Determining who owns a vehicle or all the previous owners can be difficult when the current owner is not available for a quick meetup. A VIN owner lookup service can help you get the information you need.
What is VIN Owner Lookup?
VIN owner lookup is a service that provides detailed information about the vehicle's title and ownership history (number of owners and registration states), without revealing the current owner's personal information. The service utilizes advanced search technology to access public and private databases that compile valuable information about the vehicle and its owners.
So, get ready to dive deeper into your car's origin with our service. Uncover features, details, and overall quality that can't be revealed by talking to the dealer or performing a quick mechanical inspection.
Why is Lookup Important?
Every car's VIN number is inseparable from the vehicle's owner, and DMV keeps this data. That's why it's hard but possible to find this person by VIN. Yet, there are some obstacles: confidential information about car owners is controlled by the Driver's Privacy Protection Act in order to stop illegal purposes. You should provide the DMV only a valid reason for requesting such data. Only government agencies like police or courts have an inherent right to do a VIN check owner search without limitations.
Besides, VIN check owner lookup is essential in such cases as:
- If you've experienced an incident or suspect fraud of an unfamiliar vehicle, that is regularly parked near your house;
- Someone is following you, but you don't know who;
- You receive threats from a stranger who associated with a car;
- You cannot stop someone's constant parking on your territory;
- An accident happened, but the at-fault driver fled the scene;
- The situations mentioned above are solvable, but only if you consult the police.
How to Find the VIN
Every vehicle on the road has a unique identifier — its Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. This distinct serial number ensures each vehicle can be uniquely identified and can be used to confirm a vehicle's identity and match it with official records. Knowing your car's VIN is easy. Check for the following places:
Inside the Vehicle
If you have access to the vehicle during the inspection, you can check in the following places (Remember: it will be a 17-digit code placed on a sticker that is either black, silver, or white):
- On the driver's or passenger's side dashboard (visible through the windshield): To find it, stand outside the vehicle. Look at the corners where the dashboard meets the windshield. In left-hand drive countries, the sticker is usually on the driver's side.
- Under the hood: the sticker may be on the engine block or in front of the radiator support.
- Inside the glove compartment.
- In the driver's-side or passenger's-side door jamb – Check if the VIN is printed on a sticker in that location.
Other Locations
You can find the VIN in documents related to the car:
- Vehicle Registration Documents - It will be listed on the front of the title.
- Vehicle Insurance Documents (card or policy) - VINs may be printed on vehicle insurance cards or policies. You can quickly search through the digital copy of your vehicle insurance.
Is it Possible to Find the Registered Owner of the Vehicle for Free?
You can research the registered owner of a vehicle from free sources. But it's likely that you won't get an exhaustive picture without utilizing tools like full reports. These services provide comprehensive details as they source information from multiple places, including government agencies, service companies, auto auctions, manufacturers, state inspection stations, salvage auctions, and dealerships.
FAXVIN incorporates all the leading data sources to paint a more complete picture of the vehicle under consideration.
What Does the Report Contain?
Are you wondering what kind of information vehicle reports provide?
These reports provide detailed information on a vehicle's origin and condition. Here is a sample of the data that these reports typically contain:
- Origin of the car: All pertinent information that provides full visibility into ownership, maintenance, and incidents over the years.
- Vehicle type: Make, model, body type, model year, and plant location.
- Odometer readings: Odometer readings each time the vehicle changed hands.
- Total loss records: Records indicating whether the vehicle has ever been declared a total loss by an insurer.
- Records of accidents: Any past accidents, including when and where they occurred.
- Mileage rollback: Comparing current and past readings can indicate if the odometer has been tampered with to show lower mileage.
- Recalls and defects: Any recalls or defects that the vehicle may have had.
- Structural damages: Damage to the car's chassis or frame that's classified as severe.
- Lien and repossession records: If the car has an outstanding lien from a creditor, or any records of past repossessions.
- Hail, flood, and fire damage: This can reveal flood damage, which is often difficult to detect.
- Theft and recovery records: Stolen cars will have their titles "branded" by insurance companies after a theft, which may reduce their value.
- Personal, police, or taxi use: Cars taken out of service by a police department or taxi company may have reduced value compared to vehicles used for personal use.
- Inspection, service, and registration: Details of where the car was inspected and duly registered, and if it was subsequently maintained according to manufacturer specifications.
- Other key specifications: Details on other vital specifications such as engine size, body type, transmission, and extra features.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Are there any alternatives to performing a vehicle owner lookup by VIN online?
Well, if you need to find the registered owner of a car, one option is visiting your state's Department of Motor Vehicles.
Providing them with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) may provide some relevant data - just note that some personal information may be withheld in compliance with the privacy requirements of The Driver's Privacy Protection Act and state laws.
You may obtain some vehicle data from the DMV, but it may be less detailed than aggregated reports compiled from multiple sources.
Instead of making the visit in person, you can utilize the local DMV's website to access this same information online; simply enter the VIN along with the make and model year.
Free Lookup vs. Paid?
When trying to find the registered owner of a vehicle based on its VIN, there are two main options available: free or paid VIN owner lookup.
With a free lookup, you can often get basic information about the vehicle. More often than not, you cannot obtain personal information about the registered owner's name, address, or contact information. Free information may not always be accurate or up-to-date.
A paid VIN owner lookup will generally provide more comprehensive information, such as the vehicle title details and lien information.
What Vehicles Can Be Checked?
Generally, you can perform a check for any vehicle with a unique identifier that allows information to be collected and accurately attributed.
Vehicles that have VIN numbers that you can check include:
- Trailers, RVs and motorhomes;
- Motorcycles;
- Commercial trucks;
- ATVs;
- Buses.
"Who owns cars" searches can be used to check these vehicles in all 50 states of the United States.
Who Owned the Car?

Vehicles can have a wide range of owners. The vehicle may have belonged to an individual owner who used it as a family car and to commute to work.
A business may have obtained the car for company use. It's possible the car was even owned by a government department or the police.
Assessing who owned the car is important to determine how the car was used and if its previous use might impact its longevity or performance. For instance, the main drawback of buying a used police car is that it could have been disposed of when it was no longer economical to maintain. The parts may be expensive or the car may be overworked.
Even if the car looks good or has low mileage, do not rely solely on the seller's statements. Knowing how it may have been previously used can tell a lot about why they are selling it.
Previous Owners of Vehicle
Owner lookup reports can help you verify the number of owners a vehicle has had. It can give you insight into how well the car was maintained and if there have been any significant problems with it in the past. For instance, even if the names of owners have not been disclosed, you can check how long the previous owners owned the car. If the transfer of ownership happened too quickly, it may indicate that the previous registered owners were in a hurry to get rid of the vehicle.
Examples of VIN Owner Lookups
- JN8AS5MT0AW02**66 – 1 owner. Registered states: CA, TX ...
- 3FA6P0HD8ER11**46 – 3 owners. Registered states: NY, WA ...
- 1FTNE14W19DA7**94 – 2 owners. Registered states: FL, GA ...
How to Find Owner Information with Our Service
Finding a vehicle's ownership history is easy with our VIN checker tool! In four easy steps, we'll provide all of the essential info about any vehicle that's on your radar. You can check vehicle details in just minutes, making it quick and convenient to learn more about a car before making a decision.
- Navigate to our instant VIN search section located at the top of this page.
- Enter the 17-character VIN in the search bar.
- Click "Check VIN" and start the lookup.
- Review free specs (make, model, year, assembly, body, engine).
- Get a full report (optional) for title brands, liens, prior registrations count, odometer readings, accidents, theft/total loss.
Additional Authoritative Resources
- U.S. Department of Justice – Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)
- Federal Trade Commission – Buying a Used Car
- Legal Information Institute – 18 U.S. Code § 2721
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Owner Lookup Legal?
Does a VIN Show Personal Information?
Is There a Difference Between Free and Paid Owner Lookup?
How Long Does a VIN Owner Lookup Take?
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