Running a license plate search is necessary in certain situations. This includes when you want to buy a vehicle or when you're looking to track a vehicle involved in a crime.
In the past, you had to visit the police or some regulator to get vehicle details through a plate search. However, the development of tools like VinPit has made looking up Indiana plates possible without the help of law enforcement.
This article explores what an Indiana license plate is, the different Indiana license plates, what data you can get from tracking a license plate or an Indiana license plate lookup.
What Is an Indiana License Plate and How It Works?
The State of Indiana requires car owners to register their vehicles and apply for Indiana license plates. The Indiana license is a piece of metal or plastic that displays the 'license number' and is affixed to either the rear, front, or both ends of the vehicle.
The license plate number itself is an alphanumeric code used to mark or identify a vehicle. All road-plying vehicles must have a license plate number, usually issued by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMW).
Driving without a license plate in Indiana is illegal and doing so could land you in hot water with the BMV. Not only can you face arrest for not using a license plate, authorities may also impound your vehicle.
Types of Indiana License Plate
The BMW has six Indiana license plate types available for vehicles in Indiana. You'll have to look through eligibility requirements for each plate type to see if your vehicle is qualified.
- Standard plates
- Civic Event plates
- Military plates
- Organizational plates
- Personalized plates
- Collegiate and University plates
- Special Group Recognition plates
Titling Requirements and Procedures in Indiana
The first step to getting a car title in Indiana is to download a certificate of title from the government's website (https://www.in.gov). By law, you are expected to file for a title within 45 days of buying a car or face fines.
You also have to complete a disclosure form with details of your vehicle's present mileage. The BMV may require several identification documents such as your Social Security Number, Certificate of Citizenship, Permanent Resident Card, and others.
It is mandatory to clean any liens attached to a car before selling it. You must complete a request form if a car's title is under ownership of a lienholder. Then you'll receive a notification of completion from the license office, after which you'll get the title certificate.
You may request for a duplicate title in case your old one gets damaged or lost. We recommend visiting the 'Titles' section of the government site (https://www.in.gov) to get information related to vehicle titles in Indiana.
What Can You Look up from an Indiana License Plate?
As a consequence of stricter privacy laws, the information available from an Indiana license plate search is quite limited. But a license plate lookup Indiana can still give details about a car such as its year of production, ownership history, and safety-related data.
Here are other pieces of information you can get from an Indiana license plate lookup:
- Reports of vehicle checks
- Involvements in accidents and thefts
- Total vehicle mileage
- Vehicle specifications (manufacturer name, color, engine information, etc.)
- Salvage records
- Vehicle title
Note: You cannot get personal information about a vehicle owner from a license plate search.
FAQs
How do I carry out an Indiana license plate lookup?
With a tool like VinPit, looking up license plates is easy. All you need to do is enter the license plate number and press 'check'. The site will churn out results for your search within minutes.
Do I need to pay to search license plates in Indiana?
VinPit allows you to retrieve information with a license plate search at little to zero cost. However, this may be different for other online databases.
Can I run a search on temporary plates?
You can run a plate search even if the vehicle in question uses temporary tags. Owners are required to provide information whether they are registering permanent or temporary plates.
Is it possible to get a VIN from a license plate lookup?
With your license plate number, it's easy to get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Online databases like VinPit have it as part of the car-related information in their records.
What is the source of this information?
At VinPit, we compile our data using info from the DMV and other authoritative sites. You can trust whatever info you get from our website.
Conclusion
No one knows when they might need to run a license plate search in Indiana. For an accurate Indiana license plate lookup, VinPit is the perfect solution for you.
At VinPit, we provide license plate search services, vehicle history procurement, and instant VIN decoding services. The site meets all regulatory requirements, so you won't flout the law by tracking a license plate with it.