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