The easiest way to check a car by VIN in Czechia is through Cebia: on cz.cebia.com you enter the VIN, see for free how many records on the car exist in the database and for what period, and if you want, purchase the full AUTOTRACER report — with mileage history, accidents, liens, theft records, and taxi use. The report's price depends on how much data is found: at minimum from 199 CZK, and for a car with an extensive history, roughly 499–599 CZK; the exact amount is shown on the site before payment. Below we break down exactly what's included in the report, what checks are available for free through government registers, and when Cebia's data might not be enough.
The used car market in Czechia is large, and the main risks for buyers are well known: rolled-back mileage, hidden consequences of serious accidents, cars still under lease or lien, stolen vehicles, and former taxis with heavy wear. Each of these scenarios ends in either losing money or losing the car itself: a car still under an unpaid lease formally belongs to the leasing company, while a stolen car gets seized by police with no compensation to the buyer.
A VIN check is a mandatory step in any deal — we covered it in detail in our guide how to buy a used car in Czechia. It takes 10 minutes and costs less than a tank of gas, but it can save you from losing hundreds of thousands of crowns.
Cebia is a Czech company that has been checking and protecting vehicles since 1991. Its databases hold over a billion records, making it the largest repository of vehicle history in Central Europe; the service checks more than a million cars annually, and about a thousand authorized checkpoints operate across the country. The online vehicle history check runs through the AUTOTRACER system on cz.cebia.com — the report is generated automatically, around the clock, immediately after payment.
Cebia reports have effectively become the standard on the Czech market: they're used by car dealerships and insurance companies, and Czechia's largest classifieds portal, Sauto, marks verified cars with the Cebia logo right in the listing.
| Report section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Mileage history | A chart of odometer readings by year from service records, technical inspections, and listings — sharp "drops" reveal odometer tampering |
| Damage and accidents | Damage records from Czechia, other European countries, and the US — Cebia holds over 195 million foreign records on accidents and mileage, including repair costs and total-loss cases (totální škoda) |
| Theft check | Cross-reference with databases of stolen vehicles in Czechia and other countries |
| Liens and financing | Whether the car is registered under lease or loan in Czechia and Slovakia |
| Taxi use | Whether the car was ever registered as a taxi |
| Service history | Maintenance and repair records, if included in the databases |
| STK inspections | History of technical inspections and emissions tests |
| Photos and old listings | How and for how much the car was sold before, plus photos from previous listings |
| Market value | An estimate of the current value and a selection of comparable listings |
The price of the full AUTOTRACER report is set individually, depending on how much information about the specific car was found in the databases: the minimum price starts from 199 CZK when there's little data, while a car with a detailed history usually costs 499–599 CZK. The system shows the exact price for your specific VIN before payment, during the free preview stage. Discounts are available from time to time: 50% on repeat checks after your first purchase, a discount when upgrading from the free basic check on Sauto, and 10% for subscribing to the newsletter. Check cz.cebia.com for the current pricing.
| Check option | Approximate price |
|---|---|
| Cebia preview (amount of data by VIN) | free |
| Basic check in Sauto listings | free |
| Full AUTOTRACER report | approx. 199–599 CZK |
| Government register kontrolatachometru.cz | free |
| Physical inspection (CarAudit and similar) | per provider's pricing |
The Czech Ministry of Transport has launched a free service, kontrolatachometru.cz: by VIN, it shows the car's mileage at every STK technical inspection and emissions test it has passed, as well as any defects found during inspections. Records go back more than ten years. This is official government data — this is where you should start when checking a Czech car.
Listings on Sauto marked with the Cebia logo offer a free basic check: mileage monitoring, theft check, financing check (lease/loan), and taxi-use check. This is a condensed version — details, charts, and accident records are only unlocked in the paid report, which comes with a discount when accessed via Sauto.
On the dataovozidlech.cz portal, the Ministry of Transport publishes data from the road vehicle register — here you can view technical data and the car's status for free. Keep in mind: all free government services only cover the car's history within Czechia — anything that happened to it abroad won't be reflected there.
Cebia's deepest data covers Czechia and Slovakia, but the system's databases also include foreign records on mileage, accidents, and total-loss damage — from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the US, and other countries. Still, for a particular imported car the data may turn out to be scarce, and you can honestly see this already at the free preview stage: if there are almost no records, the paid report won't offer much information. In that case, additionally check the car's history through pan-European services such as carVertical or autoDNA, and be sure to ask the seller for the service book and documents from the country of origin.
Cars with foreign registration are a separate case — read about the rules for using them in our article on cars with Ukrainian license plates in Czechia.
A clean report is a necessary but not sufficient condition for buying. Databases only record documented events: accidents without police or insurance involvement, backyard repairs, or corrosion won't show up in the report. That's why the car should be inspected by a specialist before the deal: Cebia offers a physical inspection service called CarAudit for this purpose, and trusted auto repair shops can perform an independent pre-purchase diagnostic.
If the report reveals a lien, lease, or the seller's debt enforcement (exekuce) — don't sign the contract without consulting someone first: lawyers can help verify that the deal is clean. Right after buying, arrange mandatory insurance immediately — we covered how to do this in our guide on povinné ručení car insurance in Czechia. And if you don't have a driver's license yet, check out our article on driving schools and the driving test in Czechia.
Yes, partially. The government service kontrolatachometru.cz will show mileage readings from technical inspections for free, Sauto offers a basic Cebia check on marked listings, and cz.cebia.com itself shows how much data is available. Only the paid report gives you the full picture — accidents, photos, and the mileage chart.
Immediately after payment: the report is generated automatically and opens online at any time of day, with the link also sent to your e-mail and saved in your account. There's no need to go anywhere — all you need is the VIN and a bank card.
That's a serious red flag. The VIN isn't confidential information, and an honest seller has nothing to hide. A refusal usually means something will turn up in the check — anything from mileage tampering to a lien. It's best to walk away from such a deal right away.
No. The report only reflects events that made it into the databases. Undeclared accidents, hidden defects, and the actual condition of the engine won't show up — that's why a physical inspection and diagnostics at an auto shop are essential in any case.
Yes, Cebia's databases include mileage and accident records from Germany, France, Italy, the US, and other countries, but the depth of history varies from car to car. Check how much data is available in the free preview: if there are few records, supplement the report with pan-European VIN-check services and original documents from the country of origin.
The best option is to walk away from the purchase — mileage tampering is rarely the only problem. If you've already bought the car, document the discrepancy (the report, STK records) and consult a lawyer. Odometer manipulation in Czechia carries a fine of up to 500,000 CZK, and if damage to the buyer is proven, it can be classified as fraud — meaning the deal can be legally challenged.
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