Ohio License Plate Owner Lookup
How to Find an Ohio License Plate Owner
Searching for an Ohio license plate owner can be both useful and necessary for various reasons. Whether you're involved in a hit and run, reporting an accident to the insurance company, or need to verify vehicle ownership for official purposes, understanding how to conduct a vehicle owner search can come in handy. How do I find a vehicle owner, and am I allowed to do so? We'll go over the steps to perform an Ohio license plate owner search, the permissible reasons for doing so, and the privacy laws you must consider.
Understanding Vehicle Title Owner and License Plate Owner Searches
Before diving into the search process, it's important to distinguish between a vehicle title search and a license plate search. A vehicle title search involves accessing the official documents that prove ownership of a vehicle, while a license plate search is more about identifying the current registered owner of a vehicle using the license plate number. Both searches can provide important details about a vehicle and its owner but are also subject to strict state and federal regulations.
Steps to Run an Ohio License Plate Owner Lookup
Performing a license owner search in Ohio involves a few easy-to-follow steps that can be done completely online. The first step is to obtain the complete license plate number of the vehicle in question. The next step is to review the available reasons to run this search and obtain vehicle owner information. There are restrictions that apply, and available owner information may vary depending on the resource you use. once you've determined the resource to use, enter the complete plate number and verify your reason for accessing this information. Then once you've received the respective license plate owner information, make sure to use it only as intended.
Various Ways to Run an Ohio Vehicle Owner Search
1). Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV): The Ohio BMV is the authoritative source for vehicle records in the state. Visit their website, or in-person to make official request. To obtain copies of vehicle records by license plate or VIN, you must submit your reason to obtain vehicle owner information. The BMV office will only allow verified entities, businesses, or court orders to access owner information. It's best to research their website, or call first to find out what criteria is allowable for this search.
2). Third Party Providers: There are many privately run third-party websites that offer access to vehicle records, but very few that offer access to vehicle ownership records. The first step is to find a certified third-party website that offers access to owner information. They will then ask you to select a valid reason before performing your search, and they may also take your information for security purposes. Then once you've been approved to run the search, the owner information retrieval should be pretty fast. Many of these sites offer results in just moments.
3). Hire a Private Investigator: If you are stuck and cannot find what you are looking for through the BMV or third-party providers, then you may want to consider hiring a Private Investigator. This type of resource may have access to information or contacts that are not necessarily publicly available to anyone. They will also need to follow state and federal DPPA rules, but can often access information that is hard to find.
Allowable Reasons to Run a License Plate Owner Lookup
While the process of conducting a license plate owner search is relatively simple, there are important legal restrictions to what information is available. Before proceeding, we'll go over the various allowed reasons for doing so. Here are some of the permissible scenarios:
1. Accident Investigation: If you've been involved in a hit-and-run or any accident where the other party fled, obtaining the vehicle owner's information is necessary for auto insurance claim investigations and legal purposes.
2. Parking and Towing: Confirming the owner of a vehicle that is towed or registered as a tenant in a private parking garage often requires vehicle ownership verification; Tow companies need to be able to identify the owner if their vehicle is towed or impounded.
3. Law Enforcement: Law enforcement agencies may conduct license plate owner searches as part of their duties to solve crimes or enforce traffic laws.
4. Court Orders: In some cases, a court order may grant permission to access vehicle owner information for legal proceedings.
5). Business Uses: These searches can be used for legitimate business uses, for verifying drivers and contractors used for specific uses.
Privacy Restrictions and Legal Considerations
It's important to point out that while accessing owner information is regulated by the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). This federal law restricts who can access personal information from motor vehicle records and for what purposes.
Key Restrictions
1). Personal Use Prohibited: You cannot use the information for personal reasons, or pure curiosity.
2). Permissible Use Only: Access is granted only for specific, approved purposes, such as those mentioned in the DPPA.
3). Penalties for Misuse: Violating the DPPA can result in fines and legal action.
Can I Find an Ohio Car Owner By VIN?
Yes, it is possible to access car owner information by both the VIN or license plate number. Both are unique identifiers used for the same car. However, not all providers offer this service. You will most likely need to find a third party provider for vehicle records that offers a VIN number search for ownership information. It's also important to note that there are privacy restrictions that limit who can run this type of search.
Can I Find The Owner of a Car in Ohio With the License Plate Number?
Yes, this is possible. The registered owner of a car can be found with the license plate number. However, there are only certain permissible reasons to access car owner information. First check with the Ohio BMV or the Drivers Privacy Protection Act before proceeding.
