CarScratch

About CarScratch

What is CarScratch?

CarScratch is a free vehicle information aggregator for UK and Isle of Man registered vehicles. Enter any registration number to instantly access comprehensive data including MOT history, tax status, vehicle specifications, mileage tracking, and auction history - all in one place.

How It Works

When you search for a registration, CarScratch queries multiple data sources simultaneously and combines the results into a single, easy-to-read report. The entire lookup typically takes 2-5 seconds depending on the vehicle type.

  1. You enter a registration number
  2. We detect whether it's a UK or Isle of Man plate
  3. Parallel requests are made to relevant data sources
  4. Results are aggregated, validated and displayed

Data Sources

All data displayed on CarScratch is sourced from official government APIs and publicly available information. We do not store or cache personal data.

DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service

Official UK government API providing vehicle details including make, model, colour, fuel type, engine size, CO2 emissions, tax status, and MOT status.

DVSA MOT History API

Official DVSA API providing complete MOT test history including test results, mileage readings, advisories, failures, and dangerous defects.

Isle of Man Government

Official gov.im vehicle search for Manx registrations. Provides make, model, colour, engine size, fuel type, tax status, and previous UK registration details.

IOM Auction Site

Isle of Man vehicle auction data showing if a vehicle has appeared at auction, including the auction date, lot description, and hammer price (if sold).

Supplementary Vehicle Data

Additional vehicle data including performance specs (BHP, torque, top speed, 0-60), fuel economy (MPG), road tax costs, transmission, drive type, insurance group, ULEZ compliance, and body style.

Technical Details

Framework
Astro with SSR
Styling
Tailwind CSS v4
Hosting
Netlify Functions
HTML Parsing
Cheerio + Regex
Source Code
GitHub
Version
v2.1.2

Supported Registration Formats

UK Plates

  • AB12 CDE - Current (2001+)
  • A12 XYZ - Prefix (1983-2001)
  • ABC 123D - Suffix (1963-1983)
  • ABC 123 - Dateless

Isle of Man Plates

  • PMN 147 E - Classic
  • MAN 123 - MAN prefix
  • 1-MN-00 - Modern
  • 79NMN - Numbers first

Privacy & Data Protection

CarScratch does not store vehicle lookup data or track individual searches. All queries are processed in real-time and results are not cached beyond the current session. We use no analytics or tracking cookies.

This service does not breach GDPR or any data protection regulations. All vehicle data displayed is already publicly available through official government services and public records. Vehicle registration data is not considered personal data as it relates to the vehicle, not to any individual. We simply aggregate publicly accessible information into a convenient format - no private or protected data is collected, processed, or stored.

Disclaimer

All information is provided for general informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, CarScratch makes no warranties about the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of the data displayed. Always verify important information with official sources before making decisions. Vehicle data may be subject to change and may not reflect the current state of the vehicle.

Feedback

Have a suggestion or found an issue? Use our Suggestion Box to let us know. You can also contribute to the project on GitHub.

Version History

v2.1.2 February 2026
  • Generated missing favicon PNGs (16x16, 32x32, 180x180, 192x192, 512x512)
  • Removed debug logging from MOT API client
  • Added site URL to Astro config
  • Cleaned up redundant files
v2.1.1 February 2026
  • Open Graph image fixes for Facebook sharing (og:image:type, og:image:secure_url, og:image:alt)
  • Added fb:app_id meta tag
  • Cache-busted OG image URL to force Facebook re-fetch
v2.1.0 February 2026
  • Save PDF - download a summary of vehicle lookup results
  • IoM vehicle duty calculator using official Vehicle Duty Order 2023 rates
  • Correct pre/post April 2010 tax band selection (CO2 vs engine capacity)
  • Veteran vehicle rate (30+ years) at flat rate
v2.0.0 February 2026
  • Improved supplementary data source for better reliability
  • Added fuel economy figures (urban, extra-urban, combined MPG)
  • Added road tax costs (12 month and 6 month rates)
  • Added max torque and drive type to performance data
  • Added transmission type to vehicle details
  • Removed slow insurance check, dead code cleanup
v1.4.1 February 2026
  • Added Privacy and Data Protection section
  • Renamed auction source to IOM Auction Site
  • Security review and data sanitisation improvements
v1.4.0 January 2026
  • Added Isle of Man auction history integration
  • Mileage chart with yearly averages and deduplication
  • Suggestion box for user feedback
v1.3.0 January 2026
  • Full Isle of Man registration support via gov.im
  • Smart plate detection with visual badges
  • Previous UK registration lookup for Manx vehicles
v1.2.0 December 2025
  • MOT History API integration with full test history
  • Added performance data (BHP, top speed, 0-60)
  • Insurance group and ULEZ/CAZ compliance info
v1.1.0 December 2025
  • DVLA Vehicle Enquiry API integration
  • Smart plate formatting for all UK formats
  • SEO improvements with structured data
v1.0.0 November 2025
  • Initial release with mock data support
  • Basic vehicle lookup functionality
  • Responsive design with Tailwind CSS
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