Find the registered owner of any vehicle by license
plate number or VIN — fulfilled by a licensed PI in
compliance with federal DPPA law. CA PI #27617.
A Texas license plate lookup — also called a reverse license plate search, TX plate number lookup, or vehicle owner search — allows you to identify the registered owner of any vehicle registered with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) using its license plate number or VIN. Texas is one of the largest states in the country by registered vehicles, with over 24 million vehicles on its roads. Finding the owner of a Texas (TX) plate requires a valid permissible purpose under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA).
license-plate-owner.com provides DPPA-compliant Texas license plate owner lookups fulfilled by Lance Casey & Associates — a licensed private investigation firm with over 25 years of experience and a 10+ year law enforcement background. We accept TX plate lookup requests under DPPA permissible purposes 1 (Litigation), 2 (Debt Recovery), 8 (Towing), and 9 (Licensed PI).
A Texas (TX) plate number lookup can return the following registered owner information for vehicles registered with TxDMV — provided you have a valid DPPA permissible purpose:
Registered Owner Full Name
The name of the individual or entity registered as the vehicle owner with TxDMV
Current Mailing Address
The registered owner’s current address on file with the Texas DMV
Vehicle Year, Make & Model
Full vehicle specifications as registered with TxDMV
VIN Number
The 17-character Vehicle Identification Number associated with the TX plate
⚠️ DPPA Notice: Access to registered owner information from Texas motor vehicle records requires a permissible purpose under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. Learn about DPPA permissible purposes →
There are several ways to look up a Texas license plate owner. Here is a comparison of your options:
license-plate-owner.com
DPPA-compliant lookup fulfilled by a licensed PI. Enter your TX plate or VIN above. Report delivered by email within 1-2 business days.
$79 · Fast · DPPA Compliant
Texas DMV (TxDMV)
Submit Form VTR-275-K directly to TxDMV. Requires a stated permissible purpose. Processing can take 2-4 weeks. No online option for owner data.
Free · Slow · Limited Access
Vehicle History Only
No permissible purpose required for vehicle history reports. Does not include registered owner name and address. Good for used car buyers.
No Owner Data · Instant
Yes — it is legal to run a Texas (TX) license plate owner lookup provided you have a valid permissible purpose as defined under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), 18 U.S.C. § 2721. The DPPA was enacted to protect the privacy of motor vehicle record information while still allowing legitimate access for authorized purposes.
license-plate-owner.com accepts Texas plate lookup requests under the following four DPPA permissible purposes:
Litigation / Pre-Litigation — attorneys, process servers, hit and run victims, judgment enforcement
Debt Recovery / Fraud Investigation — skip tracing, repossession, judgment creditors
Towing / Impounded Vehicle — notifying registered owners of towed or impounded vehicles
Licensed Private Investigator — PI conducting a lookup for a permitted purpose on behalf of a client
For full details on all 10 DPPA permissible purposes visit our DPPA compliance page →
A standard Texas license plate uses a 7-character alphanumeric format:
Texas
ABC-1D23
The Lone Star State
Format: AA1-A123 — letters, number, letter, numbers. Current design features a light blue background with black lettering and a star symbol.
Front & Rear Required: Texas requires plates on both front and rear of most vehicles (Section 504.943)
Plate Replacement: Texas plates must be replaced every 7 years — TxDMV no longer replaces them automatically
Registration Fee: Base tag fee is $51.75 plus county fee ($10–$20). Total typically $62–$72
Digitally Printed: TX plates are digitally printed on aluminum rather than embossed
No Deathless Day Since 2000: November 7, 2000 was the last day without a traffic fatality on Texas roads
For official Texas license plate information visit the TxDMV License Plates page →
Source: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and NHTSA FARS
4,481
Traffic Fatalities
Texas 2022
12.3
Deaths Per Day
on TX Roads 2022
634K+
Total Auto Accidents
Texas 2022
1,162
Drunk Driving Deaths
Texas 2022
563
Motorcycle Fatalities
Texas 2022
24M+
Registered Vehicles
in Texas
For detailed Texas traffic and accident statistics with charts and data visualizations visit our Texas statistics pages:
If you only need vehicle history information — accidents, title records, odometer readings, recalls — and do not need the registered owner’s name and address, these services do not require a DPPA permissible purpose:
GoodCar
Comprehensive vehicle history report. Search by plate number or VIN. Ownership history, accident data, title records, and market value.
Run a Free GoodCar Report →
VinCheckup
Instant vehicle history report by VIN. Accidents, title records, odometer readings, open recalls, and more.
Run a Free VIN Check →
license-plate-owner.com Texas plate lookups are fulfilled by Lance Casey & Associates, a licensed private investigation firm based in Sacramento, California. With over 25 years of PI experience and a 10+ year law enforcement background, Lance Casey provides DPPA-compliant Texas license plate owner lookups with direct access to TxDMV vehicle registration records.
Every Texas plate lookup request is personally reviewed and fulfilled by a licensed professional — not an automated database. CA PI License #27617.