Can I Find Out Who A Car Is Registered To?

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Sometimes you accept a legitimate reason to rails down the registered owner of a vehicle, but the only information you accept is a license plate number. This might happen if you are the victim of a hit-and-run, and merely managed to take a motion-picture show of the tag as the car was screeching away from the scene. Even so, in the U.S. and other countries, governments heavily regulate who has access to this information to protect individual privacy. Finding a vehicle'southward registered owner using just a license plate number is possible, only can be extremely difficult.^[i]

1. 1

   Identify the reason you need to find the owner. Most governments restrict access to information almost registered owners of motor vehicles for privacy reasons. Earlier you tin go personal data virtually the possessor of the vehicle, you'll need to demonstrate that you have a legitimate reason.^[2]

   • For example, yous might need to find the owner of a vehicle if y'all've been involved in an accident, or if you're conducting enquiry that involves statistics virtually motor vehicle ownership. You might also need access to this information as part of your job (e.one thousand., if you're an insurance agent or someone in charge of towing or impounding vehicles).^[iii]
   • Giving fake information or lying almost your reason for seeking the information on a government class or other legal document may effect in fines or even jail fourth dimension, depending on the laws where y'all live.

2. 2

   Contact constabulary enforcement. If you lot are the victim of a hitting-and-run, or if finding the vehicle's registered possessor is a matter of public safety, telephone call on local police force to assist you lot. They have more resources to track down the owner.^[4]

   • You may not exist given the data yourself, but the police force volition aid with whatsoever you need to do. For example, if someone abandoned a motorcar in the parking lot of your business organization, the constabulary could help you contact the owner to remove the vehicle from your property.

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3. 3

   Find out as much as you can on your own. If all you have is a license plate number, it can be extremely difficult to notice out the name of the owner. More information gives you a greater gamble of success.^[v]

   • If you took a picture of the tag, you probably also know the color of the car, possibly even the brand and model. Do an prototype search online to narrow down the automobile's year.
   • From the plate itself, you can effigy out the country that issued the plate, and perchance even the metropolis or county where information technology was registered. Yous also can find out whether the tag has expired.

4. four

   Talk to your insurance company. If the driver was responsible for damage to your vehicle or your property, y'all demand to file an insurance claim. Insurance claims agents have additional resources to locate the driver of the vehicle.^[half-dozen]

   • Provided your insurance visitor accepts the claim, they typically will take care of locating and suing the owner of the vehicle. Depending on the outcome, you may never accept any reason to acquire the commuter's identity yourself.

5. 5

   Try to find out the vehicle identification number (VIN). In some places, you must have the VIN as well as the tag number to go whatever information at all nigh the registered owner. This helps prevent false identification.^[7]

   • If the license plate number wasn't issued for that vehicle, the search results will note that. You may get results for both the VIN number and the plate number.
   • You likewise can look for information by looking upwards the car's VIN. You may take to pay a fee for a VIN written report, but it can give you lot additional data nearly the owner (although you may non be able to find out their proper name).

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1. 1

   Locate the authorities office in charge of registering motor vehicles. If vehicles have license plates, there is a regime agency that issues those plates and tracks them. The rules regarding who tin can access that data depend on the country, state, or province that issued the license plate.^[eight]

   • This tin be somewhat difficult if the license plate was issued in a faraway place. If you have to transport your request through the mail, look it to accept weeks if not months to get a effect.

2. 2

   Review authorized reasons for accessing information. Privacy laws protect drivers by only allowing certain information to be shown under limited circumstances. The allowed reasons vary depending on the state that issued the license plate.^[9]

   • Typically you lot can observe a listing of authorized reasons online. Look for the official website of the regime agency that issued the license plate.
   • If you can't find the data online, you tin can always phone call a motor vehicles bureau office and ask. Explain that you desire to find a vehicle's registered owner and the just information you have is a license plate number. Tell them why, and they will tell you what they can do to help yous, if anything.
   • In some places, you won't be able to find out the name of the vehicle's registered owner for whatever reason, absent the owner'southward knowledge and permission.^[x]

3. 3

   Consummate an information request course. The request form requires you to provide information about yourself and the reason you are requesting the information. If information technology comes with instructions, read them advisedly earlier you start filling out the class.^[11]

   • Provide as much data about the vehicle, in improver to the license plate number, every bit you can. The more information you have, the more probable you will get a useful issue.
   • You may be able to find a copy of the course online. Look on the official website for the motor vehicles section or bureau that issued the license plate.
   • If you're trying to locate the title of a vehicle, go through your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You'll accept to fill up out a grade and pay any applicable fees.^[12]

4. 4

   Submit all required documents and fees. You must pay a fee for your search, which will vary simply generally will be less than $l. Depending on the location and how you submit your form, you lot may be required to bear witness proof of identity.^[13]

   • Some governments may require documents or other information to back up the reason you are requesting information about the owner of the vehicle.
   • Fees typically are based on the cost of the search, not whether whatsoever usable results are returned. If you get results, you lot may have to pay additional fees for copying.^[14]
   • Brand a copy of everything for your personal records earlier you send information technology.

5. 5

   Receive the results of your request. In some cases, you lot may become results from your request immediately. Typically, though, the agency will need some time to process your asking and will mail y'all the results.^[15]

   • Y'all may want to follow upward with the agency if you don't hear anything within 2 to 4 weeks of submitting your forms.
   • In one case y'all become the information, you may accept to practise boosted research. For instance, you may get the registered possessor'south first and last proper noun, but not their address. Y'all may be able to discover a last known address or phone number for the person by doing a search online of their name.

6. six

   Study auto accidents or crimes to the law. If yous are the victim of a hit-and-run, or if y'all witnessed a crime or auto blow, let local police force enforcement handle information technology. They tin track down the owner of the vehicle for yous.^[sixteen]

   • While you probably won't be given personal access to the driver's data, it volition be made bachelor to your insurance company if you filed a claim.

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1. 1

   Look for a private investigator online. A basic online search volition produce web pages of local private investigators too every bit investigators who piece of work entirely online. Compare the offerings on these web pages and meet if something will work for you.^[17]

   • Practise your ain research on any website you notice to make sure it'southward a legitimate service and not a scam. If the page advertises a licensed investigator, you tin check that license'due south status with the state or local agency that issued the license.
   • Web searches tin can be especially useful if the license plate was issued in a place far from you. Look for someone based there for best results.

2. ii

   Try an online search service. There are many online services that will comb through public records to find the person who was issued a particular license plate. However, most of these services charge fees and may not deliver the results y'all need.^[eighteen]

   • Search for sites that offer "license plate lookup" services, such as PeoplePublicRecords.org, to find out basic information about the vehicle, such as whether the driver has a criminal history or the car has been involved in accidents.^[19]
   • Many of these websites are scams, and may mislead you lot into believing they have the results you need and and then charging you high fees before you can even look at the results. When you lot become the information, it may be inaccurate or outdated.
   • In almost places, it is illegal for anyone outside law enforcement to run a license plate number to get data on a person. This doesn't mean that it'south impossible to find a vehicle'due south registered owner using merely a license plate number, simply online services that claim to offer instantaneous results are probably scams.

3. 3

   Contact a local investigator. If the license plate was issued locally, y'all may want to hire a private investigator to track down the possessor of the vehicle. Look online or in your local phone book to discover the names and contact information for private investigators about you.^[20]

   • Interview the investigator in person before you hire them, and make certain you understand how their services work and how you lot will be billed. Hiring a private investigator tin can get expensive, so if y'all have any upkeep limitations you need to discuss costs upfront.
   • Near governments crave private investigators to be licensed. Ask for the investigator'due south licensing data and brand certain it's valid and upwards to date.
   • Talk to the investigator specifically about what you desire and why. Find out if they've done similar searches in the past, and whether they were successful in finding the vehicle'southward registered owner.

4. iv

   Research whatever investigator'south background and experience. Earlier you rent a private investigator, you need to practice a little investigating on them to make sure they take a proficient reputation and tin can get results.^[21]

   • Ask the investigator for a few names of previous clients who you can contact for a reference. You also tin can cheque for reviews of the investigator online.
   • If the investigator has a license from the city or state where they operate, see if you can look up their license number online. Cheque their license record for subject area or other negative marks.

5. v

   Sign a contract with your investigator. Before you give the investigator whatever money to start work, get the specific terms of your understanding in writing. Yous need to know how long they will search for the owner and how they will study their findings to you.^[22]

   • The contract should hash out all charges specifically, including any restrictions yous've set for the investigator. For case, you may want the investigator to phone call you before incurring any additional expenses higher up a certain dollar corporeality.
   • The contract also should discuss what type of written report y'all will receive at the finish of the investigation, and whether the investigator will contact yous to give you status updates over the course of the investigation.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What should I do if I'thousand trying to find the title for a car?

  

  Bryan Hamby is the possessor of Auto Banker Guild, a trusted auto brokerage in Los Angeles, California. He founded Machine Broker Club in 2014 out of a passion for cars and a unique talent for customizing the automobile dealership process to be on the heir-apparent'southward side. With 1,400+ deals closed, and a 90% customer retention charge per unit, Bryan's focus is to simplify the auto buying feel through transparency, fair pricing, and world class customer service.

  

  Professional Auto Broker

  Expert Answer

  Contact the DMV in your expanse. You'll demand to fill out a title request form and pay a fee, and they'll permit you know about any boosted documentation you may need.

• Question

  Can you get personal information from a VIN number?

  

  This respond was written by i of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  No, you cannot become whatever personal information of the machine'due south possessor just from a VIN number.

• Question

  How can I find the owner of a car with only the license plate number?

  

  You can utilize the state DMV and submit a formal request, or use sites similar recordsfinder.com/plate for a fee.

• Question

  How do I find the registered owner of a vehicle in British Columbia?

  

  Contact a Service Canada office in the province that issued the license plate.

• Question

  How practise I find out how many cars are registered in my name?

  

  Contact your state or province'due south department of motor vehicles. Typically you can become your own information for free, although you lot may have to pay a modest fee to encompass the cost of copying and mailing the report.

• Question

  How do I find the owner of an abandoned car on my property with expired tags?

  

  Look for the car's VIN (you lot should be able to see information technology through the dash, simply higher up the hood of the car). With the VIN and the plate number, you should be able to locate the registered owner. Contact local constabulary if you want to take the car removed from your belongings.

• Question

  How to find out how many cars are registered to a person?

  

  In about states, a subpoena is required. Prior to the 1990s you could simply enquire the registry. Beginning class citizens such as most federal and state regime workers can even so access this information without the need to obtain court approval.

• Question

  How do I find a person using their license plate?

  

  Through your insurance company. Opening a merits volition aid start the process; provide them with as much information, descriptions, and details. They will not say who it is, but they tin notice out. If you're plant not at mistake, your costs will be waived for repairs on a hit and run.

• Question

  Tin can I discover out the year and model of a vehicle from the license plate number?

  

  Yes, get to findbyplate.com and search the plate number. It will provide you with a brand, model, twelvemonth and maybe other information most the machine also

• Question

  How do I become the address of a vehicle'due south owner by the plate number for costless?

  

  Get to the police force. If you have a legitimate reason for doing this, the constabulary will assist yous.

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Article Summary 10

The all-time way to find a vehicle's registered owner using a license plate number is by contacting law enforcement or your insurance company. If you were the victim of a hit-and-run, the constabulary can assistance you identify the person, and insurance companies also have ways of obtaining the possessor's proper noun. Otherwise, but the authorities tin access that private data. Check online to see if your reason for requesting the name is applicable, then fill up out the DMV's request form to start the process. For information about using a private investigator, read on!

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