How to check a used car in Denmark before you buy

1. Look up the licence plate

Use BilPorten's free licence plate check or Motorregistret. You see make, model, year, engine, fuel and the latest inspection. Compare with the ad – if the year, engine or model does not match, ask why.

2. Check the inspection (syn)

A car is inspected 4 years after its first registration and then every 2 years. If it is more than 4 years old, it must have been inspected within the last 2 years before the owner can be changed. Ask to see the latest inspection report – any remarks show what the inspectors noticed.

3. Check the car for debt in Bilbogen

Debt follows the car to the new owner. Search the car's VIN (stelnummer) in Bilbogen, the Danish register of security in cars, at tinglysning.dk. The VIN is in the registration certificate.

If there is debt in the car, the seller must pay it off before or at the purchase. A line in the contract saying the car is “free of debt” is not enough – whoever holds the security can still make the claim against you.

4. Ask for the service history

Ask for the service book or digital service records. Check the cambelt or chain, oil changes and – on automatic gearboxes – the gearbox oil. Gaps are not always a problem, but the price should reflect them.

5. Test drive and look for damage

Drive both in town and on a faster road. Listen for knocks from the suspension, feel whether the car pulls to one side when you brake, and test all the equipment. See the car in daylight and look for rust, uneven gaps between the body panels and colour differences – signs of earlier damage.

6. Get an independent inspection

A check at FDM or an independent workshop typically costs 1,000–2,000 kr. and can save you much more. A serious seller will not mind.

7. Put it in writing and pay safely

Write a contract (slutseddel) and only pay when you get the car and the keys – never in advance. Remember that the buyer must re-register the car within 4 weekdays. Read more about buying safely.

New in Denmark? Read Buying a used car in Denmark as a foreigner.

Sources for this guide

Checked on 3 November 2026 against borger.dk on inspections, Life in Denmark on Bilbogen and FDM on car debt.