Look up Vehicle Owner by VIN
Easily access the ownership history of a used car you want to buy. Use our vehicle owner by VIN tool to retrieve important records like the previous owners, title, accident, theft, lien, service records and more. Enter and decode any VIN or license plate within seconds.
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Table of Contents
What is VIN Owner Lookup?
A VIN owner lookup is an online service that provides important information about a car’s history using its unique 17-digit VIN. When a vehicle is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), several records about the car are collected, such as previous owners, insurance, title, recalls, accidents, theft, mileage, and more.
Our VIN owner lookup tool pulls up these official records, including usage, recalls,auction records and even service records, and reveals them in a single vehicle history report that’s downloadable as a PDF. However, privacy laws protect current owner information, ensuring personal details like names and addresses remain confidential.
Access to these records helps you make an informed buying decision and avoid a car with legal or serious hidden issues – an experience you never wanted in the first place.
Why Lookup Vehicle Owner by VIN?
Looking up a vehicle ownership history benefits both buyers and sellers in several ways. Here are key reasons why you need to perform a VIN owner lookup:
Buyers
- Know exactly what you’re paying for.
- Aid an informed buying decision-making.
- Identify any safety-related issues like vehicle recalls and accidents.
- Ensure peace of mind down the road.
- Avoid car repossession due to outstanding lien.
Private Sellers
- Build trust and ensure transparency with buyers.
- Prove seller’s honesty to potential buyers.
- Unmasked questions regarding the car history.
- Accelerate the transaction process.
- Reduce the risk of legal and financial issues.
Dealerships
- Confident accurate records are provided to end buyers.
- Detect inconsistencies in vehicle records.
- Increase trust in the car buying process.
- Boast dealership reputation as a reliable service provider.
- Edge competitors and close sales faster.
What Does a VIN Report Contain?
 A VIN report contains the record of events the car has accumulated over the years of its usage. Here are the information to expect when running a VIN check:
Vehicle Specifications
Outline key details like make, model, engine type, and features, helping buyers verify authenticity and compatibility.
Vehicle Usage
Reveals if the car was used as a personal, rental, or commercial vehicle, aiding in understanding its wear and tear.
Ownership History
This details the number of previous owners and usage periods, offering a glimpse into potential wear and past care.
Title Records
Title record confirm ownership history and potential issues like salvage and rebuilt titles, ensuring you don’t inherit a car with financial and legal issues.
Accident History
Accident history shows past collisions, damage severity, and repairs, helping assess the vehicle’s safety and potential hidden issues.
Auction History
Auction records and images provide insights into a vehicle’s condition during auction, revealing hidden flaws or discrepancies in appearance.
Lien or Loan Records
Lien or loan records confirm if the vehicle has any unpaid debts, protecting buyers from inheriting financial liabilities.
Mileage Records
Mileage records validate the odometer readings over time, preventing odometer fraud and ensuring accurate vehicle valuation.
Service Records
Service and maintenance records highlight routine care and repairs, indicating how well the vehicle has been maintained over its lifetime.
Previous State Registrations
Previous state registrations reveal where the vehicle was registered, offering clues about climate-related wear or potential flood risks.
Vehicle Recall Status
Vehicle recall status identifies unresolved safety recalls, helping buyers ensure the vehicle complies with manufacturer safety standards.
Warranty Information
Warranty status tells if the car still has repair coverage from the manufacturer. This can save you money on unexpected repairs and give peace of mind.
How to Get a Vehicle Owner by VIN Report
Follow these steps to get your vehicle history report:
- Locate and enter the VIN into the form at the top. Provide your email address and phone number.
- Click “Search VIN” to decode the VIN for free.
- Preview the information and make the little payment to generate the complete vehicle history.
- View report from the members area or download as a printable PDF.
You can also get the VIN report by license plate. On the form at the top, switch form option to “By US License Plate” and follow the steps.
How to Find the VIN
Every car has a special code called a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). This 17-digit number is like your car’s fingerprint — no two vehicles have the same one. It helps with things like registration, insurance, recalls, and tracking ownership history. If you ever need to check your car’s details or sell your vehicle, knowing your VIN is important.
So, where can you find your VIN? Let’s check it out together.
- Dashboard: Stamped on the dashboard near the windshield, on the driver’s side.
- Driver’s Side Door Frame: On a plate or sticker on the driver’s side door jamb.
- Engine Block: Stamped on the engine’s firewall.
You can also locate the VIN without the vehicle by checking the vehicle documents like:
- Registration papers
- Title document
- Insurance cards
- Loan paperwork
- Bill of sale
Can I Find the Registered Owner of a Vehicle for Free?
No. Due to privacy laws, accessing personal details like the owner’s name or address isn’t accessing from public records or for free.Â
However, you can get a free VIN check service to verify basic information like the vehicle specs, engine, and transmission. A paid VIN check can provide much more, including the ownership history, accident, title, theft, mileage, recalls and more.
How Can You Find a Vehicle Owner by VIN or Plate?
A VIN doesn’t reveal the registered owners of a vehicle, their names, phone numbers, or home addresses. An online VIN number check or license plate lookup tool only shows when a used vehicle changed hands, duration of ownership, number of owners, locations, and more.
You may find free VIN lookup service from these sources:
Used Car Listing Sites
Online used car listing platforms like Craigslist and CarGurus may show partial ownership history or let you contact sellers directly to ask about vehicle details.
Request Document Check to DMV
You can request vehicle records from the DMV, though this usually requires fees and restrictions on what information is shared.
How to Get Detailed Vehicle Specifications
Still searching for details about a car’s specifications, original features, colors, fuel economy, MSRP, and more? Getting the vehicle window sticker can provide you with a complete information about the original features, which helps to facilitate a confident car sale and purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to privacy laws, you cannot look up who owns a car by VIN number. With a VIN, you can access vehicle’s specifications and history including ownership history, car usage, title record and more.
None! Personal details like names and addresses are protected by privacy laws. A VIN only reveals information, like number of previous owners, registration history, accident, title and more.
They can access the car’s specs, recalls, accidents, and other records about the vehicle history —but not your personal details like name, phone number and address.
Our free VIN decoder provides an unrestricted access to view accurate vehicle specs like the year, make, model, trim, engine, and transmission.
Other free VIN check services include NICB VIN check and NHTSA safety recall lookup. NICB focuses on vehicle theft and salvage records while NHTSA offers a free VIN check for specs, and recalls.
For the complete vehicle history report, switch to our affordable owner lookup by VIN service to access all the available records including title, accident, mileage and more.