RAR AutoPass check: what it shows and what it misses
AutoPass is the official certificate of the Romanian Auto Register: cheap and useful, but it only sees Romanian data. Here is what it covers, what it misses, and how to complete the picture with international VIN history.
What RAR AutoPass is
RAR AutoPass is a digital certificate issued by the Romanian Auto Register that gathers a car's history from official Romanian sources into one document. It is requested online by VIN, costs 42 lei and is valid for 60 days. Since 1 December 2024 it is mandatory when selling a used car registered in Romania (Law 142/2023): the seller provides it to the buyer or, if RAR has no data for that VIN, a negation certificate. It is useful because it pulls from sources an ordinary buyer can't access: technical inspection stations and RAR records.
What AutoPass shows
- Mileage recorded at each periodic technical inspection (since 2014).
- Technical inspection history: date, location, result.
- Serious damage to critical systems, to the extent it is officially recorded in Romania.
- Outstanding recall campaigns.
- Number of previous owners and legal status in Romania.
The blind spot: AutoPass only sees Romania
All AutoPass data comes from the Romanian system. Everything that happened to the car before it arrived here (and since most used cars are German or French imports, that's the most important part) simply doesn't appear. If the odometer was rolled back before import, AutoPass starts counting from an already-false value.
AutoPass vs. VIN report
| RAR AutoPass | VIN report | |
|---|---|---|
| Mileage at RO inspections | ||
| Real mileage from abroad | ||
| Damage recorded in RO | ||
| Damage repaired in the West | ||
| Photos from old listings | ||
| International theft & leasing | ||
| Cost | 42 lei | 17.90 € |
How to complete the check
The two don't exclude each other, they complete each other. AutoPass gives you the Romanian part, cheap and official. The VIN report adds the international layer: real mileage from imports, photos from old listings, damage and total-loss from other countries, foreign theft and leasing. Together they cover exactly the two areas where fraud hides.
Start with a full VIN check and add the international layer on top of AutoPass.
Frequently asked questions
Is RAR AutoPass mandatory?
Yes. Since 1 December 2024, when selling a used car registered in Romania, the seller must provide the buyer with a valid AutoPass (Law 142/2023) or, if RAR has no data for that VIN, a negation certificate. The document only covers the Romanian history, though, so for imported cars you also check by VIN.
How much does AutoPass cost and how long is it valid?
42 lei, valid 60 days from issue. Requested online on the official RAR platform, by VIN. Watch out for clone sites reselling the same document for more.
Why isn't AutoPass alone enough?
Because it only sees Romanian data. For an imported car (most used cars here) the real mileage, damage repaired in the West and history from the origin country stay invisible. That's where the problems actually hide.
What does a VIN report add over AutoPass?
The international layer: mileage readings from abroad, photos from old listings, damage and total losses declared in other countries, plus international theft and leasing checks.
Check the international history for free
Enter the VIN and instantly see what data exists for the car: mileage, damage, theft, leasing. Pay only if you want the full report.