There are many reasons you might need to look up a South Carolina license plate. If you were in a hit-and-run and only saw the vehicle’s license plate, you might want to find the person responsible. If you accidentally hit a parked car and cannot find the owner, you might want to seek out their contact information. And you might want to look up the license plate of a vehicle for sale to make sure that the vehicle history matches up to the seller’s story.
What You’ll Learn With a License Plate Owner Lookup
Looking up a South Carolina plate will allow you to do the following:
- Find the registered owner of a vehicle
- Phone number and street address of the vehicle owner
- The vehicle’s registration information
- The vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Information about whether the car has ever been reported stolen
- Accident and damage history
Completing a Reverse License Plate Lookup Through the DMV
In South Carolina, only a vehicle owner is able to request information through a license plate alone. Should you need to run a check on your own vehicle, you’ll need to be able to prove that you are the legal owner of the vehicle by providing legal documentation and proof of identification.
You can call the South Carolina DMV at 803-896-5000 to ask about their license plate search requirements.
Completing a Reverse License Plate Lookup Through a Third Party
If you need to find information about another vehicle using only the license plate, you may be able to use an online public database for your license plate owner search. Online public databases are owned by private companies rather than the government. The amount and type of information stored in each database vary widely, so you’ll need to make sure you find one that has the information you’re looking for.
To access one of these databases, you’ll need to create an online account with the database of your choice. There may be fees associated with your search; pay these before moving on. Then use the search tools to type the license plate number. This website lets you run a license plate check completely free of charge.
The drawback of a third party database is that their records may not be complete. The records also may not have been recently updated. Because the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles keeps license plate records private, widespread public uploading of these documents is unlikely. That’s why a free search will serve you better than a paid one.
Whether you’re looking to buy a vehicle, report an accident, or monitor suspicious activity, a license plate check will yield valuable information.
