If you're considering purchasing a pre-owned car in Virginia, a few things are critical for you to keep in mind. Before purchasing, take the time to research the vehicle and its history thoroughly.
If you're buying from a private seller - legal under certain conditions - one of the first steps would be to run a license plate check to get up-to-date information about its history. A license plate lookup in Virginia can reveal any secrets car dealers might try to hide from you in the interest of a sale.
Mandatory license plate identification can also deter traffic violations. It also helps the people who want to audit or investigate crimes in general - and it helps when you need to identify a stolen vehicle.
A license plate lookup is easy to find information about any given car. Simply enter the plate number of the vehicle, and you'll know its history - if it's been in accidents or if anyone has committed crimes while driving it, etc.
Where to Find My Virginia Plate Number?
Of course, you can find your car's license plate number by checking out the license plate on the vehicle itself. But if you don't have access to your automobile, there's another easy way to find out the license plate number - by checking it out in your registration card for Virginian cars.
How to Get a License Plate in Virginia
If you live in Virginia and recently bought a car, the first thing you need to do after obtaining your vehicle is titling and registering it with the DMV. New residents should take this step within thirty days of moving to VA.
If you are planning to move to Virginia you must get replacement plates from the Virginia DMV.
You can make an online application for new plates and purchase up-to-date validation stickers at
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#vehiclereg.asp.
Types of Virginia License Plates
When you register your car and apply for license plates, there are four different categories of plates to choose from i.e.
- College
- Military
- Special Interest
- Other
Personalized license plates are available for an annual fee of $10. They can be made up of combinations of up to 7 letters or numbers - but please make sure your choice of personalized plates is available before ordering.
What is The License Plate Report, and Why Should You Get The Report?
License plates themselves are public domain, having been cataloged by authorities and accessible to everyone whenever they want - including us! You don't even need an account with us to take advantage of this particular service we offer - just enter some basic information about the license plate you’re looking up and press enter. The whole process takes less than 30 seconds.
You'll find more than just VINs if you do a License Plate Lookup in Virginia. You'll get details about the model and color of the car, as well as what the odometer reading said before the vehicle even arrived at the dealership.
Let's get down to business - type the number in the box. Our free Virginia license plate lookup will show you the most important things you need to know about this car, including:
Salvage Title Report
Checking a license plate number enables you to know if the vehicle you are considering buying has ever been involved in an extensive accident, a fire, or flooding. All of these instances could turn the car into a write-off by standard guidelines set forth by insurance providers. When this occurs, there will be a salvaged report issued for that particular car. This warns potential buyers about any accidents or other damage incurred during its lifetime and any needed maintenance required before putting it back onto the market - all so you don't end up spending too much money and time repairing it while trying to resell it again down the line when something else goes wrong with it.
Use and Previous Owners’ Report
The beauty of looking up license plates for sale is that there's no chance that someone can fool you. A quick internet search would show you the vehicle’s history and where it came from and how many times it has changed hands.
Accidents Reports
When a car crashes in Virginia, owners need to submit an incident report. This information will be made public and searchable online for all interested parties. But most owners will not disclose minor incidents. Having too many reports can increase insurance rates down the line; make sure you read each one carefully before committing to anything. When buying a used car in Virginia, it is always best to run a background check for yourself.
More Ways to Prevent Car Fraud
As extensive as this database may be, we cannot protect you from every conceivable fraud. And yet, there are some small tricks that can save you money or even your life:
- Look closely at a vehicle’s license plate. If it is damaged or has no sticker, try to find out as much information about the vehicle as possible.
- Take the car for a test drive; pay your mechanic for an inspection. It's better to pay once for the full inspection rather than three times for repairs, medical treatments due to injuries sustained from a crash, and maybe another car.
- Be observant when dealers talk to you and present cars. If they seem desperate to sell you a car, something might be wrong.
Is it Legal for me do a reverse license plate search?
Yes, we are compliant with the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), as we do not disclose information about the vehicle's owner's personal details. Our license plate lookup does a reverse lookup to obtain the VIN number and query the vehicle history reports for it. Nothing in our report is personably identifiable to a particular individual.
Additionally, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows any individual the right to access information collected by the government. There's no reason for you not to give our auto license plate lookup tool a try. It's totally legal and FREE!