Guides: Used-car check

Used-car check

One call that returns what a buyer should know about a used vehicle before handing over money: blocks, a re-stamped VIN, leasing, traffic damage, the latest inspection and the registration status.

Ask for a check

By registration number:

curl -H "X-Api-Key: $MOTORBAY_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.motorbay.app/v1/vehicles/plate/AB12345/check"

The same check is at /v1/vehicles/{vehicleId}/check and /v1/vehicles/vin/{vin}/check. The plate is read the same way as in /v1/vehicles/plate/{plate}: case, spaces and hyphens are ignored, and if several vehicles have had the plate you get the one registered with it now. An unknown vehicle is a 404 with the code VehicleNotFound.

What you get back

json

{
  "vehicleId": "9000000006320919",
  "registrationNumber": "AB12345",
  "vin": "WVWZZZ1JZXW000001",
  "checkedOn": "2026-10-09",
  "flags": [
    { "code": "totalLoss", "severity": "high", "label": "Registered as a total loss" },
    { "code": "restampedVin", "severity": "high", "label": "The VIN has been re-stamped" }
  ],
  "status": "registered",
  "statusUpdatedAt": "2024-06-01T08:00:00Z",
  "registrationStatus": "registered",
  "registrationStatusUpdatedAt": "2024-06-01T08:00:00Z",
  "firstRegisteredOn": "2018-04-26",
  "registrationNumberExpiresOn": null,
  "hasTrafficDamage": false,
  "blocks": [
    { "id": "3", "name": "Totalskadet køretøj", "originalName": "Totalskadet køretøj" }
  ],
  "hasRestampedVin": true,
  "vinRestampedAt": "2017-08-31T09:52:15Z",
  "activeLeasingPeriod": null,
  "latestInspection": {
    "type": "periodic",
    "inspectedOn": "2025-11-03",
    "result": "approved",
    "status": "active",
    "statusUpdatedOn": "2025-11-03",
    "odometerReading": 123
  }
}

Start with flags. It is empty when we found nothing, and otherwise sorted with the most severe first. Each flag has a stable code to build logic on, a severity and a short English label you can show as it is. The wording of a label may change, so don't compare it as text.

Code	Severity	Meaning
`totalLoss`	high	A total loss block is registered
`restampedVin`	high	A permit for a re-stamped VIN is registered
`scrapped`	high	The vehicle's status is scrapped
`blocked`	high	The vehicle is blocked, with no further reason given
`damaged`	high	A damaged vehicle block is registered
`activeLeasing`	high	A leasing period covers today
`defect`	medium	A defect block is registered
`calledInForRegistration`	medium	The vehicle has been called in for registration
`trafficDamage`	medium	Traffic damage is recorded
`inspectionNotApproved`	medium	The latest inspection was not approved
`deregistered`	info	The vehicle is deregistered

We may add codes. Treat one you don't know by its severity and label.

The rest of the answer holds the facts behind the flags, so you can show them:

blocks lists the blocks the same way as /v1/vehicles/{vehicleId}/blocking-reasons.
hasRestampedVin and vinRestampedAt say whether the vehicle has a permit for a re-stamped VIN (Stelnummer Genihugget), and when the first one took effect. A re-stamped VIN is often legitimate, for example after a repair, but it is worth asking the seller about.
activeLeasingPeriod is the leasing period that covers checkedOn, with validFromOn and validUntilOn. Both days count as part of the period, and a period with no end date counts as ongoing. All of a vehicle's periods are at /v1/vehicles/{vehicleId}/leasing-periods.
latestInspection is the latest inspection with its result, day and odometer reading in thousands of km, or null if none is recorded.
registrationNumberExpiresOn is when the current plate expires, if the register has a date for it.

checkedOn is the Danish calendar day the check was made for. A vehicle whose leasing period ends today is still flagged today and not tomorrow.

What the check is not

The check reads the latest weekly extract we loaded from Motorstyrelsen's public statistics data. Something registered since then shows up after the next extract and import, usually within a week. Motorbay-Data-As-Of on the response says which extract it came from. See Data source and freshness.

A check with no flags is not a guarantee. The extract only holds what was registered: damage that was never reported, a loan secured on the vehicle or an unpaid fine is not in it. Motorbay is not affiliated with Motorstyrelsen.

Use the check alongside your own inspection of the vehicle and its papers.

Didn't find the answer? Email support@motorbay.app.

Used-car check

Ask for a check

What you get back

What the check is not

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