License plate suspension check

You can find out if your license plates are suspended by contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles DMV or police department. Keep in mind that license plate issues are a matter of state law, so the exact criteria for suspending plates, penalties and the process for verifying the validity of license plates varies based on where you live.

The DMV in the state where the car is registered will be able to verify whether your license plates have been suspended. You will need to provide the agency with your license plate number, name, address and date of birth.

The police in your jurisdiction may also verify whether your license plates have been suspended. As with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the police may ask you to present proof of identity and ownership of the vehicle.

Oftentimes, safety features such as airbags and seatbelts are detailed on these reports. Additionally, these reports can also provide pertinent safety information such as vehicle or part recalls.

Accident records and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls about particular vehicles may be essential to consider when you are trying to purchase a used vehicle. You may come across a seller that does not always reveal all the problems about a vehicle, but some license plate searches will perform checks for significant problems and detail any title brands on a vehicle.

Records and problems that are investigated can include:. All car buyers are recommended to check a vehicle history report through a public records license plate search or a VIN number report in order to avoid stolen or unsafe vehicles. Most services that search a license plate gather their information from multiple credible sources.

A majority of the information comes from the public records available through various motor vehicle departments. Service stations and insurance companies also provide relevant information found in a license plate search. Running a license plate search to check on another person is illegal in most circumstances, but many services will collect public information linked to a plate.

You will not be able to access the same personal data that a law enforcement officer can view, but everyone has access to public records. The data gathered in these searches is similar to a VIN check.

Numerous laws, especially the Freedom of Information Act, permits citizens to access data collected by the government. Any data created by the Department of Motor Vehicle and other government agencies is available for public access. Besides that, these agencies allow easy access to this information in order to cut down on car fraud and automobile theft. While it is possible to search a license plate on your own, it would consume a lot of your time and resources.

You would essentially need to contact every DMV, police department, federal agency and insurance company to gather all of their public data. Instead, you can gather a fair amount of data in a matter of minutes by using a free license plate search service. California Privacy R. California Opt-Out.