How to check a used car's history, debts and condition

Terms used

• Informe de vehículo — The informe de vehículo is the DGT's official report on a car, showing its registered charges, ITV status and limited owner details.
• Cargas — Cargas are legal charges registered against a vehicle, such as seizures or unpaid financing.
• Embargo — An embargo is a court seizure of the car to cover the owner's debts.
• Reserva de dominio — Reserva de dominio means the finance company stays the legal owner until the loan is fully repaid.
• Registro de Bienes Muebles — The Registro de Bienes Muebles is the register that records financing and retention of title on vehicles.
• IVTM — The IVTM is the yearly vehicle tax paid to the town hall.
• ITV — The ITV is Spain's compulsory periodic roadworthiness inspection for vehicles.
• Bastidor — The bastidor is the car's chassis number, also called the VIN.

Key rules

• Debts: Any reserva de dominio must be cancelled before ownership is transferred to you.
• Timing: Repeat the charges check just before paying, because a new embargo may not show straight away.
• Local fines: The DGT report may not show fines from local police, so ask the town hall too.
• Mileage: There is no public national mileage register, so compare ITV reports, service book and invoices.

Start with the DGT vehicle report

Get the official vehicle report (informe de vehículo) from the DGT before you discuss price seriously. You only need the plate number. You can request it online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, at a DGT office, or through a gestoría. Online, you normally get a PDF straight away.

The fee is set by the DGT and was around 8 euros for the full report in 2025, with a cheaper basic version. Check the current price when you order. The report shows limited owner details, registered cargas, the ITV validity date and the last inspection, and insurance.

Check for debts on the car

Cargas are legal charges on the car. Two matter most: an embargo (a court seizure for the owner's debts) and reserva de dominio (the finance company still owns the car until the loan is paid).

• Read the cargas section of the DGT report.
• If there is financing, ask the seller for proof from the finance company that it is paid off. Any reserva de dominio must be cancelled before the transfer of ownership.
• Ask for a note from the Registro de Bienes Muebles, the register that records vehicle financing. You can search by plate or by bastidor (the chassis number, also called the VIN).

A new embargo may not appear straight away. Repeat the check just before you pay.

Check fines and vehicle tax

Unpaid traffic fines can be checked on the DGT website, including the public notice board for traffic fines (TESTRA). The online lookup needs a digital certificate. The seller can also give you a certificate.

Fines from local police can sit in town hall systems instead of the DGT's. Ask the town hall where the car is registered.

For the yearly vehicle tax (IVTM), ask the seller for the latest receipt. Or ask the town hall tax office for a certificate showing no debt on the vehicle. You can usually request it in person or online.

Check mileage and ITV

Spain has no public national mileage register, so no single lookup gives the real mileage. Cross-check several things instead:

• The ITV (the compulsory roadworthiness inspection) records mileage at each inspection. Ask for the ITV cards and reports and look for readings that go down or jump oddly.
• The service book and workshop invoices should match those readings.
• The DGT report shows when the ITV expires and the last inspection.
• Some regions and ITV operators let you look up a car's ITV history by plate. Coverage differs by region and is not complete. Private paid services can also give a mileage history.

An expired ITV or a gap in the history is a reason to negotiate the price or walk away.

Before you pay

Work through the checklist below. In short: sign a written purchase contract first, and only then pay the seller. The questions people ask most are answered in the FAQ below.

Checklist before you pay for a used car

Before you hand over any money

• Request the DGT vehicle report (informe de vehículo) using the plate number, online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, at a DGT office or through a gestoría.

• Read the report for registered charges (cargas), such as embargos (court seizures) and reserva de dominio (the finance company still owns the car), and check the ITV and insurance details.

• Ask the seller for proof that any financing is paid off, and make sure any reserva de dominio is cancelled before the transfer.

• Check for unpaid traffic fines on the DGT website, or ask the seller for a certificate. Ask the town hall about fines from local police, as they may not show in DGT systems.

• Repeat the charges check just before you pay, because a new embargo may not be recorded straight away.

• Sign a purchase contract (contrato de compraventa) and only then pay the seller.

• Plan the next steps: pay the ITP transfer tax to your region's tax agency and the DGT fee, then apply for the change of ownership within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the DGT vehicle report cost?

The full DGT vehicle report cost around 8 euros in 2025, and a cheaper basic version exists. You can order it online with the plate number, using a digital certificate or Cl@ve, and it usually arrives as a PDF straight away. You can also ask for it at a DGT office or through a gestoría, an agency that handles paperwork.

Can I find out a car's real mileage in Spain?

No, Spain has no single public mileage register, so you have to cross-check several records. Mileage is noted at each ITV inspection, so a jump backwards in the readings can show tampering. Compare those readings with the service book and the repair invoices.

Will the DGT report show fines from local police?

Not always, because fines from local police may sit on the town hall's systems instead of the DGT's. Ask the town hall where the car is registered whether it has any fines on file. The DGT's fines lookup covers the rest.

Can I see the ITV history of a car by its plate?

Sometimes, because regional ITV operators and some regions offer plate-based lookups, but coverage is not complete. The DGT report always shows when the ITV is valid and the date of the last inspection. For earlier inspections, ask the seller for the ITV cards and reports.