Massachusetts license plate lookup

What the Massachusetts plate lookup returns

We find the VIN behind the plate and decode it for you: year, make, model, engine and open safety recalls. The plate match comes from a commercial vehicle-data provider. From there you can buy a history report on the VIN if the car is worth a closer look.

Owner details are not part of the result. Names and addresses in motor vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 2721), and the RMV says that law governs every release of personal information from its files.

Who issues plates and titles in Massachusetts

Registrations, plates and titles are handled by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), part of MassDOT. Plates belong with the registration, not the car: when a registration is cancelled, the RMV doesn’t take the plates back, and the owner must recycle or destroy them (cancel your registration).

Cancelling is free, can usually be done online and produces a cancellation receipt. Once a registration is cancelled, the car can’t be driven on any public way in Massachusetts. If the seller has cancelled before you collect the car, plan to register it or have it moved some other way.

Getting RMV records on a Massachusetts vehicle

The RMV releases most records to the public, but personal information only within the limits of the DPPA. To ask for it, you send the Request for Personal Information in RMV Records form, a photocopy of your driver’s license, ID or professional license, and the fee, which the RMV lists as $5 per record photocopy, payable to MassDOT (how to request).

“Highly restricted” items, such as a Social Security number, photo or medical information, need the notarized signature of the person they concern. The RMV allows 7 to 10 business days and warns that a false statement to get personal information can lead to criminal prosecution.

Reading a Massachusetts salvage title

Every Massachusetts salvage title has a primary brand, either repairable (REPR) or parts-only (PART), and a secondary brand for the event behind the total loss: collision (COLL), fire (FIRE), flood (FLOO), flood/salt (SALT), theft (THEF), vandalism (VAND) or other (OTHR). A parts-only car can never be registered in Massachusetts. Passenger vehicles 10 or more years old at the time of loss are exempt from the salvage process (total loss and salvage vehicles).

A repairable car can’t be registered until it passes a salvage inspection by the Massachusetts State Police. The inspector checks the VIN, the insurance appraisal and bills of sale for replaced major parts, and receipts for used parts must show the donor car’s VIN. The RMV says plainly that it is not a safety inspection (salvage inspections). After it, the car gets a Reconstructed or Recovered Theft title, and the RMV says a salvage car can never be issued a clear title (reconstructed title).

Out-of-state salvage vehicles of any age must pass the Massachusetts salvage inspection before they can be registered or titled here. Our flood damage check guide explains what a SALT or FLOO brand can mean for wiring and corrosion.

Checks before you buy with Massachusetts plates

• Compare the VIN from the plate lookup with the dashboard plate, the door label and the title.
• On a salvage or Reconstructed title, note both brand codes and ask for the salvage inspection paperwork.
• Remember the salvage inspection isn’t a safety check: have your own mechanic look at the frame, airbags and wiring.
• Run a history report for total losses and brands from other states and for the mileage record. See salvage title check and odometer rollback check.

An AutoCheck report on a Massachusetts VIN costs $7.99 with us. All reports are on pricing.