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Minnesota license plate lookup

Enter a Minnesota plate to see the car it’s on and its decoded VIN, free. Standard Minnesota plates can’t be moved from one vehicle to another, so a standard plate on a used car was issued to that car.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

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Plate search opens soon. Until then, enter the VIN: it’s on the dashboard by the windshield and on the driver’s door frame.

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It decodes as soon as all 17 are in.

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On this page
  1. What you learn from a Minnesota plate
  2. Who issues plates and titles in Minnesota
  3. Owner and vehicle records in Minnesota
  4. Minnesota title brands
  5. Before you buy a car with Minnesota plates

What you learn from a Minnesota plate

Our lookup matches the plate to a VIN and decodes the year, make, model and engine, along with open safety recalls. Plate data comes from a commercial vehicle-data provider. If you want the car’s past, you can order a history report on the VIN right after.

It doesn’t give you the owner. Minnesota treats the personal data people give to register a vehicle as the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 2721) provides, and discloses it only as that law requires or permits (Minn. Stat. § 168.346).

Who issues plates and titles in Minnesota

Plates, registrations and titles are issued through Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS), a division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Most cars must show one plate on the front and one on the rear; motorcycles, heavier trailers and vehicles with dealer plates show a single rear plate (§ 169.79).

Under § 168.12, the plates and stickers issued for a vehicle may not be moved to another vehicle, while personalized plates and several kinds of special plates can be moved to another vehicle the owner has, for a $5 fee. A personalized plate on the car you’re viewing may leave with the seller; a standard plate is issued to that vehicle.

Owner and vehicle records in Minnesota

DVS discloses registration data on individuals as the DPPA requires or permits, or to anyone the registered owner authorizes in writing. Licensed dealers can get data for vehicle safety, theft, recall and emissions purposes. An owner who needs it for their family’s safety can also ask DVS to treat their home address as private data. Ask DVS for its current record request form and fee before you apply.

Minnesota title brands

Minnesota’s title law names the brands a title can carry: salvage, prior salvage, flood damaged and reconstructed, plus hazardous waste contaminated vehicle and lemon law vehicle (§ 168A.05).

When an insurer pays for and takes a late-model or high-value car, it must get a salvage brand; for other cars it’s prior salvage (§ 168A.151). Anyone who acquires a damaged car carrying another state’s salvage, rebuilt or similar brand must also apply for one of the two. A salvage title lets the holder keep, move and sell the car, but not register it. A late-model or high-value salvage car gets a prior salvage title only after an inspection (§ 168A.152). A car that can’t be repaired gets a junking certificate.

Separately, a seller who knows the car took damage of more than 80% of its actual cash value must say so in writing on the title application or transfer document (§ 325F.6641). Dealers must also disclose known title brands and any flooding above the bottom of the dashboard on their lot.

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

Before you buy a car with Minnesota plates

  • Check that the VIN from the plate search matches the dashboard, the door label and the Minnesota title.
  • Look for salvage, prior salvage, flood damaged or reconstructed on the title, and ask the seller to fill in the 80% damage statement.
  • If the car came from another state, read its history for brands the Minnesota title might not repeat word for word.
  • Run a history report for total losses and odometer readings. See salvage title check and odometer rollback check.
  • Decode the VIN with our VIN decoder to confirm the engine and trim.

A CARFAX report on a Minnesota VIN costs $8.99 with us. See pricing for the rest.

Questions

Can I look up who owns a Minnesota plate?

Not with our tool. Minnesota discloses registration data on individuals only as the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act requires or permits, or with the owner’s written consent.

Does Minnesota require a front plate?

Yes for most cars: one plate on the front and one on the rear. Motorcycles, heavier trailers and vehicles with dealer plates display one plate at the rear.

What is the difference between salvage and prior salvage in Minnesota?

A salvage title lets the holder own and sell the car but not register it. Prior salvage marks a car with salvage history that can be titled for the road, after inspection for late-model and high-value cars.

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About the author

Tayron Bram

Data Validation Officer

Tayron Bram is the Data Validation Officer at Smart VIN Check, with 41 years of experience in used-car sales, auto auctions and vehicle data. Tayron has checked thousands of vehicle history reports and worked with dealers importing cars from the US. At Smart VIN Check, Tayron checks that every fact in our guides matches its source, from state title rules to NMVTIS and NHTSA records, and goes back to those sources when they change. Before a guide is published, Tayron reads it the way a buyer would, looking for anything unclear, out of date or not backed by a source. Tayron also keeps the prices we quote from other sellers current, so the comparisons on our pages stay accurate.

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