How to prove you own your tools

How common is it?

In 2024, Direct Line Business analysis of police Freedom of Information data recorded 25,525 tool thefts reported to UK forces — around one every 21 minutes — with an estimated £39.95m of tools taken. Just under half of those cases (12,414, or 49%) were thefts from vehicles. Only 29 of 45 forces supplied usable data, so the real figure is likely higher.

What actually counts as proof

There is no single legal document that proves you own a power tool. In practice, police and insurers work from a combination of records, and the more of them that line up, the stronger your position. Surrey Police crime-prevention guidance advises recording serial numbers, photographs and receipts or documents to help prove ownership, and Federation of Master Builders guidance on tool-theft claims says proof of purchase is key, recommending an equipment list with serial numbers and photos.

• Serial number — the single most useful identifier. It lets police match a recovered tool to you.
• Purchase receipt or invoice, ideally showing your name or business and the date.
• Photographs of the tool, including a close-up of the model and serial plate.
• Card or bank statement lines matching the purchase, if the receipt is lost.
• Security marking (UV, forensic marking or engraving) and the registration behind it.
• Any warranty or manufacturer registration held in your name.

Record it while you still can

Every item above is easy to capture while the tool is in front of you, and close to impossible to recreate after it has gone. Ten minutes a week, done as you buy things, is the realistic version — a full inventory day never happens.

• Photograph the serial plate as soon as you unbox a tool.
• Photograph the paper receipt before it fades — thermal till receipts often become unreadable within a year.
• Note the purchase price; it matters for both claim value and any prosecution.
• Store it somewhere that isn't the van, the paper folder in the van, or one phone.

Why photographs alone aren't enough

A photo of a drill shows a drill. It does not show that it is your drill. Serial numbers tie a specific object to your record, which is why recovered-property teams and marketplaces ask for them first. If a tool has no serial, use distinguishing marks — damage, paint, custom labelling — and photograph them clearly.

Keep the record consistent

Insurers ask for a schedule of items with descriptions, values and identifying numbers. Police ask for the same thing in a different format. A record that is already structured — one entry per tool, with serial, value, receipt and photos attached — can answer both without you rebuilding it under pressure.

TVAR is built around exactly that structure: register each item once, and the evidence pack assembles itself when you need it. It doesn't prevent theft or decide claims — it means the record exists before you need it.

Sources

• Direct Line Business annual tool-theft report — 2024 figures from police FOI responses (29 of 45 forces).
• Federation of Master Builders — tool theft claims — proof of purchase and equipment lists.
• Surrey Police — mark your property — recording serial numbers, photographs and documents.