How to Track Down a Car Tag

A car tag is a common phrase for a vehicle license plate. Most license plates are a six-digit combination of letters and numbers and identify a vehicle's owner, make, model, and year. If you are involved in an automobile collision and do not know who owns the other involved vehicle, you can track down the owner through the car tag even if you only have a partial make.

Instructions

1. File a police report. Leave your vehicle in the location in which it was struck and phone the local police department. Give the reporting police officer a description of the other vehicle as well as the tag number. Take a copy of the police report and phone the agency within five to 10 business days to follow-up and find out the name of the other driver.

2. Make an insurance claim. Schedule a time and place when the insurance adjuster may inspect the vehicle's damage. Give the adjuster the make, model, color, and tag number. Follow-up with your insurance agent or insurance claims department to learn the name of the at-fault driver.

3. Consult an attorney about possibly suing for repair costs, plus any physical rehabilitation or medical costs as a result of the collision. Give the attorney the car tag number of the other automobile and your attorney will petition the court to disclose the name of the other driver.

References

• DMV.org: Registration & Titling
• Car Buying Tips: Dos & Don'ts at the car Dealer, Glossary of Fees