LookupAPlate is a free nationwide license plate lookup service and a community platform to report unsafe driving and bad drivers. With over 294 million registered vehicles in the US, searching a license plate number may feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but we’ve got you covered.
LookupAPlate lets you quickly identify the vehicle by license plate number. You can view key vehicle specs, check recalls, submit bad driving reports, and request vehicle ownership details from our partner service (for valid reasons). You don't even need to sign up or create an account - just enter the license plate number and select the state to get started.
There are various instances where searching for a license plate becomes necessary. Here are some scenarios:
The license plate search can yield detailed information about the vehicle and potentially the owner. However, some information might be restricted depending on who you are and for what reason you are searching.
In general, you can expect to find the following data:
To obtain Personal Identifiable Information (PII), such as the vehicle owner’s name, address etc., a valid reason that complies with DPPA regulations is necessary (more on that below).
The license plate data comes from multiple official and reliable sources including but not limited to NMVTIS, various car auction websites, car manufacturers, dealers and others.
Searching for license plates on LookupAPlate is quick, user-friendly and, of course, FREE. Additionally, unlike other websites, you can search directly without providing personal information or registering.
And that’s about it - we told you it’s easy.
If not LookupAPlate, the traditional option is to fill out a DPPA-2 form with the local DMV office. This process can be time-consuming, especially when you just need vehicle-related information and are not interested in the ownership records.
Yes, it’s perfectly legal to run someone’s license plate, provided you have a valid reason as defined in the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). DPPA basically prohibits and regulates sharing of the personally identifiable vehicle owner data like name, address, photo and phone number without a legitimate reason.
As per DPPA, the permissible uses are:
As per the 2019 NHTSA report:
Clearly, American roads are seeing an increasing number of bad drivers and reckless driving. When you encounter someone driving rashly or a bad driver, you can make a difference by reporting the plate on our website.
Publicly naming and shaming the plate owner may just be what it takes to deter them from bad driving!