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Car Colour Change Check: Has This Car Been Resprayed?

Has this car been resprayed? Check colour changes on the vehicle record by registration

Example: AB12 CDE
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Car colour change check: has this car been resprayed?

Enter the registration in the search box above. The free check shows the colour currently recorded by the DVLA. The full report lists every colour the car has been registered in, with the date each change was recorded, so you can see whether the colour in front of you is the one the car was built in.

Why a colour change matters

  • Accident repairs. A full respray usually follows major bodywork. A recorded colour change, or a colour that doesn't match the record at all, is a reason to look for a write-off on the record and for filler, overspray and mismatched panels on the car. See the write-off check.
  • Disguise. A stolen car is sometimes resprayed to match the colour of the car whose identity it has taken. A colour that matches the paperwork but has overspray in the door shuts and under the bonnet is a warning sign.
  • Wraps. A vinyl wrap doesn't change the registered colour, so a wrapped car shows the original colour on the record. That's normal, but the insurer must be told.
  • Value. Rare factory colours add value; a respray in a different colour usually takes it away.

How common is a colour change?

Of the cars our customers checked in full between March 2023 and October 2026, 3.3% had a colour change recorded, against 13.4% with an insurance write-off. Most changes are honest resprays and wraps that were registered properly; the ones that matter are the ones that go with a write-off or a mismatch on the car.

How to check a car's colour history

WhereWhat you see
The free checkThe colour currently on the DVLA record
The full reportOriginal and previous colours, and the date of each change
The car itselfThe paint code on the VIN plate or door pillar, which is the factory colour: see the paint code finder

If the paint code on the car names one colour and the record names another, the car has been resprayed since it left the factory, whether or not the change was registered.

Changing a car's colour: the rules

A respray in a new colour must be told to the DVLA by updating the V5C; a new log book is issued and the "date of last V5C issued" changes (see the log book check). Insurers must be told too; an unreported colour change can void a policy. Wraps are not a colour change for the DVLA, but most insurers want to know.

What the free check shows, and what the full report adds

Free checkFull history check
Current colour, make, model, year, tax and MOT status, MOT historyEvery colour the car has been registered in, with dates
Date the last V5C was issuedInsurance write-offs, VIN and engine number on record, plate changes, keepers
Finance, stolen marker and 200+ data points

The colour history is one of the identity checks in the full car history check. Our guide explains what a colour change on a car's record means.

Colour change check FAQs

How do I find out if a car has been resprayed?

Compare the full report's colour history and the paint code on the car with the colour you see. Overspray in door shuts, under the bonnet and on rubber seals confirms a respray.

Is a colour change a bad sign?

Not on its own: 3.3% of the cars we checked had one. It's a reason to check for a write-off and to inspect the bodywork.

Does a wrap count as a colour change?

Not for the DVLA. Tell your insurer, though.

Do I have to tell the DVLA if I respray my car?

Yes, if the colour changes. Update the V5C and the DVLA issues a new log book.

Is the colour history free?

The current colour is in the free check. Previous colours and dates are in the full report.