AutoCensus › Privacy
Privacy
This page explains what information we collect, why, how long we keep it, and what you can do about it. It is short, because we collect very little.
The short version
- We do not ask for your name, your email address, or an account.
- We do not sell data, and we do not run advertising.
- We do not record the IP address of anyone who looks up a registration.
- Our server keeps standard web logs for 30 days, then deletes them.
Who we are
AutoCensus is run by Colada Group Ltd, company number 11207868. Full details are on our legal page. For anything on this page, email [email protected].
What we collect
Web server logs. Like every website, our server records the address your device connected from, which pages you asked for, when, and which browser you used. This is how the site is delivered, kept working and protected from abuse.
A count of checks. When you look up a registration we record that a check happened and which registration it was, so we can measure usage, spot automated scraping and control what the official lookups cost us. We do not store your IP address against it.
Nothing else. There is no contact form, no newsletter, and no account. If you email us, we have your email and whatever you put in it.
Cookies
We use as little as possible, and none of it tracks you across other websites.
| Cookie | Set by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | AutoCensus | Keeps track of your visit while you use the site |
| csrftoken | AutoCensus | Security — stops forms being submitted from other sites |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Tells automated traffic apart from real visitors |
All three are strictly necessary to deliver and secure the service, so we do not show a cookie banner. We use no analytics or advertising cookies. If that changes we will ask your consent first, and refusing will be exactly as easy as accepting.
Information about vehicles
When you enter a registration we look it up against two official government services: the DVLA's Vehicle Enquiry Service and the DVSA's MOT History service. Both are public services that anyone can use on GOV.UK without identifying themselves.
We are not given, and cannot obtain, the name or address of any vehicle keeper. Those services do not return that information to anyone. What we show describes a vehicle, not a person.
Our census figures are counts drawn from published licensing data. They do not identify anyone.
If you keep a vehicle and you are concerned about something shown about it, email us. We can only show what the DVLA and DVSA publish, so a record that is wrong at source is worth correcting with them — but tell us anyway, because we would rather know.
Why we use it, and our legal basis
| What | Why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Server logs | Delivering the site, diagnosing faults, security, preventing abuse | Legitimate interests |
| Counts of checks | Measuring usage, detecting scraping, controlling lookup costs | Legitimate interests |
| Short-lived caches | Avoiding repeated calls to government services for the same vehicle | Legitimate interests |
| Email you send us | Replying to you | Legitimate interests |
Where we rely on legitimate interests we have weighed our interests against your rights. You can ask us for that reasoning, and you can object.
How long we keep things
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| Web server logs | 30 days, then deleted automatically |
| Counts of checks | Kept as counts, with no IP address attached |
| Cached DVLA data | Not used after 24 hours, and deleted daily |
| Cached MOT data | Not used after 6 hours |
| Email correspondence | As long as needed to deal with it |
Who else is involved
- Cloudflare protects and speeds up the site, so traffic passes through their network. Cloudflare is based in the United States, and that transfer is covered by their standard data protection terms and the UK's approved safeguards.
- Our hosting provider operates the server the site runs on.
- The DVLA and DVSA provide the vehicle data. We send them a registration number; they receive nothing about you.
We do not sell or share personal information for marketing.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it, delete it, restrict how we use it, or stop using it.
Being straight with you: for most visitors we hold nothing that could be traced back to you beyond a server log entry that is deleted within 30 days. If you want to make a request, email [email protected] and tell us roughly when you visited, because a time is the only way we could find anything at all.
Complaints
If you think we have handled your information badly, tell us at [email protected]. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, look into it properly, and tell you what we decide.
If you are not satisfied you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113. You do not have to come to us first.
Changes
If we change how we use information we will update this page and change the date at the top. If the change is significant — adding analytics, for example — we will make that clear on the site rather than quietly editing this page.
See also our terms of use.