Whether you’re looking to purchase a used vehicle, sell a used vehicle, track the owner of a vehicle, or are simply trying to stay on top of your car’s market value and safety recalls, using a license plate finder from VinPit to generate a vehicle history report can often prove to be an indispensable tool.
These reports will usually be able to tell you how many previous owners possessed the vehicle, whether it went through any reported accidents, if it had been written off by an insurer, if it was ever flooded or stolen, etc.
And while there is no shortage of online platforms that offer users a thorough, accurate vehicle history report at the click of a button, most of them share one thing in common, which is that they typically require you to carry out a VIN check to pull information on a vehicle.
However, the problem with using a VIN is that it is an extremely lengthy and complicated 17-digit alphanumeric code that can sometimes be difficult to locate, with some sellers even opting to refuse to share that information. Hence, conducting a license plate number lookup is the next best thing.
What Can I Learn From a License Plate Lookup?
If you want to be 100% sure that the vehicle you are looking to purchase genuinely checks all the right boxes, then conducting a vehicle history report from VinPit can be a great way to find out if the vehicle has any existing warranty coverage, among other things. Some of these include:
#1. Repairs and Maintenance
Aside from the sale price and the future fuel costs, you also have to take into consideration other expenses when purchasing a vehicle, such as maintenance and repair costs. And the benefit of a license plate lookup report is that you should be able to lay out the likelihood and estimated cost of servicing and repairs based on industry data and the vehicle’s current mileage. This way, you will have fewer surprises to deal with once you finalize the purchase of your new vehicle.
#2. Sales and Title Records
Whether the vehicle you intend on purchasing has been through 2 or 12 previous owners, with a license plate lookup, you will have a clear idea of how many times the vehicle has been through the sales process. Furthermore, these reports will give you a clear picture of where the vehicle has been previously listed for sale, the prices, and even photographs from past sales listings.
And armed with this information, you will often have more bargaining power when buying the vehicle, especially if you are still in the negotiation process. Plus, the reports generated from these lookup tools will often include things like lien information, which will inform you if the current owner still has a pending loan on the vehicle.
#3. Salvage, Accident, and Theft Records
When purchasing a used vehicle, reviewing the salvage, accident, and theft records can often determine if the seller has gone to great lengths to cover up evidence of hidden damage. After all, even minor accidents can often end up impacting how a vehicle drives. This sort of beneath-the-surface damage can often be simple enough to cover up with some paint and a replacement body panel.
And while a vehicle can be rebuilt well enough after an accident, it is important to remember that a rebuilt title is not the best choice for resale value.
What Is The Best Way To Look Up A License Plate Number?
#1. Check your local DMV
Depending on the state, you can look up the vehicle’s license plate number for a fee on the local DMV website. Once you are in the right section of the DMV website, you will only need to input the license plate number within the search field and review the public information that is associated with the license plate.
The only downside of this option is that you will be unable to uncover any personal information, such as the name or address of the person tied to the vehicle, since that information may be restricted due to privacy laws.
#2. Use a license plate lookup service
An alternative option you can consider is to utilize an online license plate search platform like VinPit that will provide you with more information on the vehicle than a typical DMV search can reveal. Plus, you will not have to go through the tedious process of paying whatever fees they may charge for that information, as the whole procedure should come at no cost to you.
You only need to head to the website, enter the vehicle’s number plate in the search engine, select the state, and click “Start Search.” Within minutes, the tool will instantly pull information from a mix of trusted industry partners and state-level agencies before compiling a full vehicle report that should include all the relevant details on the car itself, as well as the registered owner of the vehicle.
Wrap Up
If you want to know if the vehicle you are looking at is worth the price, you paid for it, or if you simply want to uncover more information about the owner of a vehicle, a simple way to find out the information you need is to entrust the task to a license plate checker.
After all, it will not take very long to find out about the vehicle’s accident, theft, and salvage history of the vehicle, its specs and recalls, sales records, and any current market data on the year, make, and model of the car. So, why not head over to VinPit today and get started?
