Pre-filling Asset Information

When you add or edit an asset with a UK registration, Axscend automatically looks up the vehicle with the DVLA and the DVSA and fills in the details it can find, so you don't have to enter everything manually.

It only fills in fields you have left blank; anything you have filled in manually is left untouched.

Pre-filling works for UK-registered vehicles only.
Vehicles are searched from the registration number you enter, so the asset needs a valid UK number plate for a lookup to succeed.

What gets pre-filled?

The following fields are available from the DVSA/DVLA. We will pre-fill them where we can; however, not all fields are always available.

Manufacturer
Model
Colour
Fuel Type
Emissions
Registration Date
Date of Manufacture
MOT expiry date
Road tax (RFL) expiry date

The MOT and road tax (RFL) expiry dates are only filled in for assets that have the Maintenance feature switched on.

When does this happen?

When an asset is created, a request is sent to both the DVLA and DVSA, which populate all available fields.
When you update the registration number or name, we re-run the lookup with the new value and fill in any remaining blank details.
When the Magic Wand tool is used on an existing asset.
Each asset is re-polled nightly to keep the MOT and road tax expiry dates current, so they stay up to date as the vehicle is re-tested or re-taxed.

Getting a successful match

For a lookup to succeed, either the asset's Registration Number or its Name must match a valid UK vehicle registration (number plate). If neither matches a real plate (e.g. a mistyped name, an internal reference, or a non-UK vehicle), the queries will return nothing and no details can be filled in.

Note - only blank fields are ever populated, so a lookup will never overwrite a value you have entered yourself.

Seeing MOT & RFL expiry on your Fleet/Maintenance Grid

The MOT Expiry Date and RFL Expiry Date are available as columns on the Fleet Grid and the Maintenance Grid, so you can see and sort by them at a glance.

They are not shown by default, you can add them by editing the columns shown in your view:

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Why are the MOT or road tax expiry dates not showing for my asset?

These two dates come from the DVSA and are only filled in when we have the relevant information. Please check that:

your company has Maintenance as a feature on Axscend.
the Registration Number (or Name) matches a valid UK number plate.
the DVSA holds a record for the vehicle - any brand-new or exempt vehicles may not have MOT or tax data yet.

Why is a detail such as colour, model or fuel type still blank?

The service may not hold that detail for the vehicle. Unfortunately, DVLA/DVSA records are not always complete, and the Model in particular comes from the DVSA and isn't available for every vehicle.

Any fields already filled in will not be overwritten when the asset is looked up, so a value you entered manually stays as you set it.

I've corrected the registration, will the details update?

Yes. Changing the Registration Number or Name re-runs the DVLA and DVSA lookup and fills any blank expiry fields from the corrected registration number.

However, this process runs in the background, so it may take a minute. Please refresh your page to see the changes. You can see the expiry dates on the Fleet/Maintenance Grid.

None of the details filled in at all!

This usually means the registration or name doesn't match a valid UK plate. Please check that it is a valid UK number plate entered correctly.

Why has an expiry date that used to show now disappeared?

If the vehicle is registered as off-road (SORN) or the DVSA no longer holds an expiry date for it, we clear the old date rather than leave an out-of-date one showing.

The date will repopulate automatically if the vehicle is taxed or tested again.

Last updated: September 18, 2026