Is There a Free License Plate Lookup?
Updated on March 5, 2019
Article: Key Points
Can you find vehicle owner by license plate free of charge? Before running off to the many advertised Google listings promising a free license plate lookup, please read this brief article. It will save you hours of wasted time and money.
The Free Reverse License Plate Search Myth
You’ve probably already visited several websites promising unlimited license plate lookups delivered instantly, for a low access fee or database subscription fee. What these websites don’t tell you is that they are providing records that have been discarded by state DMV’s as obsolete. Despite what you may have been told or seen advertised, the DMV does not sell current registration records to the public OR to private databases. It is protected information available only to law enforcement and licensed private investigators who demonstrate a need for the information—private investigators like the ones at Docusearch.
“But I’ve seen websites that offer free license plate checks, instantly.”
These websites offering instant and free license plate searches for license plate information are the biggest scams out there. They lure you in by advertising that the search is free; simply enter the license plate number you’re searching. After some fancy computer animations, their software informs you that your desired information has been found–just pay a one-time, or worse, a continual subscription fee to access it.
The problem is, even if they happen to have a record for the license plate number you searched, it won’t be for the current owner or current vehicle, since that information is protected. And by the way, it doesn’t matter what license plate number (or state) you enter. The response is always that your plate results have been found.
Docusearch is different. Our license plate search provides you with accurate, up-to-date information about the owner and vehicle of the license plate or VIN number you provide, including the current registered owners name & address, the vehicle year, make, model, and any available lien holders. Results are typically returned within one business day of your order, sometimes within hours.
There are no hidden subscription fees—you pay a one-time price per search—and unlike those automated sites, you can contact us directly by phone or email. Other sites try to get you to pay for a subscription fee, often promising “unlimited searches”. There is no such thing as unlimited license plate searches of current vehicle owner information. These sites trick people into paying for a subscription, and then customers are sent links to other websites that either require more money or send out those bogus results mentioned above.
Is a license plate search available in every state?
Unfortunately, not. Some states even restrict access to licensed investigators. Docusearch has access to 37 state DMV computers.