Do you have to check the vin number and license plate for stolen vehicle?

In the UK, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) database holds the details of every licensed driver, and registered vehicle. The details held about the vehicle includes the registered owner, make, model colour, registration mark, chassis number and VIN. The database is available for scruitiny by the Police, HMRC, Insurance companies (but not individuals).

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act, an individual has no right of access to the DVLA database. Law enforcement automatically have access rights, and insurance companies are given access to the database under agreement.

Doing a asearch on the VIN will usually reveal whether a vehicle is stolen - since it's harder to fake a VIN than simply changing the number plate. It will also reveal the vehicles true idenity.