Check If a Car Is an Insurance Write-Off

Cat S and Cat N cars are legal to sell — but they’re worth less and the advert doesn’t always say. £3 reveals it.

When an insurer writes a car off, the damage record follows the vehicle: Cat A and B cars should never return to the road, while Cat S (structural) and Cat N (non-structural) cars can be repaired and legally sold. What’s not legal-adjacent is the pricing: a repaired write-off is worth substantially less, and sellers don’t always volunteer the history.

Our £3 check reports the write-off category and date alongside the stolen marker, outstanding finance, scrapped status, keeper history, plate changes, MOT and tax position and a retail valuation — so you know both what happened to the car and what it’s actually worth before you negotiate.

Write-off categories in plain English

  1. Cat A — scrap only; the whole car should have been crushed.
  2. Cat B — body shell scrapped; parts may be salvaged, the car must not return to the road.
  3. Cat S — structural damage, repairable and road-legal once fixed; must be re-registered with DVLA.
  4. Cat N — non-structural damage, repairable and road-legal; still hits resale value.
  5. The check also flags scrapped-status records — cars DVLA believes no longer exist.

Is it safe to buy a Cat S or Cat N car?

It can be, at the right price and with evidence of a proper repair — many are excellent value. The problem is paying clean-car money for one, which is exactly what the £3 check prevents.

The advert didn’t mention any write-off — is that illegal?

Dealers must disclose write-off history; private sellers are under weaker duties, so ‘buyer checks’ is the practical rule. If the check reveals an undisclosed category, walk away or renegotiate hard.

Does the check show how bad the damage was?

It shows the category and date, which encode severity (structural vs non-structural). For a Cat S, ask the seller for repair invoices and consider an independent inspection before committing.

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