Knowing your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is important in various situations. Typically, the VIN is located in the corners of a vehicle. However, if inspecting the car in person is not available, there are alternative methods to retrieve it. In this post, we will show you several ways to find the VIN using the license plate.

Why is finding the VIN important?

Unlike a removable and transferable license plate, a VIN is a unique identifier that stays with a vehicle from its beginning to its end since the manufacturer builds it, much like a fingerprint. So checking a car’s VIN is a reliable way to establish its true identity and uncover its full history.

For example, the auto parts shop may not be able to match the right parts for you if the VIN is not offered, as shared by a car owner¹. In cases of theft or accidents, the vehicle’s VIN will be put into national databases after being reported, which can give you access to related details.

With the help of VIN search tools, you can access the vehicle’s history like accident history, recalls, theft records, and more. That knowledge can help you make a wise purchasing decision.

Methods to find the VIN

Listed below are some of the best license plate search tools that we trust. They can help you find the VIN matching the searched license plate (if available). Better yet, such platforms can also provide you with detailed info about the vehicle’s past, like theft records, recalls, accident history, and warranties.

1. Get the VIN on EpicVIN

EpicVIN is an NMVTIS-approved data provider. With access to multiple publicly available sources, it can provide you with detailed and up-to-date information. You’ll need to purchase a plan before you can view the full report, but it will offer some free preliminary information before you pay, and the VIN is typically included.

1. Go to EpicVIN.
2. Select by US License Plate, enter the license plate, and click on the search button.
   
3. Then EpicVIN will present you with some basic information about the vehicle, including the VIN.
   
4. If you’re interested in what’s included in the full report, you can further select and purchase a membership plan.

2. Find the VIN with BeenVerified

BeenVerified is a powerful license plate lookup tool with access to a wide range of public record sources. It can help you get a comprehensive look into the vehicle’s history. Enter a license plate number, and it will gather all the available information linked to the vehicle and generate a report that may contain the VIN, last odometer readings, theft records, warranties, and more.

1. Go to BeenVerified.
2. Enter the license plate and click SEARCH.
   
3. Wait as BeenVerified runs the search and compiles a report.
4. On the report page, you’ll see a navigation bar on the left to help you easily access the section that you’re interested in. For example, the Vehicle Specs section.
   
5. Note that BeenVerified is a subscription-based service and you’ll need to purchase a membership plan to view the full report.

What do we like about BeenVerified?
BeenVerified is an all-around search service. With one subscription, you can access its other search services like phone number, email address, and address lookups.

3. Search the license plate on Bumper

Bumper is a leading license plate search tool that gathers vehicle records from government agencies, insurance providers, and car industry sources. It offers professional search services at affordable prices. With a license plate, you’ll know about the car’s VIN, accident history, recalls, salvage titles, and more.

1. Go to the Bumper search page.
2. Enter the license plate and click SEARCH.
   
3. Wait for Bumper to scour its data sources and generate a report that may contain all the available records associated with the license plate.
   

4. Make use of free online car appraisers

This is a clever trick that not many people know about. Online car value estimators like Carvana allow you to get a quote for a car by its license plate. Apart from that, you will get other information like the VIN linked to the plate.

Simply navigate to Carvana’s appraisal page and enter the license plate. Then it will present you with the VIN of the vehicle searched.

Other public record lookup platforms also offer vehicle search by the license plate. For example, a forum member mentioned a reverse license plate lookup website called recordsfinder.com². But it only offers vehicle make, model and year, with no VIN available.

5. Find the VIN by the owner’s name

TruthFinder is a strong people search engine that can help you find a person’s details like the VIN of their car, their social media profiles, educational & job background, and more. With data collected from a wide range of sources, it has a better chance of revealing the person’s information, including the VIN of the car they might own.

1. Go to TruthFinder.
2. Enter the name and state, then click SEARCH NOW.
   
3. Enter the name, follow the on-screen instructions, and wait a few minutes as it scours through its data sources. Then you’ll get a report that may contain the VIN of their car. Note that TruthFinder is also a paid service.
   

6. Contact your car dealerships

If you are buying from car dealers, you can request the VIN of the desired vehicle from them. Normally, they can have access to the basic info including specifications, maintenance records, and the registration dates of the cars they are selling, and you can also try asking for it.

But in some cases, they might not reveal such info fully, or at all, for multiple reasons. Then if you really want to dig into the demanded car’s past, maybe just ask for the VIN and do a VIN lookup by yourself, to eliminate any concerns.

7. Go to the local DMV

If you’re finding the VIN of your car, you can visit the local DMV with proof of ownership and ask them for help. Visiting their online website is also an option. But if you’re finding the VIN of another person’s car, you might need to provide proper reasons for doing so and your ID when you approach the DMV.

Before purchasing a used car, it is important to conduct a thorough mechanic inspection. Neglecting this step, like the car owner in this case, can result in buying a problematic vehicle with a tampered VIN³.

These are ways to find a vehicle’s VIN by its license plate. Don’t hesitate to share with us if you’ve got better options!

1. General Discussion [DirtyViking]. (2010, June 25). Dealer can’t look up parts without a VIN # [Online forum post]. JEEPForum. https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/dealer-cant-look-up-parts-without-a-vin.1056714/ ↩︎
2. Manufacturing Today [eKretz]. (2017, April 23). OT: Any of you guys that can or know how to run a license plate lookup? [Online forum post]. Practical Machinist. https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/ot-any-of-you-guys-that-can-or-know-how-to-run-a-license-plate-lookup.334337 ↩︎
3. Personal Finance [futurewealthy]. (2019, October 18). I bought a STOLEN vehicle!!! [Online forum post]. Bogleheads. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=292858 ↩︎