Not online, and not from any car check. A keeper's name and address are personal data, and the DVLA releases them only to people who can show a reasonable cause for needing them. A car check, ours included, can tell you how many keepers a car has had and when it changed hands, but never who they were.
How to ask the DVLA
Individuals use form V888 and apply by post. GOV.UK says the details of how to pay and where to send the application are on the form. You have to explain why you want the information and how you will use it, and the DVLA decides each request on its merits.
GOV.UK gives these as examples of a reasonable cause:
- finding out who was responsible for an accident
- tracing the registered keeper of an abandoned vehicle
- tracing the registered keeper of a vehicle parked on private land
- giving out parking tickets or trespass charge notices
- tracing people who drove off without paying for goods and services
- tracing people suspected of insurance fraud
Wanting to know who owned a car you are thinking of buying is not on the list, and curiosity is not a reason.
Keeper and owner are not the same
The DVLA records the registered keeper: the person responsible for the vehicle, who is not necessarily its legal owner. A car on hire purchase or PCP belongs to the lender, but the driver is still the registered keeper. Our V5C guide explains the difference.
After an accident
The Highway Code (rule 286) says a driver involved in a collision that causes damage or injury must stop and give their name and address, the vehicle owner's name and address and the registration to anyone with reasonable grounds for asking. If they do not give their details at the scene, they must report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours. In Northern Ireland, nidirect's version says to report it to the police immediately.
- Note the registration, the make, model and colour, the time and place, and any witnesses.
- Tell your insurer, who can trace the other vehicle's insurer.
- If the other driver drove off, report it to the police.
- askMID offers a paid one-off search to check whether the other vehicle is insured after an accident.
A car parked on your land, or abandoned
In England and Wales you can report an abandoned vehicle to the local council, which deals with it. For a car parked on private land, the landowner or a parking company can apply to the DVLA with a reasonable cause.
What a car check shows instead
- The free check shows when the latest logbook was issued, which changes when a car changes keeper.
- The previous owners check in the full history check shows how many keepers a car has had and the dates it changed hands, without names.
- The plate change check lists previous registrations.
Checking the seller when you buy
If you want to know who you are buying from, the answer is the logbook. Ask to see the V5C and check that the name and address match the seller and the place you are viewing the car. Check the logbook's watermark and serial number as GOV.UK advises, and match the VIN on the car to it. Our used car buying checklist covers the rest.