Police Marker Check: Is This Car Flagged?

A police marker is a flag the police put against a vehicle on the Police National Computer (PNC). The marker most buyers need to know about is a stolen marker: the car has been reported stolen and not yet recovered. Enter the registration above for the free check (DVLA details, tax and MOT status, MOT history); the full report adds the stolen check, outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and 150+ other records.

What does a police marker on a car mean?

• Reported stolen: the owner or the insurer has reported the car stolen. This is the marker a vehicle history check shows, because buying a stolen car can mean losing both the car and the money.
• Interest markers: the police can flag a car linked to an investigation. These are not published, so no car check can show them.
• ANPR alerts: cameras read number plates and alert officers to cars with no tax, no insurance or no MOT. These come from the DVLA, insurance and MOT records, not from a public police list.

How to check if a car is flagged by police

1. Tax and MOT: the free check above shows whether the car is taxed and has a valid MOT, the two most common reasons for an ANPR stop.
2. Insurance: see whether the car is on the Motor Insurance Database with our insurance check.
3. Stolen: the full report checks the stolen records, so you know before you pay. The same report also checks outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, previous keepers, plate changes and the mileage history.
4. Paperwork: make sure the V5C log book matches the car: the VIN, the engine number and the seller's name and address.

Police marker or stolen record?

When people search for a police marker check they usually want to know whether a car is stolen. Our stolen car check explains how to check if a car is stolen by number plate or VIN, the warning signs, and what to do if the check shows a stolen marker.

What to do if a car has a police marker

• Don't buy it and don't pay a deposit.
• If the seller insists it has been recovered, ask for the insurer's or the police's paperwork and check it independently.
• If you think the car is stolen, call the police on 101, or 999 if a crime is happening now.

High risk markers

A high risk marker is not a police flag. It means a company, often a finance or leasing company, has an interest in the vehicle and wants to know if it is offered for sale, for example during an ownership dispute. It says nothing about the car's condition, but you should find out why it is there before you buy. The full report shows high risk records with the stolen check.

Police marker check FAQs