The Expert Podcast

So, how can you run a VIN search or vehicle history on a motor vehicle in the United States? There are several different methods to do this, and each one of them has some pros and cons. You want to make sure that the type of search you're doing matches the kind of records you need. For example, you may want to know about liens, salvage, back taxes, or whether the vehicle is stolen. Each of these will require a different type of search.

First of all, be aware that some vehicle information is protected under federal law called the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Some information you're not going to get unless you run a certain type of search that bypasses the DPPA using an exemption that you can apply for. Depending upon if you're looking to find out the history of the vehicle, the last owner's name, information about liens, or salvage, there are a couple of ways to go about doing it. Let's look at both of them.

There is a federal database called the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). You can get a link to that from our website, car titles.com, where you can actually do a search directly through the NMVTIS and get the results from that search. Those results come instantly when you perform the search online, and you'll get a printout of the vehicle history. It'll have information about the last titled state, dates, and registration. Many times, it'll show where the vehicle was sold last, if it was a retail transaction. In many cases, it will have information about any claims against the vehicle, like insurance claims or salvage, prior repairs, and sometimes even lien holders. You may also find recalls and repairs, which are important to know.

The NMVTIS is a good place to start. However, keep in mind that there are many online VIN checker or VIN report-type services that might run some electronic searches but may not be much more than just a Google search. You want to make sure that whatever search you're doing uses the NMVTIS as the source because any other source of records is not going to necessarily have all the information you need.

Remember that some information is not allowed to be sent from the NMVTIS, such as the name of the prior owner. In some states, liens aren't even recorded on the NMVTIS. So, if you want to know about liens, you have to run a different type of search, and we'll look at that momentarily. You'll see that on the NMVTIS search report, there will be a section that will say "liens." Sometimes, most of the time, it'll say "no liens." However, if you look at the bottom in the small print, it'll tell you that liens aren't always reported. It's not a hundred percent. You could buy a vehicle, get an NMVTIS printout from the internet that says "no liens," and later find out that there's a lien. So, if you want to get 100% certainty, you'll need to use the DPPA Driver's Request Form.

This is a different process where you're actually submitting a request directly to the titling authority in the state to get an actual vehicle history report. This is the actual record on that vehicle that is held by the government. It's not an electronic database or a push-button Google search type thing. It's done using actual paper documents. Every state has a different form to request this, but the information is going to be the same. The form you're looking at happens to be from the state of Wisconsin, but it doesn't matter which one we're looking at because the information is going to be the same, and here's why.

The requirements for the DMV or titling authority—or in this case, the Department of Transportation in Wisconsin—to release that information all come from the federal law, the Driver's Privacy Protection Act. Every state has to abide by that act. Let's take a look at what those requirements are. Here's the authorization section (section C) that we'll get to in a moment, but the form itself is going to have some basic info: the name of the requester (you, who's requesting the information). Here's why you cannot do this anonymously—you can't just do an anonymous search for the record. They have to know who's receiving these records because they consider this to be very private and protected information. They want to know who's getting it, and they're going to keep a record of that. They're going to get your driver's license number, that's how important this is, and your mailing address. Then, it's going to ask you about what vehicle records you want.

This form allows you to put in up to three vehicles—year, make, VIN number—and if you know the plate number, you can put it there. If you want to know about the current owner, you check this box. If you want to know about the history of owners, you check this other box. So, look how powerful this is. Not only will it tell you about the current ownership records, but it'll also give you a history of the vehicle. Very powerful.

What does it cost? Well, you can get a non-certified copy for $5—pretty cheap. Most states have a fee of anywhere between $5 and $15, depending on the state. If you want it certified, it's only $10, so it's not that much more. But what is the process? Here's your authorization, where you check the statement below to allow authorization to obtain personal information. There are 13 authorized uses or permissible uses listed on the form. Some forms will list 7, some 12 or 13. The language for these authorized uses comes exactly from the federal law, the Driver's Privacy Protection Act. You’ll see the same wording across all states, including Wisconsin, Alaska, Alabama, or Michigan. You need to pick the right reason to get this information. If you pick the wrong one, you won't get the records because they consider this to be private information.

Car ownership records are not public records. They're not like real estate or open records. Ownership records are very private, much like things such as your bank account or credit report. Why is that? Well, think about it. If you're driving down the street and somebody doesn't like the way you drive and they follow you to a parking lot, write down your license plate or VIN number (which is right on the dashboard), and they want to find out where you live, they could just ask for the information and come knock on your door. There have been some high-profile cases of stalking, and other things where this law was passed in the '90s, so it’s good that it's private. You have to jump through a few hoops to get it.

Let's look at the reasons that allow you to get this information and which ones apply to you. If they have demonstrated that they have written consent from the owner, you can get the information. If you have that consent, they would probably just give it to you. So that may not apply to you, but it’s good if you are requesting your own record or a minor child's records and you're the parent, or if you have consent from someone else. Maybe you're an insurance company or an employer getting this information.

For use in connection with matters of motor vehicle safety, emissions, and alterations is another valid reason. For example, if a car manufacturer like Ford finds out that several Ford F-150s are missing a bolt, they can contact the owners by looking up the VIN numbers. Another valid reason is if you're a government agency needing the records to carry out its functions. There are many other valid uses, including civil or criminal proceedings, insurance purposes, or to verify commercial driver's license information.

If you do not meet one of these reasons, you cannot get the records. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) is enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is a serious organization. The DOJ may seek civil and criminal penalties for improperly obtaining, disclosing, or using information from a motor vehicle record for purposes not permitted by the DPPA. Additionally, private citizens may seek civil damages.

So, why would you want to do this instead of just using an NMVTIS online database? Well, you can get a report from the NMVTIS online database, but it might not have the name of the owner or the lien holder’s name. It might not report everything, depending on the state, and you might find that the vehicle’s history doesn’t go back far enough. The DPPA process, however, provides a full documented report, but it takes longer to get. With the NMVTIS, you can get instant results, but with the DPPA request, you might have to mail it in, and it may take a week to get the report.

So, how do you go about doing this? Run the NMVTIS search first. At the same time, get the DPPA form. For all of our clients, we provide this form for any vehicle that you order from us. You can fill out the form and send it in, or bring it in person to the DMV, and you might be able to get it on the spot.