License Plate Lookup by State

license-plate-owner.com provides DPPA-compliant license plate owner lookups for 36 states across the United States. Enter a license plate number or VIN, select your state, and receive the registered owner’s name, current address, and vehicle details — fulfilled by Lance Casey & Associates, a licensed private investigation firm with over 25 years of experience and CA PI License #27617.

Access to registered owner information from state motor vehicle records requires a valid permissible purpose under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Select your state below to get started.

License Plate Owner Lookup — Available States

36 STATES

The following 36 states have full registered owner lookup access. Enter a license plate number or VIN to find the registered owner’s name, address, and vehicle details. Reports fulfilled by a licensed PI in compliance with DPPA.

Vehicle History Lookup — Additional States

15 STATES

For the following 15 states direct registered owner name and address lookups are not currently available through our service. Vehicle history reports — including accident records, title history, and odometer data — are available for these states through our affiliate partners without a DPPA permissible purpose requirement.

ℹ️ Vehicle History Reports: For the 15 states listed above we recommend running a vehicle history report through GoodCar or VinCheckup. These reports include accident history, title records, odometer readings, and open recalls — no DPPA permissible purpose required. Run a Free GoodCar Report →

What Is a License Plate Lookup?

A license plate lookup — also called a reverse license plate search or plate number lookup — is a search of state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records that identifies the registered owner of a vehicle using its license plate number or VIN. The registered owner record typically includes the owner’s full name, current mailing address, and vehicle details including year, make, model, and VIN.

Access to registered owner information is governed by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), 18 U.S.C. § 2721. The DPPA restricts access to personal information from motor vehicle records to individuals and organizations with a valid permissible purpose. license-plate-owner.com accepts requests under purposes 1, 2, 8, and 9.

Who Uses License Plate Lookups

Attorneys, process servers, towing companies, judgment creditors, repossession companies, insurance investigators, and licensed private investigators.

Common Use Cases

Hit and run accidents, towed vehicle owner notification, judgment enforcement, skip tracing, debt recovery, and process serving.

About Our License Plate Lookup Service

license-plate-owner.com is operated 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 license plate owner lookups with direct access to state DMV vehicle registration databases across 36 states.

Every lookup request is personally reviewed and fulfilled by a licensed professional — not an automated database. CA PI License #27617.

Visit LanceCasey.com → DPPA Compliance → Order a Lookup →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I look up a license plate owner in any state?

We provide registered owner name and address lookups for 36 states with direct DMV database access. For the remaining 15 states we provide vehicle history reports through our affiliate partners. Select your state above to see what is available.

Do I need a permissible purpose to run a license plate lookup?

Yes — access to registered owner name and address from state motor vehicle records requires a valid permissible purpose under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). We accept requests under DPPA purposes 1 (Litigation), 2 (Debt Recovery), 8 (Towing), and 9 (Licensed PI). Vehicle history reports do not require a permissible purpose.

How long does a license plate lookup take?

Most reports are delivered within 1-2 business days to the email address provided on the order form. Every request is personally reviewed and fulfilled by a licensed private investigator.

How much does a license plate owner lookup cost?

A license plate owner lookup report is $79. This includes the registered owner’s full name, current address, and vehicle details — fulfilled by a licensed private investigator in compliance with DPPA.

What is the difference between a license plate lookup and a vehicle history report?

A license plate lookup identifies the registered owner of a vehicle — including their name and address — from state DMV records and requires a DPPA permissible purpose. A vehicle history report provides accident history, title records, and odometer readings but does not include the registered owner’s personal information and does not require a permissible purpose.

Is it legal to look up a license plate owner?

Yes — it is legal to run a 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. Running a plate lookup without a permissible purpose is a federal violation of the DPPA.