Find A Vehicle Owner by License Plate Number 

A lot of people ask the question, Can I find a vehicle owner’s information with a license plate number? The short answer is yes, it is possible but there are restrictions and rules that need to be adhered to find a vehicle owner by license plate. Many people assume that a motor vehicle department is where they should begin their search but that is not the case. State run motor vehicle departments do not provide this service and that is where third party public record websites come in focus. If you have a valid reason to run a license plate owner lookup, according to state privacy rules, you can use a 3rd party vehicle record website to access certain vehicle owner information which may include their contact details. You will need to verify that your reasons are compliant with state and federal laws before accessing license plate owner information.  

Are License Plate Owner Details Public Information? 

Most all vehicle records are part of the public record, and certain license plate owner details are publicly available as well. Depending on what state you live in, and what information you are attempting to access, you can look up limited license plate owner details for specific reasons outlined by the DPPA and state privacy laws. Vehicle records such as vehicle history reports, car title checks and accident and recalls are easily researched using the 17-digit VIN of the vehicle in question. For vehicle owner information, you will typically need the current license plate number of the vehicle attached to the owner’s name and registration information. It is up to your due diligence to stay in compliance with the relevant privacy laws. Your information might be required to access certain types of license plate owner details as a security measure, which is required by some state regulations. 

Reasons For Running a License Plate Owner Lookup 

There are quite a few acceptable reasons for running a license plate owner lookup according to the DPPA and state regulations. Some of these reasons include motor vehicle and driver safety, legitimate business usage, civil or criminal administration reasons, insurance purposes, commercial driver verification, statistical reporting, and specific consent from an individual. It’s important to review the specificity of these requirements as there is liability with how you use the license plate owner information. Many web resources also require that you register your name and contact information before receiving any license plate number owner info as a precautionary measure.