As practice shows, most people who decide to sell their car prefer to hide some information about the vehicle from the buyer. For this reason, the risk of purchasing a “problem” car on the used car market is significantly increased. Due to legal and technical problems with the car, the buyer can lose money and sometimes the car itself. In order not to fall for the bait of scammers, an excellent solution would be to check the car using the STS.
What are STS machines?
STS is an official document that is issued when registering cars with the traffic police. The STS usually indicates all the important information about the car: license plate numbers, VIN, chassis and body numbers, make and model of the car, power and volume indicators of the installed engine, weight, paint color of the vehicle.
A vehicle registration certificate is a mandatory document that every car owner must have, otherwise operating the vehicle is considered illegal.
Who issued the STS code for the traffic police department
It looks like this - 00 ВВ 000000, in this case 0 is numbers, В is letters. Numbers may be required in various situations; in most cases, they are checked by traffic police officers when checking a car or driver. The information specified in the document is reflected in the unified traffic police database. Therefore, it is easy to verify the authenticity of the certificate. When a car is stolen, discrepancies in information about the owner of the car and the person driving the car are easily detected. The driver's license is also checked by employees during the stop.
Each car owner, according to modern legislation, is required to go through the registration procedure for his vehicle, for which a special certificate is issued. What is it for, what does it look like, and what information can you find out from it?
How to check the car history on the STS number?
There are various ways to “punch” a car using a registration certificate. One of the most convenient options is to use the online service Avfx.ru. This system provides car owners or future buyers with the opportunity to find out all the necessary information about a specific vehicle. So, you can check the vehicle’s equipment by VIN code, find out whether the car is wanted, whether the car was used as collateral, etc.
To check a car using STS, you must follow the following procedure:
- Go to the website Avfx.ru.
- Enter VIN, license plate number, unique chassis or body number.
- Read a brief overview of a specific machine.
- Get a full report with detailed data about the car.
A duplicate of the report is additionally duplicated in a letter that is sent to the specified email address.
We also suggest checking your car using the traffic police database.
Advantages of the Autocode service
Using the Autocode service, checking a car using STS is not difficult. The site is popular both among car enthusiasts and among specialized salons. What are its advantages:
- The full report provides comprehensive information about the machine. You will not have to additionally contact other services.
- Report creation time is 5 minutes! During this time, data from 16 sources will be generated.
- Autocode cooperates with official services (Register of Pledges, State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, Federal Tax Service, Federal Customs Service, etc.), so all information is relevant and reliable.
- The mobile application allows you to save time by checking at a convenient time from anywhere in the country. This means that you can check the car according to STS online when concluding a contract.
By purchasing a problem car secondhand, you risk running into not only technical difficulties, but also legal troubles with the car. And this threatens the loss of money, time and a lot of nerves. Therefore, it is better to protect yourself in advance and get your desired car by using the Autocode verification service.
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Contents of vehicle reports
Anyone can check important information about a car, but usually this need arises among people who are looking for a good car or who have already purchased a vehicle and want to know the possible pitfalls that may await them. The brief overview usually indicates the make, model, paint color, engine performance, vehicle category, and license plate number. If you request a full report, then checking the car using STS will help you find out other information:
- Date of issue;
- real mileage value;
- number of owners over the entire period;
- presence/absence of facts of participation in road traffic accidents (number, type, date, region of the accident, condition of the car);
- possible being on the wanted list;
- possible encumbrances (seizure, pledge, loan);
- presence/absence of problems during customs clearance;
- the fact of using the car in a taxi;
- number and description of fines issued;
- number of duplicate PTS to whom they were issued;
- photos of the car (if available);
- information about passing technical inspections;
- data on MTPL insurance;
- changes that have been made to the design or paint color of the car.
Thanks to checking a car using STS, you will be able to find out any “secrets” of a used vehicle: legal “purity”, technical shortcomings, etc.
Also read the article “Checking the MTPL policy”
How to break into a car - step by step instructions
- To check, use the “Services” tab (top of the site). When you click on this tab, right under the word “Services”, a selection menu opens. There are several types of checks, including: checking fines, checking drivers, checking a car. You must select the “Vehicle Check” service.
- At the top of the page there is a field for entering VIN. The VIN number must be taken from the STS (it is entered in the second line and is called the “identification number”). The number must be entered without errors, otherwise the accuracy of the information is not guaranteed.
- Below, under the input field, there are several types of checks offered by the traffic police.
Registration history
The first type of check is checking the registration history of the vehicle with the traffic police. To obtain information, you just need to click on the button that says “request verification.” Usually the result is given instantly.
The result contains:
- model name;
- year of issue;
- VIN;
- color;
- engine volume and power;
- type of car (passenger car, truck).
The bottom column contains information about the number of owners and ownership periods. It displays whether an individual or legal entity owned the car and for what period. This is very important information. If the user sees that the car was owned by a large number of owners, then this is a reason for a more thorough inspection of the car.
The obtained data can be compared with the data of the vehicle passport (PTS). All dates and number of owners must match. If there are discrepancies, then you should refuse to purchase such a car.
It is also necessary to check the technical characteristics of the car entered into the STS and obtained from the database. They must match.
Participation of a car in an accident
The database contains information about all road accidents that occurred since 2015. The column for such a check is located below, on the same page. There is no need to re-enter the VIN. To obtain information, click the “request verification” button. Here you can find out:
- date and time of the accident;
- type of accident (collision, run-over, run-off);
- region of the incident;
- as well as technical characteristics of the car.
Below this data a picture showing the silhouette of a car is displayed. Crosses indicate the locations of the most serious damage.
Not all accidents are displayed in the database. If the owner hid the fact of the accident and did not contact the traffic police about this, then there will be no information in the database. This is typical for accidents in which only one car is damaged (driving into a ditch, hitting a stationary obstacle).
Finding a wanted car
The next opportunity is to obtain information about the location of a wanted car. The column for this is located below on the same page. You must click the “request verification” button. As a result, the screen will display information about the vehicle being wanted.
Restrictions
Below is a column for checking existing restrictions. They can be in the form of an arrest imposed by bailiffs or a ban on registration actions. The difference between these restrictions is that transactions with seized property are completely prohibited, and their commission is subject to criminal liability.
If a ban is imposed on registration actions, then transactions are allowed. At the same time, it is impossible to remove or register the car until such a ban is lifted. The procedure is the same as before. You just need to click the “request verification” button. The screen will display the type of restriction imposed and information about who imposed it.
Deposits
The next check using STS is to obtain information about the car being pledged:
- You need to go to the website reestr-zalogov.ru.
- There are four tabs at the top of the page. To check, you need the “Find in the registry” tab. When clicking on it, the user is taken to the page of the register of pledges.
- At the top there are the following three tabs, one of which is called “By information about the subject of collateral.” When you click on this tab, a page opens with a field for entering information about the “VIN”. You need to enter the VIN number from the STS in this line and click on the “Find” button below. After this, you can see on the screen whether the car is pledged.
This register contains only information about whether the car is pledged to credit institutions. If the car is pledged to private individuals, then it is unlikely that such information will be entered into the register.
Fines
The next type of check under the STS is checking fines:
- When entering the traffic police website in the Services section, you must click on the very first tab called “Checking fines.”
- In the window that appears, you need to enter the license plate number of the car (taken from the STS) and the number of the STS itself.
- After clicking the “Request Verification” button, the screen will display a list of fines assigned but not paid.
Reliability of electronic car inspection service
Using the Avfx.ru online service allows you to obtain the most reliable information about a vehicle in just a few seconds. Checking a car using STS is reliable and correct, since all information is taken only from official sources:
- from the traffic police database;
- from the Russian Union of Auto Insurers (RUA);
- from banking structures;
- from notice boards;
- from car dealers;
- from the courts and the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP);
- from insurance companies.
We also suggest finding out the owner by the car number.
Advantages and disadvantages of services
Practice shows that commercial portals, of which there are many on the Internet, are untenable. On such sites you cannot find exclusive information that is really worth the money paid. Free reports are no different from paid ones. Despite this, such portals certainly have their advantages.
Some services (for example, Autocode) check the history of a vehicle purchased abroad. Additionally, you can find out information about duplicate PTS and information about vehicle release. This is useful information for a potential car buyer abroad.
If there is no such need, then all the necessary information can be obtained on free websites (for example, on the official website of the Moscow Mayor). There is no point in using other portals.
Checking a car by STS number or state registration plate is quite simple, and you can do this without leaving your home - via the Internet. There are many services online that provide this kind of information. Some portals offer paid inspections for a full report on the vehicle. This option is convenient for those who decide to buy a car abroad. In other cases, you can get by with a free check.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.
Making changes to the STS
Quite often, the design of the car may be subject to minor or major changes, and owners may decide to repaint the car in different colors. In this case, the law requires motorists to officially register the changes made with the traffic police.
To do this, the owner (or his authorized representative) must personally come to the local branch of this service, and it is advisable to register in advance on the State Services website. The traffic police authorities are required to provide a certain package of registration papers and a receipt for payment of the state fee in the amount of 350 rubles (required to obtain a new STS). Also, changes made to the color or design of the vehicle should be reported to the insurance company for re-issuance of OSAGO and CASCO policies.
How to find out and where to view the episode and number in the PTS
The PTS series is a series consisting of 2 numbers and 2 Russian letters. In this case, the numbers must match the code of the region where the car passport was received. The only exceptions will be cars for which documents were issued before 2021 in Moscow by the Central Excise Customs, which assigned code 78 instead of 77. The first letter should be T for cars purchased before 2021. For newer vehicles, the first letter will be U. Such markings are not used to describe cars from foreign manufacturers that were assembled in Russia. The registration number consists of 6 digits. In the PTS, the series and number are printed in red on both sides of the form in the upper part on the front side and in the center of the form on the back side in accordance with Figure 1.
We recommend reading: Pledge registry is
In 2021 in the Russian Federation in accordance with the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated September 22, 2021 No. 122 (as amended on May 23, 2021) “On approval of the Procedure for the functioning of systems of electronic passports of vehicles (electronic passports of vehicle chassis) and electronic passports of self-propelled vehicles and other types of equipment" an electronic registration certificate will be put into operation, so the number and series can be found in the electronic database.
What will the test tell you?
A brief report will give general vehicle data: vehicle category, make, color, engine size and power. For a fee you will receive a full report that contains:
- number of owners;
- participation in an accident;
- data from foreign servers;
- history of registration actions;
- arrest and bail information;
- average market value;
- data from foreign servers;
Checking any car will reveal all hidden information - technical defects in operation and a legally clean history.
The procedure for registering a vehicle and issuing a new certificate has become simpler and more accessible, but scammers are coming up with new schemes and methods of deception when preparing documents. We urge you to be careful and prepared for any turn of events when preparing documents for the purchased car.
Vehicle registration certificate
The information is entered by the traffic police inspector when re-registering the car. The date of issue of the document is on the first page in column No. 25.
It is this indicator that must be entered into the form when applying for compulsory motor liability insurance. You will also need the PTS series and number. Many people make the mistake of entering the date of receipt of the PTS in person. But you can’t do that. This date indicates the receipt of ownership of the car, and not the issuance of a title. Therefore, attention should only be paid to the title page.
There is another way to find out the date of issue of the document - contact the traffic police department with a passport, vehicle registration certificate and, preferably, a purchase and sale agreement. The inspector needs to show all the listed documents and ask to make a request to the database.
You can indicate that the PTS is not lost, but is located far away, and it is not yet possible to obtain information about it. The inspector cannot refuse that request.
Duplicate PTS: what to fear and expect
Secondly, an even more unpleasant option. The car is a participant in car loans. (As a rule, the bank takes the PTS for storage until the debt obligations are fully repaid). In fact, the car itself is, as it were, pledged; accordingly, it is impossible to carry out the act of purchase and sale in an honest way. Then the owner allegedly “loses” the PTS and turns to the traffic police for a duplicate. The latter, in turn, not being able to verify the accuracy of the data, issue a duplicate. By purchasing a car with such a history, you risk being left without money and without a new purchase. Because if the previous owner does not want (or cannot) pay the loan, the bank will confiscate the vehicle to pay off the debt.
We recommend reading: On the basis of which document does the head of an organization act on behalf of the organization?
When purchasing a car with a duplicate title, you need to find out the reason for the absence of the original, and also carefully study the document. (On the title page of the duplicate vehicle passport there is a mark indicating the traffic police department in which it was issued). To indicate the reason for issuing a duplicate, the document contains a “special notes” column. It may include options such as:
Why check the “history” of a car using STS?
Checking the vehicle certificate is one of the most reliable ways to find out the “past” of a car.
Therefore, before making the final decision “to buy or not to buy a car,” you should check its history, namely:
- whether she was involved in an accident;
- the presence of prohibitions and restrictions imposed on the car;
- is there a car in the database of stolen vehicles;
- whether there are any unpaid fines on the car;
- Availability of a MTPL civil motor insurance policy and its validity period;
- is the technical passport valid?
- how many times the vehicle was resold;
- correspondence of the data entered into the registration databases with those stated in the documents, etc.
IMPORTANT!
How to find out who issued the STS
The presence of this document allows its owner or a person who temporarily uses this same vehicle not to carry with them a vehicle passport, or, more simply, a technical passport. The technical passport is the main identification of the vehicle.
It is worth remembering that traveling without the document in question is not allowed. When purchasing a car, documentation must be completed within 10 days from the date of purchase, otherwise a fine will be imposed. The certificates are equipped with some distinctive features, so it is quite easy to recognize a fake.
