Number Plate Validation

How a buyer-safe V750 check works

The seller enters the certificate number once. DVLA checks it. The buyer gets the result without the number.

V750 only

Checks work with the V750 Certificate of Entitlement. V778 retention documents, issued when a number is taken off a vehicle, cannot be checked. Which one do I have?

  1. Seller

    Enter the plate and V750 number once

    Type the registration and the certificate number exactly as printed below the purchaser's name and address on the V750. Only you see this form.

  2. We

    We ask DVLA, then discard the number

    The details go to DVLA's live certificate checker. We keep the result, the time and the last 7 characters. The full number is thrown away, never stored as plain text.

  3. Buyer

    The buyer opens your proof link

    They see the plate, the DVLA result, when it was checked and the masked ending. You send a fresh passphrase so they can confirm the link came from you.

For sellers: the buyer passphrase

Each time you send the proof to a buyer, generate a new passphrase from your dashboard and send it with the link. The buyer types it on the proof page to confirm the link came from your account. A new passphrase cancels the old one, so a copied message cannot be reused.

For sellers: refresh before payment

A check from today is stronger than one from last month. Refresh the proof before payment is discussed. Each refresh runs a new DVLA check and uses one credit.

For buyers

  • Open the proof link the seller sent.
  • Check the registration on the page matches the plate in the advert.
  • Read the result and the check date. Ask for a refresh if it is not recent.
  • Ask the seller for a fresh passphrase and enter it on the proof page.
  • Check the seller and payment route separately. The proof covers the certificate only.

What a proof does not cover

A proof shows the certificate details checked out with DVLA at a given time. It does not confirm the seller's identity, ownership, right to sell, or that a transfer will complete. Use a trusted payment and transfer process for the sale itself.