Indiana license plate lookup

What you get from an Indiana plate lookup

Our free tool converts an Indiana plate into the vehicle’s VIN and decodes it into the year, make, model and engine, along with any open safety recalls. If you want the car’s past, you can order a history report on the same VIN. Plate results come from a commercial vehicle-data provider.

The lookup never names the owner. The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 2721) bars state motor vehicle agencies from releasing personal information except for the permissible uses it lists, and the BMV follows it.

Who issues plates and titles in Indiana

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues titles, registrations and plates through its branches and online. The BMV says the seller should remove the license plate when the sale happens. The plate doesn’t have to be returned and can be moved to another vehicle the same person owns. The buyer gets a new title, registration and plate.

Apply for the title within 45 days of buying the car, or an administrative penalty applies. A car coming from another state needs a VIN inspection, which a BMV branch or a BMV-certified provider does free; a law enforcement officer may charge up to $5. Indiana plates go on the rear of most vehicles. Tractors, dump trucks and trucks with a rear-mounted forklift carry theirs on the front.

Getting an Indiana title or registration record

The BMV uses the Request for Certified Records (State Form 53789) for vehicle title and registration records as well as driver records. On the vehicle side you can ask for a title inquiry (current owner, liens, VIN and odometer), a full Indiana title history, or a registration history. The form charges a fee for each and asks anyone receiving personal information to state a permitted use under the DPPA. The BMV also sells a one-time title or registration record online after you sign an electronic agreement.

Salvage and rebuilt titles in Indiana

The BMV requires a salvage title for a wrecked or damaged car built within the last seven model years; an older car can get one on request. Indiana’s disclosure form also counts as salvage a car an insurer declared uneconomical to repair, a flood-damaged car, and a car with a salvage title from another state.

To get a rebuilt brand, the owner applies for a salvage restoration title. A dealer who sells a salvage or rebuilt car must tell the buyer in writing. Read salvage title check for what that history can mean for you.

Before you buy a car with Indiana plates

• Look up the plate before the seller removes it, then match the VIN to the dashboard, the driver’s door label and the title.
• Ask a dealer for the written salvage or rebuilt disclosure if the title shows either brand.
• On a car titled out of state, book the VIN inspection before you apply for the Indiana title.
• Run a history report for title brands, flood records and odometer readings from every state. See odometer rollback check.
• Confirm engine and trim with our VIN decoder and compare reports on pricing.

An AutoCheck report on an Indiana car costs $7.99 on Smart VIN Check.