Michigan license plate lookup

What our Michigan plate search tells you

The search turns the plate into a VIN and decodes it: year, make, model, engine and any open safety recalls. Plate matches come from a commercial vehicle-data provider. If the car is the one you want, you can order a history report on that VIN.

It never shows who owns the car. Under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 2721), owner names and addresses are personal information that the state may release only for a permitted use.

Who issues plates and titles in Michigan

Titles, plates and registration tabs come from the Michigan Department of State, the office of the Secretary of State. In a private sale, the seller must take the plate off before the buyer takes the car, unless the buyer is an immediate family member; the old plate can be destroyed, recycled or moved to another vehicle the seller owns (buying, selling, or leasing).

As the buyer, you must transfer the title within 15 days of the sale, pay the title and registration fees and any 6% sales tax, and get a new plate or transfer one you already own. A seller who keeps a record of the sale for at least 18 months is protected if you don’t file, so expect a careful seller to ask for a copy of the signed title or a bill of sale.

Getting a Michigan vehicle record

The Department of State sells vehicle records online through Record Sales Services or by mail (vehicle history). You can ask for current ownership, a complete history, or a history for set dates. For anyone else’s record you need a permissible purpose under the DPPA; without one, personal information is redacted or the request is denied (vehicle records FAQs).

The department lists the fee as $15 a record, plus $1 for a certified copy, and keeps title histories for 15 years and registration histories for 4 years. Searches match names and addresses exactly, so an owner-based request needs precise details.

Salvage, scrap and rebuilt cars in Michigan

When a car becomes a distressed vehicle, Michigan replaces its regular title with a salvage title, and it can’t be used on public roads until a specially trained police officer recertifies it and it is retitled. When the estimated repair to wrecked, stolen or missing major parts reaches 91% or more of the car’s value before the damage, the title becomes a scrap title, and a scrap vehicle can never be retitled or driven on the road again. Insurers decide how much damage there is. The Department of State itself tells used-car buyers to check a title history through NMVTIS before buying.

Our Michigan VIN check guide covers the details: the late-model vehicle rule, the salvage inspection, the “rebuilt salvage” legend, flood titles and brands carried over from other states.

What to check on a car with Michigan plates

• Match the VIN from the plate search to the windshield VIN, the door label and the Michigan title.
• Look at the title for salvage, scrap or rebuilt wording before you talk price.
• On a rebuilt car, ask for the salvage inspection paperwork and repair receipts.
• Get a history report for total losses, brands from other states and the odometer trail. See salvage title check and odometer rollback check.
• Have a mechanic check underneath for rust on brake lines, rocker panels and the subframe; a history report won’t show it.

A CARFAX and AutoCheck bundle on one Michigan VIN is $12.99 with us. Single reports are on pricing.