What checking and valuing a used car costs in Latvia

You can start checking a used car in Latvia for free: the Auto Cena basic valuation and the mileage history in e-CSDD cost nothing. More detailed data costs money: the CSDD SMS check costs €1.50 including VAT, and the Auto Cena full report is a paid service.

This article sums up what each check shows, what it costs and what it doesn’t show, and what registering the car costs after the purchase. CSDD prices were checked on the CSDD website in October 2026.

Key takeaways

• The Auto Cena basic valuation is free and needs no registration: enter the make, model, year and mileage and get a price range.
• e-CSDD shows the mileage history recorded at Latvian technical inspections and the latest inspection data for free.
• The CSDD SMS check to 1800 costs €1.50 including VAT and shows the make, first registration year, mileage, country of import, number of owners in Latvia and any registered prohibitions.
• After the purchase, a change of owner in e-CSDD costs €26.37, paid by the buyer; the CSDD fee for first registration of an imported passenger car with two number plates is €41.88, not counting other fees and taxes.
• None of these checks replaces a mechanic’s inspection or a VIN history report.

Which checks are free and which do you pay for?

The checks answer different questions: what the car is worth, what the state register knows about it, and what condition it is in. The table shows what each check shows and what it costs.

The free checks are a good start, but they don’t show the car’s technical condition. Only a mechanic can assess that.

What can you check for free?

Before meeting the seller, several checks cost nothing, and together they help you rule out unsuitable offers.

• The Auto Cena basic valuation only needs the make, model, year and mileage, and no registration. Enter the details in the Auto Cena evaluator and compare the price range you get with the asking price in the listing.
• e-CSDD shows, for free, the mileage history recorded at every technical inspection in Latvia and the latest inspection data. Entering the registration number is enough; you may need to register in e-CSDD, which is also free. More: CSDD free information in e-CSDD.
• You can compare prices of similar cars in the Auto Cena listings catalogue, where each listing’s price is shown next to its estimated value.

If the mileage in a listing is lower than in the e-CSDD inspection history, that is a serious warning sign.

What does the CSDD SMS check cost and what does it show?

The CSDD SMS check costs €1.50 including VAT per message. Send CSDD, a space and the registration number to 1800, for example CSDD AA1234. The charge is added to your phone bill or deducted from a prepaid card.

The reply contains:

• the make, first registration year, fuel type and mileage;
• the country the car was imported to Latvia from;
• the number of owners in Latvia;
• the latest technical inspection data in Latvia;
• whether any prohibitions are registered on the car.

With the text CSDD V and the registration number, for example CSDD V AA1234, you get the dates of owner changes and the dates and results of previous technical inspections. This message also costs €1.50. The service is available to customers of all Latvian mobile operators, unless their contract restricts it.

The SMS check only shows Latvian register data. It doesn’t show accidents, repairs or the car’s history before it was imported to Latvia.

What does the Auto Cena full report cost?

The Auto Cena full report costs one token. You can buy tokens one at a time or in packs, and in a pack each report costs less.

The full report includes:

• a more precise price that accounts for equipment and condition from your photos;
• a comparison with similar listings;
• a breakdown of value factors;
• personalized tips for the buyer or the seller;
• a ready-to-use listing description or an offer message to the seller.

You can see what a finished report looks like in the sample report, and read more in the report description.

What don’t these checks show?

A valuation and register data show the price and the official facts, but not everything that decides whether a car is a good buy.

• Technical condition: only a mechanic can assess the engine, gearbox, suspension and rust. How a price calculator and a mechanic complement each other is explained in our article on price calculators and mechanics.
• History abroad: accidents and repairs before the car came to Latvia are found in VIN history reports. How they differ from Auto Cena is explained in our article comparing Auto Cena and autoDNA.
• Hidden defects the seller doesn’t mention. How to spot them is covered in our article on a used car’s hidden defects.

What does registering the car cost after the purchase?

When you buy a car registered in Latvia, a change of owner in e-CSDD costs €26.37, paid by the buyer. The seller has to approve the application in e-CSDD within 5 days, and the change of owner is registered within 2 business days.

A car imported from abroad needs a first registration in Latvia. The CSDD fee for the first registration of a passenger car, its registration certificate and two number plates is €41.88 (the price list was updated on 1 March 2025). No fee is charged for a car powered only by an electric motor that gets electric-vehicle number plates. This isn’t the only cost. The CSDD price list has other fees too, for example €19.25 for comparing the engine and chassis numbers when the car has to be presented at CSDD. State taxes, such as the vehicle operation tax, come on top.

Before importing a car, check that its price fits the Latvian market: a car that looks cheap abroad can cost as much as a similar car in Latvia once transport and registration are added.

What doesn’t Auto Cena offer?

Auto Cena works out a car’s market value and compares it with listings. Other steps of the purchase need other providers:

• Financing and leasing: the payment schedule is calculated by a bank or a leasing company.
• Insurance: compulsory motor insurance (OCTA) and comprehensive cover (KASKO) are priced by insurers.
• Registration and change of owner: these are handled by CSDD.
• A full history report: accident and repair history is found in VIN history services.

Even when talking to a bank or a leasing company, it helps to know whether the car’s price itself is justified, and an Auto Cena valuation shows that.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• CSDD — Bezmaksas informācija e-CSDD
• CSDD — Maksas informācija, SMS
• CSDD — Pirmreizējās reģistrācijas maksājumi
• CSDD — Electronic change of ownership in e-CSDD