Search VIN Records

The SearchQuarry.com VIN Number Database

In the SearchQuarry.com member’s area you will find our “Driving Records” section, and all of our VIN, license plate, driving, and vehicle related records searches are in that section. Our VIN records searches include vehicle history and ownership records. Other driving related records include traffic citations, felony driving offenses, misdemeanor driving offenses, vehicle ownership reports, license plate records, and vehicle history reports. You can search any VIN by typing in a VIN and searching. Other searches available in the member’s area include criminal records, birth records, death records, marriage records, divorce records, court records, people search, and phone number lookups.

VIN Number Records as Public Record

A vehicle identification number, or VIN, is a 17-character code that serves as the unique identifier for a specific automobile. The VIN, made up of capital letters and digits, serves as a fingerprint that provides a history of accidents and other incidents involving the car. VIN number records are useful if you’re deciding whether to buy a particular used vehicle. Here’s the process to request this public record, which is also available for boats, trucks, and recreational vehicles.

Development of the VIN System
While VIN numbers were first used in 1954, it wasn’t until 1981 that a standard for these identifiers was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and adopted by the automotive industry. Development of this standard allowed for the public record of each car’s history. Automotive history reports were introduced by CARFAX in 1986 using public records.

What Can a VIN Number Record Reveal?
Information included with this type of public record includes who has owned the car in the past, whether there are any current or past liens on the vehicle, how well the owners have kept up on routine maintenance, problems with the title history or odometer settings, flood damage, accident history, any lemon law rulings, and whether the airbags have ever been deployed.

How Can I Obtain a VIN Number Record?
First, you’ll have to get the VIN number for the vehicle you’re interested in purchasing from the individual or dealer who is selling the car. If this person is unsure where to find the VIN, you can check in common spots like under the hood, on the driver’s side interior dash, and between the front carb and the windshield washer.

Once you have the VIN number, go online and access a paid VIN search website. While free VIN lookup sites do exists, they don’t typically provide the comprehensive report you’re looking for.

What Is VIN Fraud?
While many vendors are legitimate, some car thieves give fraudulent VIN numbers to conceal the fact that the car they’re selling is stolen. Most simply steal the VIN number from a car in a public parking lot, then use this VIN to forge the stolen car’s title and other documents. This allows them to sell the car to an unsuspecting customer. If you run a VIN number record and notice a fraud alert, have your mechanic investigate the car to determine the true VIN. If any numbers don’t match, notify the authorities.