How to tell where a NI car was first registered?
Hi,
I am going to Belfast to look at a second-hand car. It's a 2021 vehicle with two owners. How can I find out whether the car was first registered in Northern Ireland or GB?
Thank you
Joe Wall (Co Meath )Jun 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Joe,
Ask to see the V5C 'logbook' as that should show the details. If the current owner is in Northern Ireland and they've had the car there for “a reasonable amount of time” (Revenue's words) then it shouldn't matter if the car was originally registered in the North or in GB anyway.
The format of the car's registration will usually give away where it was first registered, too. Northern Irish number plates look like ABZ 1234 or JBZ 5678 (two letters followed by a Z and then four numbers), while modern GB plates are AB21 XYZ (two letters and two numbers together, then three letters).
Another useful trick is to check the UK government website for the MOT history of a car. That's the UK's equivalent of the NCT and the Check the MOT history of a vehicle website clearly shows details of where the MOT was carried out. It's useful extra information.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor