NCT & Service History
Does the NCT show service history?
No — and the difference matters when you are buying. The NCT is a roadworthiness test on the day. Service history is the maintenance record built up over the car's life. Here is what each one proves, and how to get the second.
Find Your Car's Service History Online
Check your car's service history using official UK manufacturer dealership records. Enter a registration number to see every franchised dealer service on file — dates, mileages, and work performed.
Full dealership records for BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen and many more — plus partial coverage for many others. Your card is authorised but not charged unless we find records.
Does an NCT certificate prove a car was serviced?
What each record actually proves
| Question | NCT | Service history |
|---|---|---|
| Was it safe on a given day? | Yes | No |
| Was it serviced on schedule? | No | Yes |
| Which garage did the work? | No | Yes |
| Were recalls completed? | No | Often |
| Who holds it? | RSA | The manufacturer |
Why buyers confuse the two
Both arrive as evidence in a seller's folder, and a thick folder feels like proof. But a run of NCT certificates only shows the car kept passing a minimum standard — it is entirely compatible with a car that has never had a scheduled service at a main dealer.
The maintenance record is separate, held by the manufacturer against the VIN, and it is the one that tells you whether the car was actually looked after. We do not supply NCT history and never claim to; we retrieve the manufacturer record.
How to check the service history instead
Take the VIN — field E of the Vehicle Registration Certificate, or stamped at the base of the windscreen — and run it through the form above. We query the manufacturer's dealer system and return every logged visit with its date, odometer reading in km, the dealership and the work done.
For a UK or Northern Irish import, the record follows the VIN across the border: see the imported car service history check. Reports cost €12.99, and your card is not charged if we find nothing.
How It Works
Three Simple Steps
Enter Your VIN
Type in your 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) — it takes seconds.
We Check Official Records
We query manufacturer dealership databases — the same systems used by franchised dealers.
Receive Your Report In Minutes
Most reports land in your inbox within minutes of payment — full digital service history, ready to download or print.
What you receive
Example service history report
Coverage varies by manufacturer. The tabs below show what reports look like at each level — your report will show this vehicle's actual records from the manufacturer dealer system.
Service History
5 recordsFull Service under the manufacturer service schedule: engine oil & filter, air & cabin filters, brake fluid, road test and full inspection
Interim Service (the manufacturer service schedule): engine oil & filter, brake and tyre check, service indicator reset
Full Service under the manufacturer service schedule: engine oil & filter, air & cabin filters, brake fluid, multi-point inspection
Interim Service (the manufacturer service schedule): engine oil & filter, visual inspection, service indicator reset
First Service: engine oil & filter, multi-point inspection, software/service reset, fluid top-up
Sample data shown — your report will display this this vehicle's actual records.
Sample report
See full sample →Service History
3 of 5 records shownFranchised dealer — Full service: oil & filter, air filter, cabin filter, brake fluid, inspection
Franchised dealer — Fixed service: oil & filter, brake inspection, service indicator reset
Franchised dealer — Full service: oil & filter, cabin filter, brake fluid, inspection
Every report includes service records, mileage history, and a PDF you can save or print.
Supported Brands
Manufacturer Records
We access service history data directly from manufacturer dealership systems — covering most European vehicles from 2012 model year onwards.
Full Service History
(19)Complete service records from manufacturer dealership systems, including service dates, mileage, work performed, and service provider details. Suitable for consumer reports and remarketing.
Workshop Remarks
(13)Workshop remarks including recalls and warranty work. Where workshop remarks align with service schedules, this strongly indicates a service was carried out.
Limited Coverage
(13)Data is returned in a minimal proportion of cases. Results depend on individual vehicle records and manufacturer system availability.
Why Service History Matters
Protect Your Investment
Missing service history is one of the biggest value killers when buying or selling a used vehicle. Don't leave money on the table.
Value lost without service history
More value with full service history
Of buyers won't buy without service history
If no records are found
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the NCT record show mileage?
The odometer reading is recorded at test, but the NCT is not a mileage-verification service and the test history is held by the RSA, not by us. Our report shows the odometer reading recorded at each main-dealer service visit, which is a separate trail.
Do you provide NCT history?
No. We provide manufacturer and main-dealer service records only. We would rather tell you that plainly than sell you a report that turns out not to contain what you expected.
Is service history or NCT more important when buying?
They answer different questions and a careful buyer wants both. The NCT tells you the car was roadworthy at its last test; the service history tells you whether it has been maintained to the manufacturer's schedule, which is what predicts the next few years of bills.
A car has full NCT history but no service book — is that a problem?
It is a reason to check rather than to walk away. The service book being missing does not mean the servicing did not happen — if it was done at franchised dealers the record is still in the manufacturer's system, retrievable by VIN.
Does this include NCT history?
No. We return official manufacturer and main-dealer service records — the maintenance history. The NCT is a separate roadworthiness test held by the RSA and is not part of the report. Anyone offering you an Irish service history that is really just test history is selling you something different.
The car was imported from the UK — does that matter?
It helps. Manufacturer service records are stored against the VIN, not the number plate, so a car built and serviced in the UK keeps its dealer history after it is imported, VRT is paid and it goes onto Irish plates. That history is often the fullest record on the car.
What does a report cost?
€12.99. Your card is authorised at checkout but only charged if we actually find service records for the vehicle. If nothing is on file, the authorisation is released and you pay nothing.
Where do I find the VIN?
The VIN is a 17-character code. It is printed in field E of the Vehicle Registration Certificate (the Irish logbook), stamped at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, and shown on a plate inside the driver's door frame. On a UK import it will also be on the V5C the seller may still hold.
Which cars have records?
Cars serviced at franchised main dealers, where the visit was logged into the manufacturer's central system. Work done at an independent garage is not in the manufacturer's system and will not appear. Digital coverage is strong from roughly 2012 onwards and thins out on older cars.
Ready to check a service history?
Enter the registration above to start. Reports arrive in minutes — your card is not charged if no manufacturer records are found.
Run a Service History Check — €12.99