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How to Look Up Vehicle Owner by VIN or License Plate?

clock Updated: 6 days ago

How to Look Up Vehicle Owner by VIN or License Plate?

Pouring money to purchase a used vehicle? Then you must keep an eye on the specifications of it, including but not limited to recall history, insurance, accident history… Wait! Don’t forget to perform a vehicle owner lookup in case you’re buying a car from a person who is NOT the real owner of it. Besides, getting more information about the vehicle won’t do harm.

You will find 4 useful methods from dedicated vehicle lookup tools to official government websites in this post, to help you find vehicle owner details. Read on and have a try.

The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) restricts the disclosure of personal information from state motor vehicle records, including the vehicle owner’s name and address.

Method 1 Check with the car dealership or manufacturer

If you know the dealership where it was purchased, you can try contacting the dealership to find out who owns the car. Or you can call the manufacturer if the vehicle is still under warranty. They may provide you with the owner’s information with VIN or license plate provided.

Method 2 Vehicle owner lookup with local DMV

DMV (Departments of Motor Vehicles) is a government agency that administers motor vehicle registration and driver licensing. Therefore, you may have a chance to acquire the vehicle information you need by requesting a vehicle record from your state DMV. 

But the available info may vary based on your state law. What’s more, generally you need to submit a form and pay a fee. Here, go through this document provided by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Read the corresponding state rules and follow the instructions to do your own search.

Method 3 Professional vehicle search engine

People are getting cautious about their spending during the pandemic time, fuelling more platforms to offer vehicle lookup services online, which helps people gain more information about their desired car. As time goes by, these professional search engines provide a wider range of search fields, more detailed informative categories, and more well-structured reports. 

Being legit, reliable, and affordable, they are the first choice when it comes to vehicle owner lookups though they cannot provide vehicle ownership details directly.

Option 1 Search for vehicle info by VIN

Founded in 2007, BeenVerified has long been paving the way for the general public to access simple and affordable people search tools. Offering 8 search products, it allows you to reach whatever you’re interested in as detailed as possible.

To find vehicle owners, you can simply do a VIN lookup or search by license plate. What you get may be more than you expected: accidents & salvage records, theft records, market value, recalls & warranties, and many others if available.

Search Now

It will scan its data source to find any matchings for you. Once done, you may see many sections in the report. Due to the law restriction, it will not provide information about the vehicle owner, but you can check other sections like sale listings, accident history and vehicle specs to learn more about the car.

Report from BeenVerified

Option 2 Look up car details by license plate

Specializing in vehicle information, Bumper has offered multiple tools and search options for potential car buyers and sellers for years. It compiles reliable and updated information from NMVTIS, JD Power, NHTSA, and many other industry-leading data sources.

You can search by VIN, license plate, or specific values like the year, make, and model. Likewise, you may find ownership details and much other valuable info in the report.

Option 3 Vehicle owner lookup with EpicVIN

The third option is EpicVIN, a vehicle-searching expert. Its vehicle owner lookup report may contain odometer readings, title information, accident history, vehicle use records, and more. You can look for vehicle details by VIN, US license plate in a few clicks.

Method 4 Google reverse image search

Google may fail to provide a lot of information when doing a vehicle owner lookup, but there is no denying that it’s the most powerful search engine in the world. 

You can take a picture of the car’s license plate and upload it to Google, to perform a reverse image search. If someone has posted that photo on social media or other websites, you may narrow down your search and gain more info.

Summary

If you have enough time, energy, and confidence, you can consult the DMV or search online to look up vehicle ownership information. If you favor all specifications and info in one single search, turn to professional search websites like BeenVerified and Bumper to save time.

exclamation-blueThere’s no guarantee you’ll find the information you’re looking for with the tools discussed in this article. They all source their information from publicly available data sources, such as county, state and federal courts, government departments, and police records, and those sources may contain incorrect or incomplete data. It’s illegal to use these tools to make decisions about employment, admission, consumer credit, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. Read the Fair Credit Reporting Act to learn more....

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Yuki's curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to knowledge. With two years of programming under her belt, she's embarked on thrilling projects that showcase her unique blend of creativity and analytical acumen. From developing a captivating poetry website to diving into the depths of data analysis and venturing into the world of mobile app development, she became excellent at Internet research and data mining.

But her journey doesn't end in the classroom. Prior to joining Super Easy, she has honed her writing skills as a contributor at SHEIN, delved into the intricacies of marketing as a specialist for an international e-commerce company, facilitated dreams as an educational consultant for a company assisting individuals in studying abroad, and lent her IT expertise as an assistant for britishcouncil.org. This breadth of experience has enriched her perspective on the digital landscape, making her a true expert in uncovering hidden gems on the web.

Yet, Yuki's interests extend far beyond the digital realm. When she's not crafting informative content, she's often found taking refreshing dips in the pool, embarking on thrilling adventures around the globe, or immersing herself in the captivating realm of theater. These passions not only rejuvenate her spirit but also serve as a wellspring of creativity, ensuring that her writing remains vibrant, engaging, and relatable.

About this article

round-success 22 Revisions

file-success Reviewed by BeenVerified

Yuki Huang

Writer

Yuki's curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to knowledge. With two years of programming under her belt, she's embarked on thrilling projects that showcase her unique blend of creativity and analytical acumen. From developing a captivating poetry website to diving into the depths of data analysis and venturing into the world of mobile app development, she became excellent at Internet research and data mining. Bu [...]

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