DMV search tips wanted

[Bob Jenkins]

I would like some tips/advice for searching for a particular VIN #. I am not sure if the car is still registered or where. Are there sites/people who have access to records that make for easier VIN searching? Any help would be apprecitated.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

http://www.dmv.org/?source=overture&...;OVMTC=standard

One site for all states, you can't do it online with most states, but at least you can get the forms, find out their record retention policies, etc...

Some states, like GA, AL, etc... did not have titles until the mid 80's - makes for a difficult search!

Good luck!

[Pantera]

You might want to add that this doesn't work on anything older that 82. So if you are looking for a 69 they don't have enough diggits in the vin to run a carfax report.

Been there done that.

Pantera

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

The carfax info from this site is really not useful, I use it more for the 'download DMV forms' links. This way, you don't have to figure out each states DMV address.

[Lynn]

Before the "new" federal privacy laws went into effect in about 1999, you could go to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, and for the princely sum of $1.00 do a title search on any vehicle as long as you had either the VIN or the current tag. They would give you a print out of every owner since it was first titled in Oklahoma. Of course, now that service is no longer available.

However, as an attorney, I have had to run checks for one reason or another two or three times since 1999. First time they had me fill out an affidavit listing my state bar number and the reason for the search. Didn't have to be very specific, but if I remember correctly, had to have something to do with a pending case (similar to subpoena power) or needing the info to collect money. At any rate, the last couple of times I needed to search, they just asked me if I was an attorney, and then ran the search, no questions asked.

So.... bottom line is this. If you need a title search done in Oklahoma, send me a private message with the VIN. Next time I am in the vicinity of the tax commission, I will run it for you, provided all they do is ask if I am an attorney. I will not fill out a bogus affidavit for you as I flatly refuse to lie for anyone. Lost a few clients that way, but that's fine with me. I have tried to explain to folks that you really don't want an attorney who will lie for you. If he will screw someone for you, he will also screw you!! Reminds me of a good lawyer joke. Think I will post it in the lounge.

There is one other problem with Oklahoma. They changed computer systems in the late 70's and "lost" much of the data. Not all the records were lost. In fact, there has only been one search I ever attempted that was victimized by that loss of information. Of course, it is my own car (X77 D80 10 10 car which I have owned since 1977) for which they have no records other than my ownership, and even that record has an extra digit in the VIN! I can't clear it up until I finish the car and take it to a tag agent for a personal VIN inspection.

Also, before searching for any car by VIN, I would suggest a call to local law enforcement. Any city bigger than Mayberry should have access to the national crime computer database, and they can tell you if the car has been reported stolen. Any citizen can get that info.

Hope this helps.

Lynn

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I thought the fed. act went into effect in '96 or so, but suffice to say - title searches got a little bit harder. I don't think they got a whole lot more difficult though, what the act did is require states to include a 'justification' section to their forms. I remember doing a search in PA one month, and a few months later I needed to choose a 'reason' for the search and get it notorized. I chose the 'researcher' reason, and paid the extra $5 for notorization, and got the same search results as before.

After doing searches in several states, I believe that the fed act is not the bottleneck, but rather the individual states' requirements, retention periods, and general 'red tape'.