Vehicle data services
Vehicle data API: UK providers compared
Choosing a vehicle data API in the UK means choosing between DVLA VES, DVSA MOT History, UKVD/VDG, cap hpi, HPI, Experian AutoCheck and MotorCheck. Each returns different fields under different licences and pricing. We pick the right mix for the job, integrate it, cache it and keep it lawful.
Every UK vehicle data API sits on the same licensed chain: DVLA holds the register, a handful of organisations license its bulk data, and resellers wrap that in an API for your website. DVLA licenses bulk data only for 'reasonable cause' such as provenance checking, correct parts fitment and insurance quoting; marketing is explicitly not reasonable cause. DVLA's own free Vehicle Enquiry Service returns tax and MOT status, make, colour, fuel and engine capacity, but no model, VIN, mileage or keeper details, and it was closed to new registrations in September 2026.
The commercial tier is where model, derivative, engine code and K-Type come from. UKVD, now Vehicle Data Global, sells per-lookup packages with published prices. cap hpi owns the CAP code taxonomy that leasing, insurance and DMS platforms speak, plus Black Book valuations and tyre data inherited from CarwebUK. HPI's B2B Vehicle Data API adds write-off categories, National Mileage Register discrepancies, finance agreements and stolen markers. Experian AutoCheck covers similar provenance ground with pay-per-use checks. MotorCheck offers nine API products including factory build spec for 22 brands.
Then there are the workshop data sources people confuse with lookup APIs. Autodata and HaynesPro supply service schedules, repair times, wiring and diagnostics; HaynesPro also identifies vehicles by VRM, VIN, engine code or KBA number, which is why factor catalogues and garage management systems embed it. They are subscriptions, not per-lookup APIs, and they are not a substitute for DVLA-derived identity data.
Our default architecture for dealer, garage and parts projects is one commercial provider (VDG, cap hpi or an aggregator such as One Auto API) plus the free DVSA MOT History API, with DVLA VES only where status is all you need. Every lookup is cached against VRM and date, every provider sits behind an interface so it can be swapped, and the lawful basis for storing results is written down before go-live.
How it works
End to end
- 01
Define the fields you actually need
Start from the feature, not the vendor. A parts finder needs derivative, engine code and K-Type. A part-ex form needs cap ID and mileage. A garage booking needs make, model, engine size and MOT expiry. Write the field list first.
- 02
Match fields to providers and licences
Map each field to the cheapest provider that returns it under a licence you can live with: DVLA VES for status, DVSA for MOT and mileage, VDG or cap hpi for identity and K-Type, HPI or Experian for provenance.
- 03
Build the lookup service
One internal endpoint that normalises the VRM, checks the cache, calls the provider, handles HTTP 429 and timeouts with backoff, and falls back to a second provider or a manual selector when the first returns nothing.
- 04
Map into your taxonomy
Translate the response into the identifiers your systems key on: TecDoc K-Type or N-Type for fitment, cap ID for DMS and valuation, Auto Trader taxonomy ID for stock, your own vehicle table for everything else.
- 05
Monitor cost and compliance
Dashboards for lookups per day, cache hit rate and spend per provider; a retention policy for stored results; a data-processing record covering the VRM plus enquiry combination.
Deliverables
What you get
- Written field-by-field provider comparison for your feature list
- Provider account setup, key management and sandbox-to-live cut-over
- Lookup microservice with caching, retries, backoff and provider fallback
- Taxonomy mapping: K-Type, N-Type, cap ID and Auto Trader taxonomy IDs
- Cost and usage dashboard per provider
- Data-protection record, retention policy and privacy-notice wording
- Developer documentation and handover
Data sources
Providers we integrate
We are provider-neutral: we pick the source that fits your budget, licensing position and the fields you actually need.
| Source | What it returns | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service (VES) | Make, colour, fuel type, engine capacity, CO2, year of manufacture, month of first registration, tax status and due date, MOT status and expiry, type approval, wheelplan, revenue weight, Euro status, export marker, date of last V5C. No model, VIN, mileage or keeper. | POST to the vehicle-enquiry/v1/vehicles endpoint with an x-api-key header. Free at present; one key per company; per-client usage plan with HTTP 429 on breach. Customer takes on data-protection responsibility if VES data is combined with identifying data; incidents must be reported within 24 hours. New registrations paused as of September 2026. |
| DVSA MOT History API | Per-test records since 2005: date, result, expiry, odometer reading and unit, defects and advisories by category, test number, plus make, model and first-used date. The only free official source of odometer history. | Free. OAuth 2.0 client credentials via Microsoft Entra ID plus X-API-Key; 500,000 requests a day, 15 a second, burst 10; 24-hour lockout on breach; keys unused for 90 days revoked; secrets expire every two years. |
| UK Vehicle Data / Vehicle Data Global (VDG) | Make, model, derivative, engine code, VIN (partial, full on some packages), colour, CO2, tax, MOT, mileage history, valuations, factory spec and options, tyre sizes, EV battery data, K-Type. | PAYG, subscription or contract; credits valid 12 months; no setup fee. Published tier-1 prices ex VAT include Vehicle Data (UK) £0.153/£0.081, MOT History £0.068/£0.042, Valuations £0.203/£0.157, Spec & Options £0.203/£0.166 (PAYG/subscription; published price, check current). Lookups cannot be bulk-scraped or resold as a database. |
| cap hpi (Solera) | Black Book trade, retail and forecast values; CAP codes and IDs; New Vehicle Data (spec, options, P11D, CO2); VRM lookup licensed direct from DVLA; tyre data via Carweb; HPI Check provenance (finance, stolen, write-off, mileage). | cap Web Services and data files; pricing on quotation. Black Book Cars individual plans include 150 registration look-ups a year (published, check current). |
| HPI Vehicle Data API (Solera) | Technical data, valuations, MOT, DVLA data, finance agreements, write-off categories A/B/S/N, stolen (PNC), National Mileage Register discrepancies, recalls, factory-fit options, SMR and TCO costs, import/export/scrapped flags. | Pay-as-you-go to subscription; pricing on quotation. |
| Experian AutoCheck | Identity and provenance, outstanding finance, mileage, write-off, plus spec and valuations. | API and dealer-system integrations; pay-per-use checks with optional data guarantees; pricing on quotation. |
| MotorCheck API | Vehicle Identity (100+ fields), Specification, Running Costs, Valuation (private, PX, auction, trade), History Check, Factory Build Spec (22 brands), Finance Calculator, Lookup Tables for 57 countries. | OAuth2 client credentials, 99.5% uptime SLA, free trial; pricing on request. |
Data quality
Where this goes wrong, and what we do about it
DVLA model names are free text from the V55, so the same car appears under several spellings and trim strings.
Use provider derivative and cap ID or K-Type as the key; keep the DVLA string for display and audit only.
No provider gets the engine code from DVLA; it is inferred from VIN and model tables and can be wrong for same-capacity variants.
Treat engine code as a candidate. Cross-check with VIN prefix and kW, and confirm with the customer where a part depends on it.
Registration date is not build date. A car registered in March may have been built the previous autumn on the earlier spec.
Ask for the build-date range and VIN in the lookup package and use them in any model-year logic.
Imports, NI and Isle of Man plates return partial records and no TecDoc linkage.
Detect plate format and import flags, degrade gracefully to a manual selector, and never claim a fit without a K-Type.
Teams try to build their own vehicle database by storing every lookup, which breaches most provider licences.
Cache within the provider's terms, record the retention window, and license bulk data properly if you genuinely need a database.
Vehicle Data API: common questions
Which vehicle data API is best for a UK parts website?
One that returns a TecDoc K-Type with the DVLA fields, so UKVD/VDG, cap hpi or an aggregator. DVLA VES alone will not do it: it returns no model, engine code or K-Type. Add DVSA MOT History if you want mileage for service-interval parts.
What does the DVLA API return?
Registration, make, colour, fuel, engine capacity, CO2, year of manufacture, first-registration month, tax and MOT status and dates, type approval, wheelplan, revenue weight, Euro status, export marker and last V5C date. Not the model, VIN, mileage or keeper.
Is the DVLA vehicle enquiry API available to new users?
As of September 2026 the DVLA registration page says it is not accepting new VES API registrations during system upgrades. New projects should plan on a commercial provider, which resells the same DVLA fields, and switch or add VES later if it reopens.
What is a cap ID and why does it matter?
The cap ID is cap hpi's identifier for a specific vehicle derivative. Leasing platforms, DMS systems, valuation tools and insurers key on it. If your integration needs to talk to any of those, you want a provider that returns a cap ID, not just make and model.
Can I store vehicle data from an API in my own database?
You can cache results for your own use within the provider's terms, but you cannot bulk-scrape or resell lookups as a database. DVLA bulk data requires a paid licence and reasonable cause. Store the VRM plus enquiry with a lawful basis and a retention period under UK GDPR.
Do I need Autodata or HaynesPro as well?
Only if you need workshop technical data: service schedules, repair times, wiring, diagnostics. They are subscriptions rather than per-lookup identity APIs. HaynesPro also identifies vehicles by VRM, VIN or engine code, which is why garage systems and factor catalogues embed it.
Related data services
Vehicle data
Reg Lookup Integration
A number plate lookup API turns 'enter your reg' into a vehicle record your store can act on: make, model, engine, K-Type.
Read moreVehicle data
MOT History API
The DVSA MOT history API gives you every MOT test since 2005 for a registration: result, expiry date, odometer reading and each defect or advisory by category.
Read moreVehicle data
Vehicle Valuation Tools
A car valuation API lets a buyer enter a reg and mileage and get a part-exchange figure on your site or inside the sales process, from cap hpi Black Book, Auto Trader Connect or VDG.
Read moreUsually delivered with
Software
Software Development
Automotive software development is what we do when an off-the-shelf DMS, booking plugin or spreadsheet has run out of road.
Read moreSoftware
Apps
Automotive app development covers the apps your customers and staff actually open: an MOT reminder that books the test, a dealer app that shows live stock, a car club app for events and membership, a driver app for fleet checks.
Read moreIntegrations
Integrations
Automotive integrations are the plumbing between your website or store and the systems the trade already runs on: Auto Trader, eBay, Amazon, your DMS, finance providers, Xero or Sage and your CRM.
Read moreSectors that use this
Car Dealers
Car dealer marketing that does not rent all your traffic from Auto Trader.
View servicesGarages & MOT Centres
Garage marketing that fills the diary: local SEO, garage website design with online booking and MOT reminders from DVSA data.
View servicesCar Parts Retailers
Car parts marketing agency built on fitment: TecDoc K-Type, reg lookup, eBay and Amazon feeds on Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento.
View servicesLeasing & Finance Brokers
Car leasing website design, deal feeds and FCA-compliant marketing for leasing and finance brokers.
View servicesAuctions & Remarketing
Car auction website and bidding platform build for remarketing, dealer-to-dealer and enthusiast auctions.
View servicesVehicle Rental & Hire
Car hire website design with booking engine, deposits and ID checks, and local SEO for every branch.
View servicesTalk to the pit wall
Scope vehicle data api for your platform
Tell us your platform, your data provider (if you have one) and what the customer should be able to do. We will come back with a fixed-price scope and an honest view of the data licensing.