Check a used car in Poland: the free Historia Pojazdu service
Short answer: Historia Pojazdu is a free gov.pl service: enter the registration number, VIN and first registration date to see inspections, OC cover, owners, odometer readings and some foreign risk records.
Buying a used car in Poland is easier when you check the car's record first. The Ministry of Digital Affairs runs a free online service called Historia Pojazdu (Vehicle History) that shows data from the national vehicle register, plus some foreign risk records. This guide explains what it shows, what you need to use it, and what it cannot do. It reflects the gov.pl service page last updated on 13 June 2025, as read on 15 October 2026.
What Historia Pojazdu is
Historia Pojazdu gives free access to current data from the national Central Vehicle Register (CEP) and from foreign registers. The official service is at historiapojazdu.gov.pl, and the gov.pl description says it covers any used vehicle. gov.pl names a trusted profile login only for checking foreign data of a vehicle that is not in the CEP. The service is free of charge.
What you can see
According to gov.pl, the service shows information such as:
- Whether the compulsory technical inspection and the compulsory third-party liability insurance (OC) are valid.
- Whether the owner is a company, an organisation or a private person.
- The number of owners since the vehicle was first registered in Poland, including the current one.
- The dates of technical inspections that were carried out.
- Whether the vehicle has been deregistered or reported stolen.
- Technical data such as engine capacity and power, and the fuel type.
- Odometer readings from technical inspections, with data collected since 2014.
- Some risks recorded abroad, for example whether the vehicle was in an accident or used as a taxi.
If there is no record of an inspection, the service shows the message "Brak informacji o aktualnym badaniu technicznym" (no information about a current technical inspection). gov.pl notes that a vehicle without a valid technical inspection and OC insurance cannot be driven on the road.
What you need to prepare
You need three details, which you will find on the registration certificate (dowód rejestracyjny):
- The registration number.
- The VIN.
- The date of first registration.
If you are thinking of buying a used car, gov.pl suggests asking the seller for these details. A seller who refuses to share them is a warning sign worth noting, though that is our advice and not an official rule.
How to run the check
The steps on gov.pl are short:
- Open the Historia Pojazdu website.
- Enter the registration number, VIN and date of first registration.
- Click "Sprawdź pojazd" (check the vehicle).
- The information appears at once. You can download it as a PDF and print it.
Foreign records
If the car was registered in another country before, the service can also show foreign risks, where they are available. gov.pl says this data comes from an external system and covers, among others, the United States, Canada and some European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. You can check foreign risks even if the vehicle is not registered in Poland and is not in the CEP.
For a vehicle that is not in the CEP, you have to log in with a trusted profile (profil zaufany). If you check foreign vehicles this way, the limit is a maximum of 20 vehicles in one hour.
What the printout is not
The PDF is informational only. gov.pl says it is not an official document, so a court or an office may not accept it as evidence. Use it to decide whether to buy, and keep it with your purchase records, but do not treat it as proof in a dispute.
The check also has limits that the page itself points to. It shows what is recorded. A clean record does not prove that the car is mechanically sound, and the odometer data comes from inspections, so it will not show readings between inspections. Treat the result as one input next to a test drive and an independent inspection.
A simple buying routine
- Ask the seller for the registration number, VIN and date of first registration before you travel.
- Run the check and compare the data with the car in front of you: engine, fuel type, owners, inspection dates.
- Compare the odometer with the inspection readings on the record.
- Look at whether the inspection and OC insurance are current.
- If the car came from abroad, look at the foreign risk data.
- Save the PDF with the date of the check.
Where to ask
Questions about the service go to the contact address on the gov.pl page, [email protected]. The legal basis named on the page is the Road Traffic Law (Prawo o ruchu drogowym, consolidated text Dz.U. 2024 item 1251).
* Photos: Tesla Y with Polish plates and plate example from Ustrzyki Dolne, both public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
Is Historia Pojazdu free?
Yes. The gov.pl service page states that the service is free of charge.
What details do I need to check a car?
The registration number, the VIN and the date of first registration, which are on the registration certificate. Ask the seller for them before buying.
Can I check a car that was never registered in Poland?
You can check foreign risks even if the vehicle is not in the Polish register. For that you log in with a trusted profile (profil zaufany), and the limit is 20 vehicles per hour.
Is the PDF printout an official document?
No. gov.pl says it is informational only, so a court or office may not accept it, for example as evidence in a case.
Does it show the odometer reading?
It shows odometer readings from technical inspections, with data collected since 2014, not a live reading.
