Plate lookup · Alaska

Alaska License Plate Lookup

Enter a Alaska plate to find the vehicle's VIN, then decode it into year, make, model and factory specs.

Input · AK plates · cached lookups

US plates only. We find the VIN for the plate, then decode it.

VIN for the plate · waiting for a lookup17 positions · no I, O or Q
1–3 · WMIMaker & country—
4–8 · VDSModel, body, engine—
9Check—
10Year—
11Plant—
12–17 · SerialUnique to this vehicle—

Like in many parts of the world, license plates are mandatory for driving in Alaska. If you’re looking to purchase a second-hand vehicle, it’s crucial to ensure that the vehicle’s license plate is properly registered in Alaska. This allows you to perform a quick Alaska license plate lookup before finalizing the purchase. VinFreeCheck makes this process hassle-free with its quick, easy-to-use, and free Alaska license plate lookup service.

Little Known Fact

Alaska is that the state has one of the highest rates of pickup truck ownership in the United States. Due to the rugged terrain and often challenging weather conditions, pickup trucks are the vehicle of choice for many Alaskans.

Where Do I Find My Alaska Plate Number?

Cars in Alaska have plates attached to the back and front dashboards of the vehicles. On top of the plates is the boldly written ALASKA, and underneath it is the plate number. If you don’t have access to your car, you can find your plate number on the certificate of vehicle title issued by the Alaska DMV.

alaska certificate of vehicle title

How Do I Get a License Plate in the State of Alaska?

The Alaska license plate can be issued by any Alaska DMV office near you. On the other hand, you can visit the official Alaska DMV website. You will be required to fill in the application form to order a new license plate. It is relevant to point out that to receive a license plate, you’ll need to first register your vehicle with the Alaska DMV.

If you live in Alaska, upon purchasing the vehicle, you are expected to apply for a license plate within 30 days. In the meantime, to legally drive a car, you need a temporary license plate. If you establish that you applied for residency in Alaska, you must complete the title and registration process within 10 days.

Visitors/non-residents are allowed to drive their vehicles within 60 days using an out-of-state vehicle registration, after which, they are required to get the Alaskan License plate.

To apply for title and registration, you need to present the following documents;

  • Completed title & registration application form 812
  • Proof of VIN inspection
  • Copy of title
  • Power of attorney (where applicable)
  • Payment of all required fees

What Are the Different Types of Plates?

Standard: While Alaska has numerous options of license plates to choose from, the most commonly used license plates include the yellow painted license plates with ALASKA boldly written on it and the mountain license plates with white mountains and a blue sky imprinted on them.

Causes: There are about nine special cause plates you can obtain through the DMV. A few of them are; Alaska Children’s Trust, Blood Bank of Alaska, Breast Cancer Awareness, Choose life, etc. You must pay both a supporting causes fee and the standard registration fee to get any of these plates.

Disability: The three disability license plates are; disabled with parking privileges, disabled veterans with parking privileges, and disabled veterans without parking privileges.

Fraternity orders: These are license plates for members of fraternities such as; the Freemasons, Lions club, etc.

Military: This is to acknowledge militants who have served or currently serve. They include; Air force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard.

Specialty: For people who want to showcase or show support for organizations, occupations, or even ideologies. For example, special plates for custom collectors, antique cars, Farm vehicle collectors, Amateur Radio, etc.

College: License plates to show support for Alaska’s Universities; The University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Southeast, Prince William Sound Community College.

01API

Look up Alaska plates in your app

  • POST a plate with state=AK; get the VIN back
  • Decode that VIN on the same key: 22 fields per decode
  • BASIC includes 10 plate lookups a month, PRO 50, ULTRA 100; then $0.10 each
POST/api/v4/decode_plate
import os, requests

r = requests.post(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/api/v4/decode_plate",
    data={"plate": "<plate>", "state": "AK"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
vin = r.json()["data"]["vin"]

Start on BASIC. $0 a month.

Subscribe on RapidAPI, copy your key, make the call. Upgrade to PRO or ULTRA there when you need more.