How to check if a car is stolen

Start with the VIN, in three places

Every check below runs on the vehicle identification number, so first make sure the VIN you check belongs to the car in front of you. Read it on the dashboard through the lower left of the windshield, on the label in the driver’s door jamb, and on the title and registration. They must match character for character. Not sure where to look? See what a VIN is.

How to check if a car is stolen for free: NICB VINCheck

The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s VINCheck is free. It tells you whether participating NICB member insurance companies have reported the vehicle as stolen but not recovered, or as salvage or flood-damaged. NICB allows five searches per IP address in 24 hours, and you need the full, correct 17-character VIN.

NICB is open about what VINCheck can’t do:

• It searches insurance records from participating insurers only. It doesn’t query law enforcement records, or insurers that chose not to take part.
• Many stolen vehicles are not in its database, so a clean result isn’t proof the car wasn’t stolen.
• A record can be wrong or out of date: a car may have been reported stolen by mistake, or recovered without the record being removed.
• NICB says it isn’t a full vehicle history report and shouldn’t be relied on alone when you buy.

Check the title history in NMVTIS

NMVTIS, the federal title database run for the U.S. Department of Justice, collects records from state titling agencies, insurers, and junk and salvage yards. A report shows the current title, brand history and latest odometer reading and, in some cases, historical theft data. Approved providers sell these reports; our NMVTIS report guide explains what you get.

The title history can also expose a cloned car. If it shows the VIN titled in a state the seller never mentioned, or on a different model or year, stop and ask why.

Signs of a cloned VIN

Cloning means a stolen car gets the VIN of a legitimate car of a similar make and model, usually one registered in another state, plus fake ownership papers. The FBI and the Justice Department’s NMVTIS site both describe cases where thieves pried off the original VIN plate and replaced it. Watch for:

• The VIN on the dashboard, the door jamb and the title don’t all match.
• Scratches or other signs of tampering on the dashboard VIN plate (FBI).
• A VIN plate attached with something other than rivets, which California’s DMV lists as a warning sign.
• Misspellings or errors on the title or other paperwork (FBI).
• A price well below comparable cars of the same make and model (FBI).
• A seller whose name isn’t on the title and who has no bill of sale, dealer report of sale or power of attorney to sell it. California’s DMV says a seller who isn’t the owner or an authorized agent isn’t entitled to sell the car.

What a history report adds

NICB itself points buyers to full vehicle history reports, which draw on DMV title records, auction data and service history. A CARFAX or AutoCheck report lists title and registration events by state and date, so you can compare them with the seller’s story and the paper in their hand.

Our own Smart VIN Check report, at $15.99, includes theft records along with NMVTIS title records obtained through an approved NMVTIS data provider, auction damage records, odometer readings and open recalls. It doesn’t include liens or shop service records.

Most reports arrive instantly or in seconds after payment, and if one can’t be produced, its cost goes back to your account automatically. Smart VIN Check is an independent reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, Experian (AutoCheck), Copart or IAA.

What to do if the car comes up stolen

1. Don’t pay anything, deposits included, and don’t take the car.
2. Confirm the record. NICB says that if VINCheck shows a vehicle as stolen and not recovered, you should check with NICB or your local law enforcement agency that the stolen-vehicle report is still active before taking any action.
3. Report it. NICB takes reports of suspected fraudulent vehicle sales online or at 800-TEL-NICB (800-835-6422). You can also call your local police on their non-emergency line.
4. If you already bought it, contact the police. The FBI warns that a cloned car you bought will be confiscated once its real identity is found, and you’ll still owe any loan you took out on it. Tell your insurer and, if you financed it, your lender.