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How to check a used car's history in Canada

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Where a Canadian used-car buyer gets the accident, lien and ownership record, province by province: Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, plus national reports.

Start free on Cardog: paste the VIN into cardog.app/vin to confirm what the car is down to trim, read the recalls Transport Canada lists for its model year, and see what comparable cars ask in Canada. The car's accident, lien and ownership record comes from somewhere else. Each province keeps part of it: Ontario sells a Used Vehicle Information Package, ICBC sells a BC claims report, Alberta sells a Vehicle Information Report, SGI runs a free Saskatchewan VIN search, and the SAAQ sells a Quebec ownership history. Liens sit in each province's personal property registry. Carfax Canada and VinAudit Canada sell national reports.

Written by Cardog, so read it with that in mind. Every claim about another organization links to its own public page, checked on 2026-10-27.

Start with the free checks

QuestionWhere to answer it, free
Is the VIN typed right, and is it the car in the ad?cardog.app/vin: the decoded year, make, model and trim, and the check digit
Does it have recalls?cardog.app/vin or the recall lookup, then the maker's own VIN lookup
Is the price fair?cardog.app/vin or the market quote: median, middle half and lowest ask in Canada
Has it been reported stolen?The CPIC vehicle search (CPIC)

If the car still makes sense, get the record from the province it was registered in.

Where to get the record, by province

ProvinceRecordWhat it coversCost
OntarioUsed Vehicle Information Package (ontario.ca)Ontario owners and odometer readings, liens, wrecked or unfit status$20
OntarioPersonal property lien search (ontario.ca)Liens registered in Ontario$8 online
British ColumbiaICBC vehicle claims history report (ICBC)Damage claimed through ICBC, vehicle status$20.00 plus GST
British ColumbiaPersonal Property Registry search (BC)Liens registered in BC$10 by staff
AlbertaVehicle Information Report (Alberta)Alberta status, odometer, registration history, number of liens$29.45 online (eServices)
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan VIN search (SGI)Saskatchewan status, damage claims since Nov. 1, 2002, PSTFree
SaskatchewanCross-Canada VIN search (SGI)Status in all Canadian jurisdictions, stolen check$20
ManitobaWrite-off check by phone (MPI)Whether it was ever an Autopac write-offNot stated
QuebecSAAQ ownership history (SAAQ)Rebuilt, inspections, number of owners, past useFees apply
QuebecRDPRM search by VIN (RDPRM)Rights registered against the vehicle$5.00

Ontario

Used Vehicle Information Package. A private seller is "legally required under the Highway Traffic Act to provide the buyer with a UVIP" (ontario.ca). The package lists the vehicle details, "all present and previous owners, their city of residence and odometer reading," lien information, the vehicle's average wholesale value for sales tax, and whether it is registered as unfit or reported as wrecked. It costs $20. Order it online with the VIN or plate, mailed within 5 business days, or buy it the same day at a ServiceOntario centre. A registered used vehicle dealer does not have to provide one (ontario.ca).

Lien search. ServiceOntario says: "Before buying a used car or other used goods, you should do a search on Access Now to protect yourself financially." An online search costs $8 (ontario.ca).

UCDA searches. The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario lists four vehicle searches. Its Ontario lien searches are "available only to Members," and "Lien searches for all other provinces and territories are also available." Its History Search is to "Search ownership history for vehicles in Ontario." It describes Auto Check as "The lowest cost accident report available." Its Power Pack is "An Ontario lien, history, and Auto Check search, for 20% off the price of individual searches." The page lists no prices (UCDA). The ordering site says "This area is restricted to members only" and gives the UCDA office phone line for non-members (ucdasearches.com).

British Columbia

ICBC vehicle claims history report. It "shows whether a used vehicle has had any damage claims with ICBC," with claim types, dates, amounts, the primary area of damage and the vehicle's status. "Claims information is from ICBC's files only" and damage paid by other insurers is not included (ICBC FAQ). ICBC lists it at $20.00 plus GST, online or by phone, and says "ICBC reports provide claims information from B.C." (ICBC).

Lien search. The BC Personal Property Registry records security interests and liens on vehicles. The public can search in person at a Service BC location or by mail for $10. Online search is for professionals with a premium BC Registries account (BC Registry Services).

Alberta

Vehicle Information Report. Anyone can request it. It shows the vehicle's description, its status "such as active, rebuilt, salvage etc.," the odometer reading if one was given, registration dates and locations, and the number of liens registered in Alberta. It covers Alberta only (Alberta). Online, it costs "$29.45 inclusive of service charges" (Alberta eServices).

Lien search. Alberta tells private buyers to "Get a personal property lien search from a registry agent, based on the vehicle's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)" (Alberta).

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan VIN search. "The Saskatchewan VIN search is free to use." It gives the vehicle's Saskatchewan status, its latest registration expiry date, its "damage claims history in Saskatchewan (since Nov. 1, 2002)," and whether PST is paid or owing. For liens, SGI points to the Information Services Corporation (SGI).

Cross-Canada VIN search. It "searches all Canadian jurisdictions" for a vehicle status and a stolen report on the CPIC national search. "The cost is $20." Request it at a motor licence issuer or by phone (SGI).

Manitoba

MPI says to ask the seller for the Transfer of Ownership Document, which shows whether the vehicle was "formerly written off and rebuilt, or if it is currently a write off." You can also call MPI with the serial number to check whether it was ever an Autopac write-off in Manitoba. For liens, MPI points to the Property Registry (Teranet Manitoba) (MPI).

Quebec

SAAQ ownership history. The SAAQ says you can request the vehicle's ownership history to find out "if it has been rebuilt," whether it has had a mechanical inspection, how many people have owned it and how it was used. Get it through SAAQclic or at a service outlet. "Fees apply." The SAAQ also says to check the RDPRM "to make sure it is free of debt" (SAAQ).

RDPRM search. A search by vehicle identification number costs $5.00 (RDPRM).

National reports

Carfax Canada. Its Vehicle History Report records "can reveal critical information about a car's history such as damage incidents, open recalls, service history, registration status, and liens." The report "is based only on information supplied by participating data sources" (Carfax Canada).

VinAudit Canada. It sells a Canadian vehicle history report by VIN that covers title brands, registration history, mileage history, theft records and recalls (VinAudit Canada).

Ontario's Authorized Requester Program

Ontario's Ministry of Transportation runs the Authorized Requester Program. It "allows eligible organizations to apply to become authorized requesters who can purchase driver and vehicle information" for specific purposes. There are "about 3,000 authorized requesters," and access is provided only "after entering into a contractual agreement" (ontario.ca). Ontario publishes the current list as open data, last updated July 9, 2025 (Ontario Data Catalogue).

FAQ

How do I check a used car's history in Canada? Decode the VIN free on Cardog first. Then get the record from the province it was registered in, or buy a national report.

Is there a free vehicle history check in Canada? Yes, in Saskatchewan. SGI's Saskatchewan VIN search is free and shows damage claims in the province since Nov. 1, 2002.

What is in Ontario's Used Vehicle Information Package? Ontario owners and odometer readings, lien information, the wholesale value for sales tax, and whether the car is unfit or wrecked. It costs $20.

Does an ICBC report show claims from other provinces? No. ICBC says its claims information is from ICBC's files only.

Can anyone order a UCDA search? UCDA says its Ontario lien searches are for members, and its online ordering site is restricted to members.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-27:

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