BlueLightDB

Public API

Everything in the Fleet Explorer is available as JSON, for your own apps, maps, bots, plate readers or spreadsheets. Only approved entries are returned.

Base URL:

• Plate lookups need an API key. Create a free account and you get one straight away, with 5 lookups a day. Paid plans give a monthly allowance.
• The search and listing endpoints (/api/vehicles, /api/filters) work without a key, up to 600 requests per 15 minutes per IP address (IPv6: per /64 block).
• All responses are JSON. Errors look like {"error":"…","field":"vrm"} with a 4xx or 5xx status.
• Reading endpoints work from any website (CORS is open), from a server, or from the command line. Over a limit you get 429. Cache results where you can.
• Please credit “BlueLight DB community register” and link back if you republish the data.

Plans

Every account starts on Free. Upgrade for a bigger allowance; your key stays the same. Switch or cancel any time. No setup fee.

Paid allowances reset on the 1st of each month, Free on midnight each day (UTC). A batch lookup counts one per plate. Payments are handled securely by Stripe. Your key, usage and billing are on your account page.

Using your API key

Send it in the X-API-Key header (or Authorization: Bearer …) on any GET endpoint. Keep it on your server or device. Don’t put it in public web pages.

curl -H "X-API-Key: frk_your_key_here" "/api/lookup/AB21XYZ"

Plate lookup (for plate readers / ANPR)

Give it a plate, get a straight yes or no. This is the endpoint to use from a plate reader, dashcam or app.

Exact match only. Spaces and case don’t matter, so AB21XYZ, ab21 xyz and AB21 XYZ are the same.

curl -H "X-API-Key: frk_your_key_here" "/api/lookup/AB21XYZ"

{
  "vrm": "AB21 XYZ",
  "found": true,
  "police": true,
  "vehicle": {
    "id": 42, "vrm": "AB21 XYZ", "force": "Kent", "make": "BMW",
    "model": "530d Touring", "type": "Roads policing",
    "fuel": "Diesel", "year": 2021, "fleetStatus": "In service",
    "added": "2026-06-14 09:12:33"
  }
}

Not in the register:

{ "vrm": "CD22 ABC", "found": false, "police": false, "vehicle": null }

A plate that isn’t 2–8 letters and numbers gives 400. The response can be cached for 60 seconds.

Several plates at once

Up to 50 plates, comma-separated. Returns {"results":[…]} in the same order, one entry per plate in the format above. Invalid plates come back with "error":"Invalid plate." instead of failing the whole request. Counts as one request.

Good to know

• This is a community register. police: false means “not listed”, not “definitely not a police vehicle”. Unmarked cars especially may be missing.
• Only approved entries are checked. Plates waiting for review aren’t returned.
• Plate readers misread characters (0/O, 1/I, 8/B). If you need to check likely misreads, send them together in one batch request.

// Example: call this when your reader sees a plate
async function isPolice(plate) {
  const res = await fetch(`/api/lookup/${encodeURIComponent(plate)}`,
    { headers: { "X-API-Key": process.env.FLEET_API_KEY } });
  if (!res.ok) return false;          // invalid plate, bad key or limit reached
  const data = await res.json();
  return data.police;                 // true / false
}

# Python
import os, requests
def is_police(plate):
    r = requests.get(f"/api/lookup/{plate}", timeout=3,
                     headers={"X-API-Key": os.environ["FLEET_API_KEY"]})
    return r.ok and r.json()["police"]

Search and list vehicles, a page at a time.

Example

curl "/api/vehicles?force=Kent&type=Roads%20policing&pageSize=2"

{
  "total": 14,
  "page": 1,
  "pageSize": 2,
  "pages": 7,
  "items": [
    {
      "id": 42,
      "vrm": "AB21 XYZ",
      "force": "Kent",
      "make": "BMW",
      "model": "530d Touring",
      "type": "Roads policing",
      "fuel": "Diesel",
      "year": 2021,
      "fleetStatus": "In service",
      "added": "2026-06-14 09:12:33"
    },
    …
  ]
}

Vehicle fields

One vehicle by its id, in the same format as the items above. Unknown or unapproved IDs give 404.

curl "/api/vehicles/42"

The values in use, for building your own dropdowns. forces, makes and types only list values that have at least one vehicle. allForces, allTypes, allFuels and allStatuses list every accepted value.

curl "/api/filters"

Fuel types:

Statuses:

Vehicle types:

Police forces:

Submit a vehicle for review. It won’t appear until an admin approves it. Limit: 8 per hour per IP. Send the header X-Requested-With: fetch on every POST.

curl -X POST "/api/submissions" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-Requested-With: fetch" \
  -d '{"vrm":"AB21 XYZ","force":"Kent","make":"BMW","model":"530d Touring",
       "type":"Roads policing","fuel":"Diesel","year":2021,
       "source":"Spotted in public: M20 J9, May 2026"}'

Returns 201 with {"ok":true,"id":43}. A plate that is already listed or waiting gives 409.

Flag an entry as wrong or a privacy concern. Body: {"reason":"…","contact":"optional email"}. The reason must be at least 5 characters. Limit: 10 per hour.

Using it from JavaScript

// Fetch every Volvo, 50 at a time
const base = "/api/vehicles";
let page = 1, all = [], pages = 1;
do {
  const res = await fetch(`${base}?make=Volvo&pageSize=50&page=${page}`);
  if (!res.ok) throw new Error((await res.json()).error);
  const data = await res.json();
  all.push(...data.items);
  pages = data.pages;
} while (page++ < pages);
console.log(all.length, "vehicles");

Python

import requests
r = requests.get("/api/vehicles", params={"q": "AB21XYZ"})
r.raise_for_status()
for v in r.json()["items"]:
    print(v["vrm"], v["force"], v["make"], v["model"], v["fleetStatus"])

Try it

Run any GET request against the live API and see the response. No account? You get one free plate lookup a day here to see what you’d get. When you’re signed in, lookups here use your own key (and count towards its allowance).

Response will appear here.