How to Search for Free Title Information
If you're looking for a car's title information---also called the Vehicle History Report--- the bad news is that you won't be able to get much information without shelling out at least a few dollars. However, it is possible to find some information for free, which may provide you enough information to raise some red flags about the car, and may even inspire you to pay the few dollars it costs for a full report.
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Instructions
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Obtain the vehicle identification number (VIN) from the car. You can typically find the VIN on the dashboard near the window glass or on the the driver or passenger door, between the outside and inside panels. If you're purchasing the vehicle from someone and don't have access to it just yet, ask the current owner for the VIN. Write down the number as you're going to need it to do more searching on the car.
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Use an online search engine such as Google or Yahoo! to search the vehicle's VIN. Type the VIN in the search box, hit enter, and browse the results that come up. Typically, you should find information from reporting agencies such as Car Fax. Typical information found for the the car on this online search includes make, model, and year of the vehicle. While the information isn't anything earth-shattering, it will let you know if the vehicle the seller is advertising is actually what they say it is.
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Request the title information on the vehicle from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. If you are the owner of the vehicle you can sometimes get this information for free, depending on the state. Washington state, for example, allows you to request your own title record through its public records requests.
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Log on to the U.S. government's National Motor Vehicle Title Information System and click on "Check Vehicle History" from the main webpage. This site will lead you to several approved providers of Vehicle History Reports that compile information from all states in the United States. This service is not free, but if the other free methods have not borne any fruit, you'll have to buck up the $5 (or sometimes less) to get the report.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are purchasing a car and you don't want to pay the few dollars for the report, ask the seller or car dealership if they are willing to provide one for you. Depending on how desperate they are to sell, they may be more than happy to pay the money to show you how great their car really is.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Right Tail Light of a new 4 x 4 vehicle image by Vanessa van Rensburg from Fotolia.com
