Used Car Pre-Purchase Inspection Sheet
Carry out the same inspection on every car you view, so a decision made in somebody's driveway is based on what you saw rather than what you remember.
VB-01 2 pages
Vehicle buying and selling · VB-07
Vehicle History and Paperwork Check Record
A free printable record of the paperwork you were shown when buying a vehicle — registration, service book, invoices, keys and the reference of any check you ran yourself.
Download Free · no sign-up
2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Keep a dated account of which documents you actually saw and what each one said, rather than a memory of being shown a folder.
Who it is for
Used car and van buyers, and anyone buying privately who wants the paperwork side written down.
How to use it
- Fill in the vehicle, the VIN and the seller before you start.
- Give each document its own row and note whether it was an original.
- Write the name and address printed on each one.
- Copy the service history dates and odometer readings across as they appear.
- Record the reference number of any check you ran, and what it returned.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: A record of which documents you were actually shown and what each one said — registration, service book, invoices, keys and the checks you ran yourself.
What you saw, not a guarantee. This sheet records what you saw, nothing more. It makes no claim that a vehicle is clear of finance, accurately described or legally transferable — which checks exist and what they prove differs from place to place, so check the rules where you are and use the official sources for your country.
Write-on lines: Vehicle · Registration / plate · VIN / chassis · Seller name · Date checked · Checked by
Documents seen — one row per document put in front of you
Table, 11 rows: Document · Seen? · Original or copy · Name and address on it · What it said
Page 2
Service history
Table, 6 rows: Date on record · Odometer shown · Who did the work · What was done · Stamp or invoice
Checks you ran — record the reference, not a conclusion
Table, 12 rows: Check · Where it was run · Date · Reference number · What it returned
Questions
Does filling this in prove the vehicle is clear?
No. It records what you were shown and what a check returned on the day. Which checks exist and what they prove differs by country, so check the rules where you are and use the official sources.
Why copy the service history out rather than just photograph it?
Photograph it as well. Writing the dates and readings in a column is what makes a gap or a reading that goes backwards obvious, which is hard to spot leafing through a book on a driveway.
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