online, free License Plate Number Lookup
For the last several decades people have had to visit the DMV and take a number. Then wait in line and finally fill out paperwork to get license plate information. This is now an antiquated means of getting license plate number information. With the advent of the internet and online databases, license plate information can now be obtained online. With our simple form you can perform a free license plate number lookup with a license plate number or VIN number from the convenience of your laptop, tablet or smartphone. The free license plate lookup results may include the year, make and model of the vehicle, if results are found. Additional license plate, VIN and vehicle information is available in our member’s area if you decide to sign up. Some restrictions apply and not all license plate searches are guaranteed to have results.
What You Can Obtain From a License Plate Number Lookup Online
Dec 19, 2018 Depending upon the identity and purpose of the requester, a driver's license number may be used to find a person's address. Federal and state law generally prohibit agencies' disclosure of personal driver or vehicle information, but there are many exceptions.
You can sometimes find limited license plate owner information, vehicle information, vehicle history report, vehicle description and other related public records. You can also find safety and recall information when you visit the NHTSA website. With online license plate resources you can save yourself the trouble of visiting the DMV and waiting in line. The only draw back to online database resources is most of them are for reference only and if you need official documentation then the DMV will still be your best option. See our Free DMV Finder and Free DMV Driver Request Forms below.
Finding VIN Information From License Plate Numbers
If you have the license plate number of a vehicle you can also find the VIN number with our online license plate lookup. This is a good means of identifying and verifying any vehicle you lookup. A VIN number will give you the make and model, manufacturer, body style, engine, year and much more. The VIN number is a 17 digit code that will allow you to verify every detail of the vehicle in question. A free license plate number lookup can also give you safety and recall information about a vehicle. To do this you will want to use your free license plate lookup results (mentioned above) and visit the NHTSA.gov website and search for safety issues or recall information related to the vehicle in question.
Additional License Plate Number Information
How to Perform a License Plate Lookup
In order to perform a license plate lookup with our vehicle record database you must first read and agree to the terms and conditions of this search. Then you must input the entire license plate number and state of license plate registration to lookup vehicle records online. These records are for online reference only and cannot be used for legal purposes, hiring, tenant screening, academic applications or security clearances. Our license plate number lookup can be accessed by anyone with a laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone that has internet access. Remember to use the information obtained from our license plate lookup responsibly. It is illegal to harass or stalk someone and you must make sure to follow the guidelines when using our license plate and vin lookup tools
How to Perform a VIN Lookup
To lookup a VIN ( or Vehicle Identification Number) you must agree to the terms and conditions of our VIN lookup first. Then enter the 17 digit alpha-numeric code you can find on your dash board, engine block, registration and/or door frame. You do not need to enter a state when using our VIN lookup tool. Make sure to enter all the numbers and letters carefully, one misplaced or missing variable can cause the VIN number lookup to fail. We do not support partial VIN numbers so you must enter all 17 digits for the VIN search to work.
Tag Plate Number Search
A tag plate number search is synonymous with a license plate number search. Often times tag plate number is what people are looking for which is British in origin, where a license plate number is an American term in origin. So tag plate number and license plate number are the same thing. It’s more common for people on the east coast to say tag plate where on the west coast of the United States, license plate is the common terminology. In either case you can perform a tag plate number search with the license plate number and state of registration. Every vehicle that is registered in the United States has a tag plate number as well as a VIN number, which are the key identifiable numbers that both describe the vehicle specs and vehicle registration information.
License Plate Owner Lookup
It is possible to sometimes find limited license plate owner information online, as other relevant vehicle information that can be helpful in understanding your vehicle better, or when purchasing a used vehicle from someone. Remember to use the information you obtain in our license plate lookup responsibly and it is illegal to harass or intimidate anyone with the information you find. Please search responsibly.
How to Search License Plate Numbers
To search a license plate number you will need the full license plate number and the state of registration. License plates have the state listed on the plate itself. Once you have the full plate number and state you can search and lookup vehicle information, vehicle specs, possibly owner information, VIN number. You can also use the VIN number to lookup vehicle recalls and important safety information from NHTSA.gov. Learning how to search license plate numbers can be an important factor when researching your own vehicle or looking up information about potential used vehicles you’re interested in purchasing.
Does My Car Have a Recall
To find out if your car has a recall you can visit the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration website. The NHTSA.gov site will allow you to lookup car recalls by VIN, not license plate number. Just enter your car’s 17 digit VIN and they will perform a free car recall search for you.
The idea of public records is nearly as old as civilization itself. Reports of births, deaths, and marriages go back as far as ancient Babylon, where they were etched into clay tablets.
Nowadays, public information is much easier to record—and to track down. And with public records so easily accessible, it's important to know exactly what can be found out there, and where to find it.
What Are Public Records?
The concept of a public record is relatively self-explanatory. It constitutes an official reporting of facts accessible to any member of the community.
However, just because they're open to the public doesn't mean they're easy to access.
Governments have a variety of regulations placed upon:
- What types of information can be made public.
- Where information can be stored.
- How information can be distributed.
Information in a Public Record
Find Address With License Plate
There are two main public record categories:
- Personal public records: Those keeping track of individuals.
- Business/government public records: Those keeping track of companies, corporations, or government agencies.
The specific data marked on a public record will depend considerably on which type of report is being accessed.
Personal Public Records
Public records focusing on individuals usually include a fair amount of personal identifying information. Most often, they're created by government agencies and form a paper trail outlining a person's life.
Personal public records may include some or all* of the following information:
- Name.
- Address.
- Birth date/age.
- Names of family members.
- Political party affiliation.
- Past arrests.
- Businesses or websites owned.
* NOTE: These are just a few examples of the information typically available on public records, but does not represent a full list of facts.
Business/Government Public Records
Business and government public records generally come from information recorded within the business or agency itself. They are often more statistical in nature.
Some information that may be available* on a business or government public record include:
- Revenue.
- Number of employees.
- Fictitious business names.
- Collection items.
- Business credit score.
- Payment history.
- Business ownership.
* NOTE: This list does not represent the full array of facts available on a business or government public record.
Types of Public Records
There are many different types of public records. In the case of individual public records, they typically revolve around major life milestones and include:
- Birth and death certificates.
- Marriage certificates and divorce decrees.
- Deeds, mortgages, and other related property records.
- Various licenses, including professional and business licenses.
- Driving records.
- Criminal records, including wants and warrants.
- Sex offender records.
- Court records.
- Unclaimed property.
- Missing persons.
- Voter registration and election records.
Corporate or government public records often make note of disciplinary measures or are broken down into quarterly orannualreports. Some examples include:
- Real estate appraisals.
- Census records.
- Government spending reports.
- Legislation minutes.
- Consumer protection information.
- Liens, judgments, or bankruptcy filings.
- Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings.
Accessing Public Records
Public records are typically accessed either through the government or through a private business.
A plethora of companies now offer to complete your public record search on either an individual, business, or both—typically for a fee. Many of these companies offer online services.
The government will usually supply such information for free; however, going this route typically takes more time.
Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the national lawregarding the release of government agency public records.
While using FOIA, you can:
- Request any type of public record report from the agency.
- Determine the form you want the information in.
- i.e. Printed vs. electronic.
However, the law does not require agencies to:
Find Address By License Plate Number
- Create new records.
- Conduct new research.
- Analyze data.
- Answer questions.
FOIA requests must be submitted in writing and explain the public records you want. Most government agencies allow requests via e-mail, fax, or filling out an online form.
The easiest way to complete a FOIA request is by visiting the agency's website from which you want the information. The U.S. government keeps a list of agency FOIA contact information.
Requests are free, but agencies may charge a fee to produce some records—typically those that are more difficult to find. Fee waivers are available in some cases.
State Public Record Laws
Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests at a more local level must be made on a state-by-state, or, sometimes, municipality-by-municipality basis, as each state and each level of government has its own public records laws.
In order to access the desired information, you must contact the specific agency in your state that would handle the records, such as:
- Town halls.
- State or county clerk offices.
- State or municipal courts.
- Department of Motor Vehicles offices.
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