How do you trace a previous owner from a VIN

Long story short, I bought a truck from a guy who had bought it from the guy who's name was on the ***le and never switched it over. I need to track that guy down due to a ***le discrepency, but now I can't even find the ***le to even know what the guy's name is. Is it possible to run the VIN and get the name and address of whoever it was last registered to? I haven't tried the DMV, but I suspect they aren't in the business of just handing out that info.

 

In this age of privacy and fear of iden***y theft, I doubt very much if DMVs would give out that information.

Now if you knew a cop willing to do you a favor........

 

IF you are doing a search to find a previous owner to get a signed affidavit of either sale or transfer of ***le in lieu of a lost ***le, the DMV can and will help you with that.

you might try the state historical society... my go-to guy at a smallish local DMV station here in wisconsin told me that if the number isnt in the computer system (been unregistered too long) that they send all the old registration info to the state historical society. he's a car guy, and understands the ******** needed to get a car legal, so this information has some weight with me

 

A couple of years ago I did it online. I think it was $8 or something like that. Just entered the VIN and got the list of previous owners. Or if it is a newer OT car just order a carfax.

 

These days, it's a LOT more difficult. You have to show proof you own the car, with the accompanying paperwork that shows the car already in your name, before any DMV will talk to you.

Used to be quite easy. Not any more.

Fifty States, fifty different sets of rules and BS.

On a 1981 and newer O/T car/truck, a CARFAX will only tell you where it has been registered only with the city/state info (and whether it went through auctions, dealers and wholesalers), so you can track it geographically. It does NOT provide names and address of previous owners.

 

You can hire a ***le service, they could straighten it out for you. In Ca, you can run a lien sale on it.

The DMV out here will not provide the owner's info. If you think you remember it, sometimes they will confirm the owner's name if you tell it to them, and its the right one.
But thats about it..

 

Check with your DMV regarding a ***le search. It actually falls under the Freedom of Information Act request. Most states charge anywhere from $5 to $10 per positive hit they find.

 

The FOIA applies to info you want from the Federal Government, NOT State agencies.

http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_XVII_4/page2.htm

 

http://search.dmv.org/dmv/illinois/***le-search

 

I'm not really sure what that website even is.

 

a non government information site... kinda like, kinda like here

 

JONHBOY....what year is it? www.broadway***le.com in alabama can get a ***le for any car as long as its not currently registered to another person now,or its not a stolen car,they do cars as new as the 1980s i think.

 

I had to do the same thing with my old shoebox. I contacted dmv in colorado and california . they sent me out everything they had on record for 10 dollars a piece .. I got a stack of copies of the ***le and names and addresses all the way back to 1980.. found out that it was won in a raffle in 85 hahaha

 

It's a 57 F100

 

Broadway ***le is the answer.

 

1957 perfect!! you just fill out an app. and a power of attorney letter,they register the car in alabama and send you a transferible registration you take that to your local DMV and you register it into your name........i did it for my 1970 GS ,it was like $125 i heard its around $200 now but its well worth it.

 

Broadway is $349.00 for a truck

 

Plus you still have to take that paperwork to your State licensing authority and buy your ***le and tag. Not exactly the bargain it once was.

 

Yeah, it's almost $200 here in Illinois now, so I'm looking at dropping $550 just to get a ***le in my name.

 

The state should be the one contacting the previous owner.

You fill out paperwork stating it's your vehicle and the ***le is lost. They send a letter to the last registered owner on file stating somebody else is trying to ***le the vehicle. If there's no protest in a timeframe, the DMV issues a new ***le.

Pretty much all states do that in the name of privacy. You'll have to pay a fee for them to do it.

 

It's been ten years since the last owner registered the truck, what happens if they say, "oh I never sold that, I want it back", then I'm f!@#ed.

 

Had a MN DMV guy at our booth at BTTF's.He told us that the state has destroyed all records for vehicles not registered for over 7 years.No paper left,no microfilm.Nothing.Justification was cost of storage.
Broadway ***les are not accepted in MN.

 

So what do you do in MN in this situation? I just talked with a guy in Springfield (the capital) today, he said it should have cleared out after ten years, but it was still in the system for some reason.

 

Aren't you equally fuked if you go back to the owner either way? What's it matter if you do it or the state does it?

This happens all the time and it's extremely rare for an owner to be crooked enough to try and get the vehicle back. There's penalty for fraud on their end too if you have a bill of sale and the car was never reported stolen.

Your state has a process for this. The clerk you talked to was either unwilling or ignorant. Try again, but before you do understand if it's better to have the boogered ***le you got, or no ***le at all. In many cases lost ***le is the easiest. It's counterintuitive but I've had several sweet old DMV ladies ask me to put that ***le back in my pocket, put the lost ***le form in front of me, and then ask if I was sure that ***le wasn't lost. For real. In your case the ***le is legitmately lost, and you might've done yourself a favor!

 

VERY INFORMATIVE. I'm gonna bookmark broadway ***le for future reference

 

Any state that does not honor registration from Alabama is in violation of Federal (U.S. Cons***utional) law.

 

Not necessarily so. There is "reciprocity", which means that one State recognizes the laws from another. A driver license is a perfect example of State reciprocity. I can drive in your State with my license and registration, and likewise, you in mine. A State is not bound at all to recognize another's statutes. Things like tinted windows, ride height, open wheels, and noise rules are all things that my car will p*** at home, but will fail in another State, and I will get a ticket for those violations. And, there isn't a thing I can do about that. Where States are refusing paperwork from New York, Alabama, and other non-***le States is that the potential for fraud is considerably higher in these instances than in States that require ***les on vehicles.

As an example: What is to stop you (or anyone else) from stealing someone's vehicle in ANY State, taking it to another State, claim it came from a non-***le State and was parked for, say, 20 years w/o papers, and simply using that statement to ***le and register that car or truck? Not much, really, unless that State runs the VIN through the national stolen vehicle list. Most times, that does not happen. So, boom, you have a ***le and registration on what is a stolen vehicle. Reciprocity is NOT an automatic thing, and falls under what is called "State's Rights" under the US Cons***ution. So, a State that refuses to recognize the lack of ***le paperwork, or a BOS from a non-***le State, is perfectly legal.

Plus you have the incidents in California with Boyd Coddington and others that were using Alabama "paperwork" and other, outright fraudulent paperwork in registering and ***ling cars, and you can see where States are not simply going to roll over and play along. Too much abuse has occurred in the system, and the States are cracking down on that. ***le companies like Broadway and others have found it much more difficult to operate, and their fees now reflect that. That is why their paperwork is recognized in some States and not others. The potential for fraud is high!

 

you could just do a bonded sale.

 

If its in the system then you can't use Broadway ***le for sure. I would ***ume the only way to get it done is to have the previous owner apply for a lost ***le. Did you ask the guy if you could get the previous owners name/address? In MN you can go to the DPS and buy a record. If I remember correctly our privacy laws allow you to opt out so you have to fill out a form if you do not want this info to be disclosed, so you can't always get the info.

 

I asked, and he said that they can't give out that info, because it's personal. I said I think I know his name, will you tell me if I'm right? He said he can't.