Last Updated on September 9, 2021 by Larious
Whether reality or imaginative, let’s assume that you’re a victim of car theft or find yourself in a situation where you need to find if your newly bought used car was ever in an accident or was stolen.
In either case, one of the first places you should look is your car’s license plate number to help with law enforcement, insurance adjusters, and pretty much anyone else who might be able to locate your vehicle. But the calamity did not end here; in fact, it snowballed because you don’t know your license plate number either.
Don’t worry! Numerous free tools on the internet will help you locate your license plate number and get a free report. Keep reading this article for more information on how to find the license plate number if the car was stolen.
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5 Ways Find The License Plate Number If The Car Was Stolen
If your car was stolen, you might be wondering how you can find out your license plate number. There are several other ways to identify your license plate number. However, it might take a little research on your part because these methods vary from state to state and could require a visit to DMV offices or police headquarters.
The first step to finding your car’s plate number or VIN is to check your driver’s license. This will be located on the bottom left corner of your license or registration certificate.
This blog post contains five ways to find your car’s license plate number for your stolen or lost car. You can also search for your license plate number to see if the perpetrator has been caught.
1. Finding Your Car’s License Plate Number Using License Plate Lookup & Search
Most states and provinces have a database of license plates they’ve issued to citizens – this information is publicly available. You can use these databases to find your location or simply look up your license plate number directly on the website.
Dozens of websites offer to run license plate searches, especially if you’re trying to track down an old car. Similarly, these sites might also help if your car is stolen. For example, sites such as VinPit let you search by state, looking for any car with that same license plate number.
Steps to use VinPit
This website is easy-to-use and displays results in real-time. Here are the steps mentioned for you to follow while using VinPit’s License Plate Lookup & Search feature.
- Visit the official website of VinPit.
- Choose Your State or country/province.
- Enter the correct VIN.
- Press the “GO” button.
Search Results will be shown. Anyone with internet connection on a mobile phone, tablet, or personal computer can often conduct license plate checks. And the information gathered by these tests is just to be used as a guide.
2. Finding Your Car’s License Plate Number From a Police Report
Remember that police officers must photograph the car’s front, back, sides, interior, and exterior. This means that the license plate number will show up in at least one of these pictures.
Also, your local police department keeps a complete record of every license plate they’ve seen in their jurisdiction in case they need it to issue a ticket at a later date. This information is also publicly available, so anyone can access it by simply visiting their local police department’s website.
The first step to finding your license plate number through a police report is to get a copy of it. The easiest way to do this is by taking your vehicle registration certificate (and proof of insurance) into the police station, where you registered your car after losing it or having it stolen.
If you have a police report, then you can also direct the officer on duty to check their system for your license plate number. Keep in mind that this process may not take place right away. You could find your car’s license plate number if it’s listed on your local police’s website.
Also, remember that law enforcement will sometimes use a photo of your car as its entry. Scroll through the police report’s photographs to see if you spot your license plate number.
3. Finding Your Car’s License Plate Number Using Auto Insurance Companies
Most auto insurance companies keep records about each car that is insured through them, along with the owner’s name and address. You can access this information by contacting your insurance company directly. You can find more information about what they have on file by checking out their online search engine. This will give you a list of every car insured through them, along with the owner’s name and address.
4. Finding Your Car’s License Plate Number Using a Private Investigator
A private investigator can help you track down your license plate. So, if you’re willing to spend the money, you can hire a private investigator to track down your license plate information. They might charge an hourly rate, or they might charge a flat fee, depending on the type of information you’re looking for and how long it takes them to find it.
5. Finding Your Car’s License Plate Number Using the DMV
You will need a little bit of spare time on your hands to visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You can get a lot of information from their website, including vehicle history and previous registrations. Their staff might also be able to help you track down some of the information you’re looking for if they have the time and resources to do so.
Conclusion
If you have a license plate number, then it is a lot easier to find your stolen car. You can ask for help from your peers and police officers to find out where the vehicle is located.
While this blog will surely be handy if you ever find yourself in a car theft situation, yet it is advisable that when you buy a car, make sure that you put the license plate number into your phone or contact information so that if your car was stolen, it’d be easier for you to track down.
