The New Zealand Police Department has launched a database providing a list of all stolen vehicles for the past six months.

The free service provides a simple on-the-spot way of checking a vehicle’s real ownership, according to New Zealand Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Bush.

“This initiative has been developed in partnership with the Crime Prevention Partnership Forum, a group that represents a wide range of businesses that want to help police to prevent crime,” Mr Bush said.

The Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) is a member of the forum, and spokesman Terry Jordan told insuranceNEWS.com.au the database should help reduce costs to insurers.

“We are taking away the rocks for the burglars to hide under,” he said. “ICNZ records show around $NZ80 million ($61 million) is what car theft is costing the insurance industry.”

The database allows searches of registration, vehicle identification numbers, engine or chassis numbers. It is updated three times a day.

“Insurers may be able to take the database and compare it to their database of cars insured,” Mr Jordan said. “This would show if insurance companies are insuring stolen vehicles – those perhaps bought without knowledge they had been stolen.”

New Zealand Police spokesman Jane Archibald told insuranceNEWS.com.au a smartphone app is being developed, “but at the moment the only way to search the database is through the website”.