Before you buy any used vehicle, it's important to check how many past owners it has had. Being a seller, you need to check as well because buyers need proof. Our license plate owner lookup shows the number of past owners, locations, and ownership periods.
Note that you cannot see their full names, contact information, or addresses due to the Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA).
The Limits of License Plate Owner Data
A license plate lookup can get you much important information about the vehicle's owner, but it does not disclose the vehicle's past owners in full detail, like the name and addresses. Under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), accessing a vehicle's owner's details, like name, address, and contact information, is restricted to authorities only. Most DMV databases only provide general data like the car's make, model year, registration status, and sometimes the expiration date.
However, our license plate lookup owner service offers additional information through a vehicle history report.
By getting a vehicle history report, you can access:
Ownership duration each time the vehicle changed hands.
Vehicle type (personal, lease, taxi, police, or fleet).
Locations where the vehicle was owned and registered (states, country).
Dates of ownership changes.
Title status, accident history, and damage information.
Auction records and market value.
Mileage readings and more.
This gives a complete picture of the vehicle's history, helping you make informed decisions before buying.
What Information Can You Get from Our License Plate Lookup Services?
While you won't receive personal details about the vehicle's past owners, our license plate lookup service can get you much more information than just checking the vehicle's past owner.
Here's what you will be getting in the full vehicle history report
Vehicle Specifications
Be informed of the vehicle's full specifications, such as the drive type, MSRP, fuel type, country of origin, engine type, engine capacity, and more.
Ownership History
Our license plate lookup helps you oversee the vehicle's past owners, like the year of purchase, ownership duration, and locations where the vehicle was owned and registered (states, country)
Title Check
Provides a title check that gives you insights if the title is clean or if marked as salvage, lemon, repossessed, or rebuilt.
How to Check a License Plate Owner?
To find the owner by license plate, you just need to have the license plate number and follow these simple steps:
1
Get the License Plate Number
First of all, you need to have the license plate number with you. The license plate number can be found on the vehicle (rear or front side) or on its paperwork, like registration.
2
Enter License Plate In The Form
After you have the license plate number in your hand, click on the form above and fill it out with the license plate number. Then, click on the button to submit the form to our system.
3
Get the Report
Wait for a few seconds for the report to be generated. Then, proceed to payment to get the full report and check who owns the car by license plate.
If you cannot find the owner through the license plate, there are other alternatives you can give it a try:
Run the VIN Lookup
Aside from using the license plate, you can use the vehicle owner by VIN service to get the vehicle report and be informed of the vehicle's past owner. The report shows the past owners, the state where it was registered, the year of purchase, and the ownership duration.
Check the DMV Sites
Go to the DMV state's site where you lived, then enter the license plate number on the form. Through the DMV sites, the information you'll be getting is the vehicle's registration date, model, and year. Please note that this service comes with a fee, and DMV does not give personal information.
Visit to the DMV Office
You can pay a visit to the DMV office during its working hours to request the vehicle information. However, this method can consume more time as you will need to drive to the state DMV.
Hire a Private Investigator
If you'd like to take a step further, you can hire a private investigator (PI) who can help you conduct a lawful search of vehicle information. Under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), access to DMV data is restricted to specific, approved purposes, and each state may have its own additional regulations.
Working with a private investigator costs more compared to running your own license plate owner lookup; also, there will be no assurance that the report will be available to see. Investigators can determine if your request meets legal criteria, file record requests where permitted, and gather data from legitimate sources.
However, the private investigator is still bound by privacy laws and cannot retrieve personal details that the DPPA or state laws prohibit.
Can You Really Find Personal Data Using License Plates?
It is important to understand that personal information linked to a license plate is protected by the privacy laws. In the United States, the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) restricts access to sensitive information like the names, contact information, and addresses of past owners. This sensitive information is only available for law enforcement, and authorised organisations with a valid legal reason can get this information.
Our lookup car owner by license plate will only give you the ownership history information, like the state where it was registered, duration, and the year of purchase.
Our service is 100% legal and will not show the actual name, address, and contact information of the past owner.
Why You Need a License Plate Owner Lookup
The information you will be getting from our find owner by license plate lookup can help you see if the vehicle has too many past owners. Sometimes, if a vehicle has too many past owners in a short time, it could be an early indication of serious problems.
Here are more reasons why you need to run a license plate owner lookup.
Compare Vehicles Before Buying
You might be interested in two different vehicles. To determine which one is better, you can run the license plate owner lookup and find out how many past owners the car has had. If the car has too many owners, it might be an early sign of something.
Negotiate a Fair Price
Through a license plate lookup, you will get a vehicle history report that will detail the vehicle's records, like accidents, recalls, and mileage. If the vehicle was in an accident or has any kind of red flag, you can use those pointers to negotiate better with the seller.
Prepare an Inspection
The vehicle history report helps you see if the vehicle has any problems, like damage caused by flood or natural disaster. By finding what is wrong with the vehicle, you can plan the mechanical inspection to immediately address the issues.
Verify Seller's Honesty
Use the report to confirm if the vehicle description fits the seller's description, like the mileage, ownership, and maintenance history match the seller's claim. Some sellers might be dishonest by rolling out the odometer.
Avoid Hidden Liabilities
The license plate lookup helps you see if the vehicle still has an unpaid financial burden, like lien/loan records. Before you decide to purchase the vehicle, make sure the lien/loan is paid off, as it could be a burden to you.
Our License Plate Supported All U.S. States
Our license plate lookup supports all the states in the United States, based on the data availability, state rules, and regulations.
No, you generally cannot find someone's name from a license plate due to strict privacy laws. Federal laws, like the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), restrict access to this personal information. Only authorised entities are allowed to access vehicle owner details, and this is limited to groups such as law enforcement, insurance companies, and licensed private investigators for legitimate, defined purposes.
No, a license plate alone does not easily give away a typical person's private owner information, such as their name and address. Access to this kind of data is restricted by federal laws, specifically the Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). While authorised entities like law enforcement, insurance companies, and individuals with a legitimate legal reason can access vehicle records, general or free online lookups are highly unlikely to provide any sensitive personal details.
To find a car's owner, you can either contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with the vehicle's license plate or VIN, or use a reputable, paid vehicle history report service; however, be aware that the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) severely restricts access to personal owner information.
Private individuals are not allowed to look up personal details using someone's license plate. Privacy laws like the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) limit access to this information, allowing only authorised organisations such as law enforcement or insurance companies to obtain it for valid legal reasons.
On our license plate lookup, you can look up a license plate for free and get the basic information of the vehicle, like the specification, MSRP, market value, and country of origin. However, if you want to get the full vehicle's information, you can use our free license plate lookup. To find the owner by license plate, get our paid vehicle report.
No, generally, a civilian cannot get private data like the address due to the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) and state privacy laws, which restrict access to motor vehicle records. Only authorised entities can access this information through official channels, including law enforcement, insurance companies, or private investigators who have a legitimate legal need.
Auction History
Check if the vehicle was sold at an auction. This section highlights the date, location, and the final price of the vehicle during the auction–in addition to that, you'll also get up to ten pictures showing the vehicle's condition when it was auctioned.
Accident History
See if the vehicle was involved in an accident and check the truth by a license plate lookup. In this section, you'll see the date and location where the accident happened.
Past Usage Records
See if the vehicle was used as a personal vehicle, rented, leased, a taxi, or even used as a government vehicle. Different usage has different wear and tear; make sure you understand how the vehicle was used in the past.
Theft Check
View the stolen status to ensure that the vehicle is not stolen. In this section, you'll see the detailed information on the date, location, and data source of the stolen vehicle information.
Odometer Reading
Examine the recorded mileage of the vehicle by using the license plate number. View the recorded mileage along with the date and the last recorded mileage of the vehicle. This information will shield you from odometer-rolled-back vehicles.
Lien/Loan Records
Find out if the vehicle has any unpaid lien/loan from the previous owner on the vehicle report. Before you purchase, ensure that the financial burden is paid off before it becomes your responsibility.
Damage Verification
Go through the damage verification section of your report to find out if the vehicle has any damage from the past. Check if the damage was caused by fire, a natural disaster, or major/minor damage caused by an accident.
Event Verification
Check what event has happened in the past. See if the vehicle has been marked as abandoned, repossessed, duplicate title, or had its insurance lost, as it could affect the safety aspect and selling value.
Recalls History
Get the full information on the vehicle's recall history. The recall history section helps you see the complete information on the recall date, causes, the status, whether it's still open or already closed, and the steps taken by the manufacturer to resolve the recall issues.
Ensure the vehicle isn't stolen, abandoned, or improperly registered before completing the transaction. Be aware that if you accidentally bought a stolen vehicle, it could be repossessed by the authorities, and you'll not get the money back.
