There are a number of scenarios where you want to track a car with a license plate number. Perhaps you’ve had your eyes on a fancy used car and wanted to know more about the vehicle’s registered owner and its past. Or you’re in the middle of a hit-and-run trying to report the bad driver. Regardless of your reason, there are actually 5 ways to help you solve the mystery. Read on…

1. File a police report

If you’re trying to track a license plate number because you are the victim or a witness of a (traffic) violation, call the police and file a report. This may include a road accident, an abandoned car, nuisance parking, a crime in the act, or any other wrongdoing that has breached traffic regulations or the law.

Law enforcement will start with the information you provide and investigate the case.

2. Find vehicle owner with BeenVerified

BeenVerified is a legit vehicle lookup tool that allows you to search for a license plate number to get a detailed report of a vehicle. With BeenVerified, you’ll have access to the following information when available:

• Owner details
• Photos
• Vehicle specs
• Sales listings
• Accident history
• Theft records
• Market value,
• etc.

1. Go to BeenVerified Vehicle Search.
2. In the Search by License Plate section, enter the license plate number to click SEARCH.
   
3. Wait for BeenVerified to search the database. Once it locates a match, it’ll generate a report containing all available information about the vehicle.
   

3. Get vehicle history reports with Bumper

Got your eyes on a car but the deal seems too good to be true? Just Bumper before you buy. Bumper is a professional vehicle search tool built to handle your most vehicle-related needs. You can look up the license plate number to get a vehicle’s specs, ownership, history, market value, vehicle comparisons, and real-time monitoring, in one single tool.

1. Head to Bumper Vehicle Search.
2. Click SEARCH BY LICENSE PLATE, then pop in your car’s plate number, then click SEARCH.
   
3. Sit tight as Bumper gathers records for your vehicle and compiles them into a report. Once ready, click to unlock the report.
   

4. Track license plate number with EPICVIN

Much like Bumper, EPICVIN is one of the official NMVTIS data providers that aims to protect consumers from stolen and unsafe vehicles. With a license plate number search or a VIN lookup, you’ll be provided with valuable information to help you assess a vehicle’s condition and safety. This includes its past & current owners, safety recalls, maintenance history, ownership costs, odometer reading, etc.

1. Go to the EPICVIN official website.
2. Click by US License Plate, then type the license plate number as suggested, then click Check Plate.
3. Wait a few seconds as EPICVIN checks the plate number against its database. Once complete, you’ll receive an in-depth report for the vehicle.
   

5. Request vehicle information from DMV

The Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV, is a government agency where you can file a formal request for information about the vehicle and its owners.

Note that the types of information being released to the public may vary on a state-by-state basis, so you may want to check out Vehicle Record Requests for your state to get started.

While in most cases you can obtain vehicle records through an online form, in some states, you might have to call your DMV. It should also be noted that there would be a small fee for access to the data.

Is it legal to track a car owner or its real-time location by license plate number?

A license plate number, also known as a vehicle registration number (VRN), is the official set of alphanumerics that is used to identify a vehicle and its registered owner.

Since it’s part of the designation for an individual vehicle, it is linked to a wealth of information about the vehicle and its owner. However, in most cases, it would be legally prohibited by the DPPA to trace the owner of a vehicle with a license plate number – unless you have what the law refers to as “permissible uses” of the information.

In the same vein, while tracking a car owner’s real-time location is technically possible with the combination of modern-day GPS tracking technology, you must provide legitimate reasons for your action.

FAQs

You may have some concerns about how to legally track a car owner using their license plate. To address some of those queries, we have compiled this short FAQ section below.

1. Is it legal for me to track a car or its owner using the license plate number?

In most cases, no. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) prohibits using a license plate to get personal information about a car’s owner without their consent. There are some exceptions (e.g. if you’re a victim of a crime), but tracking a car for no legitimate reason is illegal.

As an online forum contributor explained¹, there is no legitimate way for a regular citizen to access the vehicle registration records from the DPPA (DVLA for the UK) or police just because you want to purchase the car. The only options are to try contacting the owner through social media appeals or car enthusiast groups to see if anyone knows the vehicle. While the license plate can help identify the car, it does not provide any ownership details that would allow you to directly contact the current registrant.

2. Can I find out who owns a car by running the license plate number online?

Most online license plate lookup services will not provide personal details about a vehicle’s owner. They may provide basic vehicle details and history based on public records, but not private information about the registrant.

3. What kind of information can I get from a license plate search?

You may be able to find out basics like the vehicle make, model, year, color, and possibly accident history or outstanding recalls. Details that could identify the owner like name, address and contact info are not publicly available.

As discussed in an online community², regular citizens cannot access DMV records to get personal information about a vehicle owner using just a license plate number. Only law enforcement has access to lookup license plate numbers and connect them to registrant data. Any third party sites offering free license plate searches are likely scams and unable to provide private details

4. I was in a hit-and-run accident. Can I track the car using the license plate?

Yes, in this case, you can file a police report with the license plate details and request they investigate. As a victim of a crime, you have valid reasons to request info based on the plate. However, some users³ argue that it is best to leave the investigation to the authorities and insurance companies, rather than trying to track down the owner yourself. The police and your insurance provider have more resources and legal means to identify the at-fault driver using the license plate and VIN.

5. My car was stolen. How do I track it using the license plate?

Report your car stolen to the police immediately. Provide them with your car’s license plate number, make and model, and any other identifiers. They can enter this info into databases to track it down. You should not attempt to investigate this on your own.

6. I think my neighbor is dealing drugs. Can I look up their car to get their personal details?

No. Trying to access someone’s private data without their consent and without evidence of a crime is illegal. If you genuinely suspect criminal activity, you should contact your local law enforcement.

That’s it – 5 useful methods to help you trace a license number to learn about its owner and vehicle history. If you have any ideas, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Thanks!

Photo by Christopher Watts on Unsplash

1. [Dalogadro_II]. (2023, July 05) How to track down a car based purely on the licence plate? [Online forum post].
   https://www.reddit.com/r/CarTalkUK/comments/14r6rh8/how_to_track_down_a_car_based_purely_on_the/ ↩︎
2. r/NoStupidQuestions [Bjugner]. (2018, May 17) Can people actually get your address from your license plate number online? [Online forum post].
   https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/8jzw3d/can_people_actually_get_your_address_from_your/ ↩︎
3. r/UnethicalLifeProTips [nonpublicsubtext]. (2023, November 03) ULPT request: how can I find a cars owner with just a license plate and vin [Online forum post].
   https://www.reddit.com/r/UnethicalLifeProTips/comments/17m8d1r/ulpt_request_how_can_i_find_a_cars_owner_with/ ↩︎