When you are considering buying a used car it is vitally important that you know that the person you are buying the car from has the right to sell it. 

The DVLA website is a great place to start and will help you verify this. You can access the DVLA website here and simply enter the vehicle registration.

The DVLA website can provide the following details about a vehicle, such as:

• vehicle tax - the current rate and when it expires

• if the vehicle subject to a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN)

• when its MOT expires

• the date it was first registered

• when the vehicle’s last logbook (V5C) was issued

• year of manufacture

• type approval category

• weight

• engine size

• fuel type

• emissions - CO2, real driving emissions level and European status

Any discrepancy between the information on the DVLA website and the seller’s description of the vehicle, or during a physical inspection, should be a red flag for any potential buyer. 

A discrepancy with DVLA records could indicate that the vehicle is stolen or is not road worthy because it may have been written off for insurance purposes.