Certcar
Check VIN

Italy car history check by VIN.

With the VIN you see what has been recorded about the car: mileage, services, reported damage and a check in stolen vehicle registers.

Enter VIN number (17 characters)

See which car it is for free. You only pay if you want the full report.

The Italian registration document
Carta di circolazione
Illustrative example
The VIN (chassis number)

This is the VIN you enter in Certcar. At the viewing, check that it's the same on the car and on the certificate of ownership.

Tap a field. Don't have the document to hand? See where to find the VIN on the car.

What the report tells you and what you check separately.

The report brings together the records found for the VIN. The papers, the car's condition and its legal status in Italy are yours to check.

May appear in the report

What Certcar searches by VIN

  • The car's identity

    The make, model, engine and factory equipment linked to the VIN.

  • Mileage and service

    Readings from garages, inspections and listings, each with its date, where they were recorded.

  • Reported damage

    Damage claims from the countries the car has been through, with the affected areas and estimated cost.

  • Theft registers

    A search of the VIN in stolen vehicle databases from several countries.

  • Earlier listings

    Photos and the stated mileage, if the car has been on sale before.

  • Market value

    An estimated price for the model, year and mileage, as a reference for negotiating.

After registration in Romania, the report can also show the ITP inspection and mileage from the Romanian vehicle register.

You check separately

What to check on the car and in the papers

The Italian papers

The registration document and the certificate of ownership or, on newer cars, the Documento Unico. The VIN must be the same as on the car.

Owner and encumbrances

A recent visura PRA shows who the owner is and whether the car has a fermo amministrativo or a lien.

Revisione

The date of the last Italian technical inspections. Compare the mileage noted there with the dashboard.

Actual condition

An inspection at an independent garage: body, paint, engine, gearbox, underside.

The seller

Who signs the contract and whose name is on the invoice. Pay only after you've seen the papers.

From the Italian ad to your own number plates.

Four stages and what to do at each. Under each stage you see which part of the report helps.

  1. Step 1 · Italy

    The ad

    • Ask for the VIN and a photo of the registration document before the trip.
    • Compare the year, engine and mileage in the ad with those in the report.
    • Ask how many owners it has had and where it was serviced (tagliandi).
    From the report
    IdentityMileageDamageEarlier listings
  2. Step 2 · Italy

    The viewing

    • Find the VIN on the car in at least two places and compare it with the papers.
    • The owner on the certificate must be the seller or hold a power of attorney.
    • Take the car to an independent garage. Focus on the areas where the report shows damage.
    From the report
    Damaged areasLast known mileage
  3. Step 3 · The trip home

    Export and transport

    • For export, the car is deregistered from the Italian register. Ask for proof of deregistration.
    • Keep the original papers, the contract or invoice and the service book.
    • Photograph the dashboard at collection, so you have the starting mileage.
    From the report
    Last recorded reading
  4. Step 4 · Romania

    Registration at home

    • In Romania, you get the authenticity certificate from the RAR and, if needed, the ITP inspection; other countries have their own registration checks.
    • Ask the registration office which documents it needs for your car.
    • At the first inspection, the mileage must carry on from where it stood in Italy.
    From the report
    InspectionMileage from the Romanian register

The mileage must carry on after the import.

There is a period without records between the last reading in Italy and the first one in the new country. On the report's chart you see whether the values rise steadily or drop at some point.

Mileage at the importIllustrative example
Last revisione
98,400 km
03.2024
+550 km
First inspection
98,950 km
06.2024
Between the two readings there is only the transport and registration. If the new country shows a lower mileage than Italy did, ask for an explanation before you buy.
Sample reportSee the full report
Mileage check
Track how the mileage evolves over time and any discrepancies between records, when they appear.
No inconsistencies
Note
The chart shows the available mileage records. The absence of discrepancies does not guarantee the vehicle's actual mileage.
Last known mileage: 32.831 km
8 mileage records found
Average: about 6.200 km per year

Italian terms, explained.

The words you'll meet in papers and ads, what they mean and what to do with each.

Carta di circolazione · libretto
The Italian registration document. The VIN is in field E.
Compare each field with the car and the report.
Certificato di proprietà
Proof of ownership, separate from the registration document on older cars.
The name on it must be the seller's.
Documento Unico
Combines the registration document and the certificate of ownership, for transactions after 2020.
Ask for the original, not a copy.
Revisione
The Italian technical inspection: first after 4 years from registration, then every 2 years.
Look at the date of the last inspection and the mileage noted.
Visura PRA
An extract from the Italian vehicle ownership register.
Ask for a recent one: it shows the owner and any encumbrances.
Fermo amministrativo
A block placed for debts to the Italian state.
Ask for it to be lifted before you pay.
Questions about cars from Italy.
Short answers for anyone buying a car from there.
Yes. All you need is the VIN, which you find in field E of the Italian registration document or at the base of the windscreen. You see which car it is for free and only pay for the full report if you want it.
The report shows the records found for the VIN: mileage readings, services, reported damage, a check in stolen vehicle registers and earlier listings. You check the Italian papers, the revisione and a visura PRA with the seller.
No. It means we found no record. A repair paid for directly at a garage may not appear anywhere, so an inspection at an independent garage is still needed.
The registration document (carta di circolazione) and the certificate of ownership or Documento Unico, the contract or invoice, the service book with invoices and both keys. For export, also ask for proof of deregistration from the Italian register.
Italy's technical inspection. The first is due 4 years after registration, then every 2 years. Ask for proof of the last inspection and compare the mileage noted with the dashboard.
The VIN stays the same, so the earlier history is kept. After registration, the report can also include the Romanian ITP inspection and the mileage readings from the Romanian vehicle register.
Didn't find the answer?
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Also check.

Found the car in Italy?

Check the history before the deposit and the transport.

Enter VIN number (17 characters)