Can you find the license plate owner’s information if you have a license plate number? Is it legal to look up a license plate owner? Don’t worry, this post will give you the answer.
License Plate Owner Lookup
Unlock Car History and Previous Owner with License Plate Number.
Related search: Find out who owns a car anonymously by VIN.
Is it legal to search for a license plate owner?
No, it’s illegal to look up a license plate owner in the US without proper authorization. The US has the DPPA (Driver’s Privacy Protection Act), which prohibits looking up information based on license plates except for some specific reasons. This restriction is due to privacy laws that protect individuals’ personal data. As an ordinary citizen, you don’t have the right to look up the license plate owner. If you try to access personal information without authorization, such as identifying the owner’s name, address, or other private details, the action violates privacy laws. This can result in legal actions such as fines or even criminal charges.
If it’s a hit and run or you want to report a bad driver, you can tell the police and let them do the work.
What information can a license plate give?
When you run an online license plate search, you can get the information related to the vehicle:
- Vehicle specifications
- Vehicle accidents records
- Recalls and warranties
- Market value
- Fuel efficiency
- Indicators of potential auto fraud and theft
How to search vehicle history by license plate
1. Contact DMV
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provides information related to license plates. Go to the DMV’s official website for your state and search for the license plate. If the DMV doesn’t offer this function, you can call or go to the DMV office and ask the staff directly. They can guide you on where to find the information you’re seeking and what documents you need to provide for the request.
But the service may come at a fee. And DMV doesn’t provide personal information such as the name, phone number, or address of the owner of the vehicle.
If this method doesn’t meet your needs, you can turn to third-party services for help. There are reputable third-party services that provide vehicle history reports, VIN lookups, or specific information about a vehicle’s title, accidents, recalls, etc.
2. Search license plate on BeenVerified
There are many websites that indicate they provide a free license plate lookup service. However, free lookups usually can’t give accurate information. Some may get your personal information to send you harassing emails or messages. You get what you pay for, so we recommend a reliable and powerful vehicle lookup website — BeenVerified.
BeenVerified is a professional vehicle lookup website that allows you to use license plate numbers and VIN numbers to search vehicle history records. If you don’t have specific information, it allows you to run a rough search with Year, Make, and Model. Back up by billions of real-sourced data, both from governments and the public, the search engine will provide you with a detailed and accurate report.
Here is how to use BeenVerified to run a license plate lookup.
1) Go to BeenVerified Vehicle Search.
2) Type the license plate number, select its state, then hit SEARCH.
3) Wait a few seconds as BeenVerified searches its millions of vehicle records in its database and generates a report for the vehicle for you.
3. Run Bumper search
To learn more about a vehicle you own or plan to buy, you can use Bumper to research a vehicle by the license plate. Bumper can help you know a vehicle’s accident history, salvage, and theft records. It’s also a great tool to help you compare two similar vehicles. With the help of their cost data and 150+ data points of vehicle specs and recalls, you can make a wiser decision.
1) Go to Bumper.
2) Click SEARCH BY LICENSE PLATE, then enter the License Plate and select the State. Click SEARCH.
3) Bumper will search on its database and give you a report that contains the information you need.
4. Look up license plate on EpicVIN
EpicVIN is one of the best-known vehicle search tools. With a robust database, it not only allows you to track down the vehicle owner by a license plate number but also reveals loads of essential information about a vehicle, such as:
- Owner details
- Accidents and salvage records
- Vehicle specifications
- Ownership costs
- Sale listings
- Market value
- Theft records
- Recalls and warranties
1) Go to the official EpicVIN website.
2) Select by US License Plate, enter the number and click Check.
3) Wait until the results load up and you’ll see different sections of records. Click each section to get more detailed information.
In what situation people tend to look up license plate information
People might look up license plate information in various situations, including:
- Accident
- Hit-and-Run
- Suspicious activity
- Parking Issues
- Safety Concerns
- Used car purchase
No matter in what situation, it’s illegal to access personal information associated with a license plate number without proper authorization. If it’s a safety concern, you’d better call the police. It’s important to be careful and follow the law when dealing with license plate details.
Conclusion:
Looking up a license plate owner is illegal, if you encounter an accident, turn to the police for help. But you can run a license plate search before buying a second-hand car. Knowing a vehicle history would help you know better about the car and get a good deal.
The methods in this article provide you with easy access to public record information, but without a guarantee for accuracy and may include links to websites not listed as a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). Information acquired from these bodies is illegal to be used for employment, housing, credit, and other purposes alike, according to laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). If you’re not sure whether your use of our methods is appropriate, click here for details.About this article
63 Revisions
Reviewed by BeenVerified
About this article
63 Revisions
Reviewed by BeenVerified
