The Expert Podcast

So how do you request information about a prior owner of a vehicle ? The name and address of vehicle ownership is protected under a federal law called the driver's privacy protection act The DPPA. That law prohibits any entity that has vehicle ownership information from revealing it to any third party it's designed to protect privacy So somebody can't just write down your plate number and find out where you live If they didn't like the way you were driving or want to harass you. So there are some exceptions to getting that information. The DPPA allows for revealing that information to you under one of six permissible uses. So if you've purchased a vehicle and need to verify ownership, or you don't know who the owner is, You can apply for a release of that information under one of those permissible uses under the DPPA. On our website CarTitles.com. There's a section which has the form for each state to request that informed. You have to fill out the form you have to sign it. In some cases you have to notarize it. You have to also verify under affidavit that you are not going to use that information for any, Inappropriate purpose You're not going to stalk somebody or harass them, and you're not going to sell it to somebody else or posted on the internet. All you're doing with it is verifying your information So follow the instructions of that form Very carefully. Check off the right box and submit it to the DMV You're going to have to send it by postal mail. Your. have to wait for them to mail it back. In many cases it can take three or four weeks to get it back or longer. So if you need to get the information on the prior owner that is the only legal channel to do it nobody else can reveal it to you The DMV can't tell you the police Can't tell you. Nobody can tell you that information unless you go through the proper channel but there is a way to do it If you follow those steps and apply for it and using that form and all the forms are on our website for free you can download it print it send it in and wait a few weeks Sometimes it takes a month to get that information back and then you can take action Action based on having that information maybe get a duplicate title, maybe contacting the prior owner to see if they have the title to give you, but follow those steps for a prior owner information request. And you may be able to get the information that you want.