Vehicle Logbook Check
Are the logbook stamps genuine?
Compare the logbook stamps with the recorded service history.
A vehicle logbook check confirms that the service stamps in a car's logbook are genuine and consistent: the dates and odometer readings should rise steadily, each stamp should come from a real workshop, and the entries should match independent service records. A MotorRegistry Comprehensive Plus report gives you the recorded service history to compare against the logbook.
What a MotorRegistry report shows
- Service records from dealerships and workshops, to compare against the logbook stamps Comprehensive Plus
- The odometer readings we hold for the vehicle, to compare against the readings in the logbook Comprehensive Plus
- Logbook photos from the seller read into the history, clearly marked as owner-provided Comprehensive Plus
- Recall repair status, where records exist Comprehensive Plus
- Custom pre-purchase inspection guide for the vehicle Comprehensive & Plus
Every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate plus finance owing, written-off, stolen and registration checks. See every tier side by side on the compare page.
How to check a car's service logbook
The service logbook is usually the first evidence a buyer sees of how a car has been looked after. It's also easy to lose, and blank logbooks and workshop stamps are not hard to get hold of. Work through it page by page:
- Match the logbook to the car. The VIN or registration written in the front of the logbook should match the vehicle.
- Check the dates and readings. Each entry should have a date and an odometer reading, and both should increase steadily through the book.
- Check the intervals. Compare the gaps between services with the manufacturer's schedule printed in the logbook, by time and distance.
- Check the stamps. Each stamp should name a real workshop with an address or phone number. Look the workshops up.
- Call a workshop or two. Dealerships and most workshops keep records and can confirm whether they serviced the car on that date.
- Ask for invoices. Receipts for services and major repairs back up the stamps and show what was done.
Signs a logbook may not be genuine
- Many entries in the same pen, handwriting and ink, as if filled in at one sitting.
- Stamps with no workshop name or contact details, or from workshops that don't exist.
- A logbook that looks newer than the car, with no wear on the pages.
- Odometer readings that don't fit the car's age, or that go backwards.
- A long run of entries from one workshop the seller can't tell you anything about.
A duplicate logbook isn't a problem on its own, since the originals do get lost. It should come with invoices or dealer records to support it.
Compare the logbook with independent records
The most reliable check is to compare the logbook with records that didn't come from the seller. A Comprehensive Plus report includes:
- Service history from dealerships and workshops, with dates, odometer readings and the work done. See our vehicle service history report page for more.
- Odometer history: every reading we hold and can locate, charted in date order, with any reading that goes backwards flagged. See our odometer history check page.
- Recall status, showing whether recall work was carried out, where records exist.
Entries in the logbook that appear in the independent records are well supported. Readings in the logbook that don't line up with the recorded odometer history are worth questioning.
Adding the seller's logbook to the report
Every report has a button to request service history from the seller. They get a link by email or text and photograph the logbook pages, receipts or service stickers on their phone. We read the entries into the vehicle's history and mark them as owner-provided and unverified, so they're always clearly separate from the records we source independently.
Vehicle Logbook Check FAQ
How do I check if a car's logbook is genuine?
Look for stamps from real, named workshops with dates and odometer readings that rise steadily. Call one or two of the workshops and ask them to confirm the service. Then compare the logbook with independent service records, such as those in a MotorRegistry Comprehensive Plus report. Entries that don't appear in any other record, or readings that don't line up with the recorded odometer history, are worth questioning.
What are the signs of a fake logbook?
Common signs include many stamps in the same pen and handwriting, stamps without a workshop name or contact details, a logbook that looks newer than the car, and odometer readings that don't fit the car's age or its recorded history. A duplicate logbook isn't a problem on its own, but it should come with invoices or dealer records to back it up.
What if the seller has lost the logbook?
The dealership or workshops that serviced the car often keep records and can confirm past services. A MotorRegistry Comprehensive Plus report includes the service records we can find for the vehicle, which can fill in some or all of the gaps.
Can the seller add their logbook to the MotorRegistry report?
Yes. Every report has a button to request service history from the seller. They receive a link by email or text, photograph the logbook pages, receipts or service stickers, and we read the entries into the vehicle's history. Those entries are clearly marked as owner-provided and unverified, separate from the records we source independently.
Is a vehicle logbook check the same as a tax logbook?
No. This page is about the service logbook, the booklet that records a car's scheduled servicing. A tax logbook is a record of business kilometres kept for the ATO, which has nothing to do with a car's history.
Check the car before you pay
Enter the rego or VIN to see what's on record for the vehicle.
Check a vehicle now
