Can I look up who owns a car by the license plate?

Not as a member of the public, for personal reasons. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.

What is the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act?

A 1994 federal law that limits how state DMVs, and anyone who gets data from them, can release personal information from motor vehicle records. It lists specific permitted uses; curiosity is not one of them.

Someone hit my car and drove off. What do I do?

Write down the plate and state, take photos, and report it to the police. They can identify the owner, and your insurer can use the police report to make a claim.

Who is allowed to get owner information from a plate?

Among others: law enforcement and government agencies, insurers handling a claim, parties to a court case, towing companies notifying owners, and businesses verifying information a person gave them.

Can you find a car’s owner by its license plate?

Not for personal reasons. Here is what the law says, who can, and what to do instead.

The law: the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act

The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), passed in 1994, controls the personal information in state motor vehicle records: names, addresses, phone numbers, license numbers and photos. State DMVs may only release it for the purposes the Act lists, and anyone who receives it is bound by the same limits.

Wanting to know who owns a car is not one of those purposes. So no legitimate website will give the public an owner’s name and address from a plate, and we don’t either.

Who can get owner information

Police and other government agencies doing their jobs
Insurers investigating a claim
Parties to a lawsuit, through the court process
Towing and impound companies notifying a vehicle’s owner
Manufacturers carrying out a safety recall
Licensed private investigators, for a permitted purpose

What to do instead

After a hit-and-run or a crash

Note the plate and state, photograph the scene, and call the police. They can identify the owner, and the report is what your insurer needs.

A car blocking you or parked on your property

Call the non-emergency police line or your property manager. On private property, local rules usually let you have it towed, and the towing company contacts the owner.

A car you want to buy

You do not need the owner’s identity; you need the vehicle’s. Get the VIN from the plate, then follow checking a used car before you buy.

What we show

The vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. Our full position is on the no owner data policy page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Owner lookup questions

Can I look up who owns a car by the license plate?: Not as a member of the public, for personal reasons. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.
What is the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act?: A 1994 federal law that limits how state DMVs, and anyone who gets data from them, can release personal information from motor vehicle records. It lists specific permitted uses; curiosity is not one of them.
Someone hit my car and drove off. What do I do?: Write down the plate and state, take photos, and report it to the police. They can identify the owner, and your insurer can use the police report to make a claim.
Who is allowed to get owner information from a plate?: Among others: law enforcement and government agencies, insurers handling a claim, parties to a court case, towing companies notifying owners, and businesses verifying information a person gave them.

Get the vehicle details

Plate and state in, VIN and vehicle details out. No owner data, no email gate.

Look up a license plate