Free License Plate Lookup & Search

How Does VinPit License Plate Lookup Work?

You put your license plate number in our search bar, and we run a search against our large vehicle database to fetch all details associated with that license plate. It's simple, fast, and you get an in-depth list of vehicle details.

Why Should You Run a License Plate Search?

There are plenty of reasons why you may need to run a free license plate lookup or search. It's good for you to:

Check the details of a vehicle - Running a license plate search is a good way to find out the specs and features of the car. It can also tell you how it was previously treated, if it has been stolen, or if it has been involved in an accident.
Confirm its true market value - Knowing the current status of a vehicle by looking up its license plate helps you determine how much it's actually worth, and you can use it as a baseline for negotiation.
Avoid potential auto scams - With the vehicle details revealed by the license plate lookup, you can effortlessly avoid scams like title washing, VIN cloning, odometer fraud, undisclosed salvage rebuilds and more.

What Can You Get from a License Plate Lookup?

The license plate lookup feature on VinPit enables you to access a great amount of information about the vehicle. They include:

Tech specs
Ownership changes
Genuine mileage
Accidents history
Open and past recalls
Theft reports
Damage reports
Warranty availability
Service and repair history
Registration details

How Does VinPit Obtain Information?

We collect vehicle information from trusted sources like NMVTIS, NHTSA, the department of motor vehicles in each state, insurance companies, auto recyclers, salvage yards and more. And we regularly verify and update the data to make sure the information you get is accurate and reliable.

How to Run a License Plate Lookup on VinPit?

Searching for license plate information on VinPit is straightforward – it takes only two simple steps:

Step 1: Search the number
Put the number into our search bar, select the registered state, and then click Start Search.
Step 2: View the report
After a short while, you'll be able to view the vehicle report we've compiled, containing all the details you need.

Can I Check License Plates from All States With VinPit?

Yes, we help you inspect details related to a license plate no matter where it is registered. You can also take a look at our directory below, which lists license plate information in each state.

Is It Legal to Do a License Plate Check?

It is completely legal to check vehicle information with a license plate lookup. All the vehicle details you will see here are from databases that can be accessed with no legal restrictions. However, if you are trying to search for personal information about the license plate owner, that information is limited to only a few agencies.

Can I Find the Vehicle Owner With a License Plate Lookup?

No, as doing a license plate owner lookup is illegal. Under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, vehicle data holders are not allowed to provide access to personally identifiable information about the drivers. This means you can't obtain information like names, addresses, phone numbers, and so on.

There are only a few things you can find out about vehicle owners. These include how many previous owners a vehicle has had, how long each ownership period lasted, and when the ownership changes occurred.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is VinPit license plate lookup free?

Yes, you can search license plate numbers and get vehicle reports for free on VinPit. This will allow you to view things like basic vehicle details, car condition, history, and so on. But for some additional information in our reports, you may need to pay a fee to unlock it.

Can I find details about every license plate in the US?

Our database covers the majority of the license plate numbers registered in this country. But you may encounter information that is missing in the reports for some license plate numbers, if this information was not reported to our data sources.

Can I perform a license plate lookup with a temporary license tag?

No. The databases we gather information from don't contain details about temporary license plates. You can't find information about a temporary tag on VinPit.

Can I get someone's contact details from a license plate lookup?

No, personal information like contact details or addresses is kept confidential and is not usually accessible to the general public via a license plate lookup, due to the regulation of the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.

Can I get the VIN (vehicle identification number) from a license plate lookup?

Yes, you can. Vehicle reports generated by license plate lookups typically contain VINs of the vehicles. So you can see the VIN with a license plate number.

Can I find license plate information manually?

Yes. You can visit the offices or websites of your local department of motor vehicles, transportation, police stations, insurance companies, etc. to find the search portal or file a search request.
But note that these can take additional time and effort to complete, and they can sometimes be very expensive. We suggest you use our free license plate lookup tool – it's easier, quicker, and can help you access a tremendous amount of vehicle data.

Look up your license plate today

Learn everything there is to know about your next car.

Written by

Karl BrauerAutomotive Journalist & Analyst

Updated on: Mar 15, 2023