Car write off check: Cat S, Cat N and historic write-off categories in one report

Start free: decode the number plate or VIN to confirm the car matches its advert and view MOT and tax status. The actual write-off marker and category live in the industry write-off register, which the free government tools don’t expose. Automano runs that write-off check as part of a £5.90 report — flagging Cat S, Cat N, historic Cat C/D and Cat A/B and explaining each — alongside stolen, finance and mileage data, so you get the full picture before you buy.

Both are current insurance write-off categories. Cat S (structural) means the car suffered structural damage — to the chassis or a load-bearing part — that was repaired; it can be legal to drive but should be professionally inspected and is worth notably less. Cat N (non-structural) means the damage was cosmetic, electrical or mechanical, not to the core structure, and is often the more acceptable of the two if repaired properly. A Cat S check and a Cat N check are really the same lookup — Automano’s £5.90 report tells you which category, if any, applies.

It can be, at the right price and with the right checks. A repairable write-off (Cat S or Cat N) is legal to sell and drive once repaired, but the write-off marker stays on its history forever and depresses its value — so you should pay less. The key is repair quality: always have a repaired Cat S or Cat N car inspected by an independent mechanic, and factor the category into your offer. A car write off check tells you the category so you can make that call before you commit.

Cat A and Cat B are salvage-only: a Cat A car must be crushed entirely and a Cat B car’s body shell crushed (though some parts may be reused) — neither should ever be sold for road use, so if one is advertised as a runner, walk away. Cat C and Cat D are the older (pre-2017) versions of today’s Cat S and Cat N and still appear on cars written off before the system changed. Automano’s report flags all of these categories so you know exactly what you’re looking at.

You can do the free groundwork — decode the VIN and number plate and view MOT and tax status — but the write-off marker and its category sit in the industry write-off register, which the free DVLA and MOT tools don’t include. Automano bundles the write-off check with stolen, finance and mileage data in one £5.90 report. Be wary of sites charging a premium for what is really just a free DVLA lookup with no write-off data.

The write-off, stolen and finance data is licensed from the same industry registers by many providers — it isn’t owned by any single brand. Automano sells direct to the private buyer, skips the insurance-style data-accuracy guarantee that HPI bundles in, and adds a free unlimited VIN/reg decoder. That’s how the write-off check (Cat S, Cat N and historic categories) lands in a £5.90 report versus £9.99–£19.99 for a traditional HPI-style check.

It tells you whether a car was written off and its category, but not the quality of the repair — for that you need an in-person inspection — and it doesn’t include a £30,000-style data-accuracy guarantee or damage photos. It focuses on UK-relevant data: write-off categories, stolen and finance flags, full MOT history and mileage checks, plus recall cross-checks. For a guaranteed trade-grade dossier a paid HPI report may suit; for a private purchase, the £5.90 report covers the decision.