How To Find Out Whose Car It Is

Download Article

Sometimes you have a legitimate reason to track downwardly the registered possessor of a vehicle, simply the just information you lot accept is a license plate number. This might happen if you are the victim of a hitting-and-run, and just managed to take a motion-picture show of the tag every bit the motorcar was screeching away from the scene. Notwithstanding, in the U.S. and other countries, governments heavily regulate who has access to this information to protect private privacy. Finding a vehicle'south registered possessor using but a license plate number is possible, but tin can be extremely hard.^[1]

ane
Identify the reason yous demand to observe the possessor. Most governments restrict access to data about registered owners of motor vehicles for privacy reasons. Before you can get personal data about the owner of the vehicle, y'all'll need to demonstrate that you accept a legitimate reason.^[2]
- For case, you might need to discover the owner of a vehicle if you've been involved in an accident, or if you're conducting research that involves statistics well-nigh motor vehicle ownership. Yous might also need admission to this information as role of your job (east.g., if you're an insurance amanuensis or someone in accuse of towing or impounding vehicles).^[3]
- Giving false information or lying almost your reason for seeking the information on a government form or other legal document may event in fines or even jail fourth dimension, depending on the laws where yous alive.
two
Contact law enforcement. If you are the victim of a hit-and-run, or if finding the vehicle's registered possessor is a matter of public safety, call on local police to assist yous. They have more resources to track downwards the owner.^[4]
- Y'all may not be given the information yourself, just the police will assist with any you need to do. For example, if someone abandoned a car in the parking lot of your business, the police could assistance you contact the owner to remove the vehicle from your property.
Advertisement
iii
Find out as much as you tin on your own. If all you have is a license plate number, it can be extremely difficult to find out the name of the owner. More information gives you a greater chance of success.^[5]
- If yous took a movie of the tag, you probably besides know the color of the car, maybe fifty-fifty the brand and model. Do an paradigm search online to narrow downward the auto'south year.
- From the plate itself, yous can effigy out the land that issued the plate, and maybe even the urban center or canton where information technology was registered. You lot also tin find out whether the tag has expired.
4
Talk to your insurance company. If the driver was responsible for damage to your vehicle or your property, you demand to file an insurance merits. Insurance claims agents take boosted resource to locate the commuter of the vehicle.^[6]
- 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 have any reason to learn the driver'south identity yourself.
five
Endeavor to find out the vehicle identification number (VIN). In some places, y'all must have the VIN besides as the tag number to get any data at all about the registered owner. This helps prevent false identification.^[vii]
- If the license plate number wasn't issued for that vehicle, the search results volition note that. You may get results for both the VIN number and the plate number.
- You also can look for information by looking up the car'due south VIN. You lot may have to pay a fee for a VIN report, merely it can give you additional information about the owner (although y'all may not exist able to detect out their proper noun).
Advertisement

1
Locate the government office in charge of registering motor vehicles. If vehicles have license plates, there is a government bureau that bug those plates and tracks them. The rules regarding who tin access that data depend on the land, country, or province that issued the license plate.^[viii]
- This can be somewhat difficult if the license plate was issued in a faraway place. If you take to send your request through the mail, expect information technology to accept weeks if not months to go a event.
ii
Review authorized reasons for accessing data. Privacy laws protect drivers by simply assuasive sure information to be shown nether express circumstances. The allowed reasons vary depending on the state that issued the license plate.^[9]
- Typically you tin find a list of authorized reasons online. Look for the official website of the government bureau that issued the license plate.
- If you can't discover the information online, yous tin can e'er telephone call a motor vehicles agency office and ask. Explain that you want to find a vehicle's registered owner and the only data yous have is a license plate number. Tell them why, and they volition tell you what they can do to help you, if anything.
- In some places, you won't be able to find out the name of the vehicle's registered owner for any reason, absent the possessor's knowledge and permission.^[ten]
3
Complete an information asking course. The asking form requires y'all to provide data about yourself and the reason y'all are requesting the information. If it comes with instructions, read them advisedly before y'all kickoff filling out the form.^[11]
- Provide as much information virtually the vehicle, in addition to the license plate number, equally you tin. The more information y'all have, the more likely you lot volition get a useful result.
- Y'all may exist able to detect a copy of the class online. Look on the official website for the motor vehicles section or agency that issued the license plate.
- If you're trying to locate the title of a vehicle, go through your state'southward Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You'll have to fill out a form and pay any applicative fees.^[12]
4
Submit all required documents and fees. You must pay a fee for your search, which will vary but by and large will be less than $50. Depending on the location and how y'all submit your form, y'all may be required to evidence proof of identity.^[13]
- Some governments may require documents or other information to support the reason you are requesting data about the owner of the vehicle.
- Fees typically are based on the cost of the search, not whether any usable results are returned. If you get results, yous may have to pay additional fees for copying.^[14]
- Brand a copy of everything for your personal records before you ship it.
5
Receive the results of your request. In some cases, you may get results from your asking immediately. Typically, though, the agency will need some time to procedure your request and will post yous the results.^[fifteen]
- You lot may desire to follow up with the agency if y'all don't hear annihilation inside 2 to four weeks of submitting your forms.
- Once you lot become the information, yous may accept to practice additional research. For example, you may get the registered possessor's first and last name, but not their address. Y'all may be able to find a last known address or telephone number for the person by doing a search online of their name.
half-dozen
Study auto accidents or crimes to the police force. If y'all are the victim of a hit-and-run, or if y'all witnessed a crime or motorcar accident, let local law enforcement handle it. They can track down the owner of the vehicle for you.^[16]
- While you lot probably won't be given personal access to the driver's data, information technology will be fabricated available to your insurance visitor if y'all filed a claim.
Advertisement

1
Await for a private investigator online. A basic online search volition produce web pages of local private investigators as well every bit investigators who work entirely online. Compare the offerings on these web pages and see if something will work for you.^[17]
- Do your own enquiry on any website you notice to make sure information technology's a legitimate service and not a scam. If the page advertises a licensed investigator, you can check that license's condition with the land or local agency that issued the license.
- Web searches can be particularly useful if the license plate was issued in a place far from you. Await for someone based there for best results.
two
Endeavor an online search service. In that location are many online services that volition 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.^[18]
- Search for sites that offer "license plate lookup" services, such every bit PeoplePublicRecords.org, to discover out bones information nearly the vehicle, such equally whether the commuter has a criminal history or the motorcar has been involved in accidents.^[nineteen]
- Many of these websites are scams, and may mislead you lot into assertive they accept the results you need and and then charging you lot high fees earlier you tin can even look at the results. When you go the information, it may be inaccurate or outdated.
- In near places, information technology is illegal for anyone exterior law enforcement to run a license plate number to get information on a person. This doesn't mean that information technology's impossible to find a vehicle'south registered owner using just a license plate number, but online services that claim to offer instantaneous results are probably scams.
iii
Contact a local investigator. If the license plate was issued locally, yous may want to rent a individual investigator to track downwardly the possessor of the vehicle. Wait online or in your local phone book to find the names and contact information for private investigators near you.^[20]
- Interview the investigator in person before yous hire them, and make sure you lot understand how their services piece of work and how you will be billed. Hiring a individual investigator tin get expensive, so if you have whatsoever budget limitations you need to discuss costs upfront.
- Nigh governments require individual investigators to be licensed. Enquire for the investigator's licensing information and make sure it's valid and up to date.
- Talk to the investigator specifically about what you want and why. Observe out if they've done similar searches in the past, and whether they were successful in finding the vehicle's registered owner.
iv
Research any investigator'southward background and experience. Before you rent a private investigator, you need to do a little investigating on them to make sure they have a good reputation and tin get results.^[21]
- Ask the investigator for a few names of previous clients who you lot tin contact for a reference. You as well can check for reviews of the investigator online.
- If the investigator has a license from the urban center or state where they operate, see if you tin can expect up their license number online. Check their license tape for subject or other negative marks.
v
Sign a contract with your investigator. Earlier you give the investigator whatever money to start work, get the specific terms of your agreement in writing. You need to know how long they will search for the possessor and how they will study their findings to you.^[22]
- The contract should hash out all charges specifically, including any restrictions you lot've set for the investigator. For instance, you may want the investigator to call yous earlier incurring whatever additional expenses to a higher place a certain dollar amount.
- The contract also should discuss what type of study you lot will receive at the finish of the investigation, and whether the investigator volition contact you to give you status updates over the form of the investigation.
Advertising

Add together New Question

Question

What should I do if I'm trying to find the title for a automobile?

Bryan Hamby is the possessor of Auto Broker Club, a trusted automobile brokerage in Los Angeles, California. He founded Automobile Banker Order in 2014 out of a passion for cars and a unique talent for customizing the car dealership process to be on the heir-apparent's side. With 1,400+ deals closed, and a 90% customer retention rate, Bryan'southward focus is to simplify the motorcar ownership feel through transparency, off-white pricing, and world course customer service.

Professional Automobile Broker

Expert Respond

Contact the DMV in your area. You'll need to fill up out a title request form and pay a fee, and they'll let you know about any additional documentation you may need.
Question

Can you go personal data from a VIN number?

This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated information technology for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

No, you cannot get any personal information of the automobile'due south owner just from a VIN number.
Question

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

You can utilise the state DMV and submit a formal asking, or use sites like 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 do I observe out how many cars are registered in my name?

Contact your state or province'south section of motor vehicles. Typically you can get your own information for costless, although you may have to pay a small fee to cover the toll 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 (yous should be able to come across it through the dash, just above the hood of the automobile). With the VIN and the plate number, you should be able to locate the registered possessor. Contact local police force if you want to take the automobile removed from your property.
Question

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

In most states, a subpoena is required. Prior to the 1990s you could simply inquire the registry. First grade citizens such equally nearly federal and land regime workers tin can still access this data without the need to obtain court blessing.
Question

How do I find a person using their license plate?

Through your insurance company. Opening a claim volition help start the process; provide them with as much information, descriptions, and details. They will not say who it is, just they can find out. If you're found not at error, your costs will be waived for repairs on a hit and run.
Question

Can I observe out the year and model of a vehicle from the license plate number?

Yes, go to findbyplate.com and search the plate number. Information technology will provide you lot with a make, model, twelvemonth and maybe other data about the machine as well
Question

How exercise I get the address of a vehicle'due south owner past the plate number for gratis?

Go to the police. If you accept a legitimate reason for doing this, the police will aid you.

Show more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email accost to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

About This Commodity

Article Summary X

The best way to find a vehicle's registered owner using a license plate number is past contacting law enforcement or your insurance company. If you were the victim of a striking-and-run, the police can help you identify the person, and insurance companies also have ways of obtaining the owner's name. Otherwise, only the government tin access that individual information. Check online to run across if your reason for requesting the name is applicable, and so fill out the DMV's request form to get-go the process. For data about using a private investigator, read on!

Did this summary help you?

Cheers to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,682,796 times.