Many states have license plate lookup tools available through their DMV websites. These allow drivers to check whether vanity plates are registered or to find the registered owner of a vehicle. Unfortunately, Vermont is not a state which offers such services. If you want to check whether a vanity plate has been used, you’ll have to register the plate and hope the registration goes through.
If you need to look up a license plate to find a vehicle owner or history, you can use a third party website to do so. These types of websites keep track of public and private records. Most will allow you to use their search tools for a price. Online databases are run by third party companies rather than the government, and they tend to be more efficient to use.
What Will I Learn With a Reverse License Plate Lookup?
If you use an online search tool to look up a license plate, you’ll be given access to all the information the database has associated with that license plate. Sometimes the information is limited, especially if the records are private rather than public. Because you’re not guaranteed to find the information you want, a free site like this one is a good place to start.
You’ll be given access to the following information, if available:
- The vehicle’s current registration status
- The full name of the vehicle’s owner
- The last known odometer reading of the vehicle
- The approximate value that the vehicle had when it was last sold
- Any history of major accidents
- The VIN number of the vehicle
- The owner and title history of the vehicle
If you need to do a license plate owner lookup, sometimes a second search for the owner’s name will give you access to contact information such as an email address or phone number.
This information is also helpful for people planning to buy a vehicle. You’ll know instantly about the history of the vehicle and be able to check that history against the seller’s claims. Misleading buyers about their vehicle is a serious offense, and odometer fraud is even a felony in the state of Vermont. Should you be considering the purchase of a vehicle, it’s important to double check all the information for verification.
If you’ve encountered anything suspicious, you should report the activity to your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible.
