FL license plate lookup · plate to VIN

Florida License Plate Lookup

A Florida plate lookup turns the tag on the car in front of you into its 17-character VIN, then into one vehicle history report: odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs, from records in all states. That matters here. Florida titles carry brands such as Salvage, Rebuilt, Flood and Manufacturer's Buy Back under s. 319.14, F.S., and FLHSMV warns buyers about flood-damaged cars after major storms. Florida plates also follow the owner, not the car, so the VIN is what carries the history. You get the result in seconds, with no account.

Full report $9.99. One payment, no subscription.

Records from all states
No account, no survey

See a real sample report

Used car with crash damage: check the VIN before you buy

How a Florida plate lookup works

Type the FL plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Florida selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history. A Florida tag lookup works the same way. It also answers the question behind a Florida vehicle registration lookup for a buyer: which car this is and what happened to it.

1. Enter the plate
Type the Florida plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.
2. We find the car's VIN
The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.
3. Open the full history report
One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

Odometer readings in miles
Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.
All states
Police-reported crashes
Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.
All states
Salvage and auction history, with photos
Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.
All states
Title brands
Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.
Recalls and owner complaints
Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.
Model-level
Factory specs
Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.
Every VIN

Florida license plate formats

Florida had 19,696,080 registered vehicles in 2024. Source: FHWA

Florida license plate formats
Plate	Format	Example	Notes
Standard passenger	`ABC D12`	`QRT X48`	Florida issues several 6-character serial patterns side by side, including 12A BCD and AB1 2CD. One plate per vehicle, rear only.
Temporary tag	`Paper tag`	`Dealer or tax collector issued`	Generally valid 30 days under s. 320.131, F.S.; a person may receive no more than two for the same vehicle unless the statute provides otherwise.

Florida plates come from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), but you handle them at your county tax collector's office, which works as the state's agent. Each registered car gets one plate under s. 320.06, F.S., mounted on the rear between 12 and 60 inches off the ground and readable from 100 feet (s. 316.605). Plates are reflective metal, issued for a 10-year period and replaced at renewal after that.

The plate belongs to you, not the car. Section 320.0609 keeps the plate in the owner's name and lets you move it to your next vehicle in the same class for a $4.50 transfer fee. When you sell, you remove the plate and either transfer it or surrender it. So the plate on a used car identifies only its current registration, while the VIN tells the car's story.

If you have never held a Florida plate, you pay a one-time $225 initial registration fee (s. 320.072) on top of the weight-based registration. Personalized and specialty plates cost extra. Temporary tags under s. 320.131 are generally valid for 30 days, dealers issue them electronically, and one person may receive no more than two for the same vehicle unless the statute provides otherwise.

Front plate rule

Florida does not require a front plate on a passenger car: read the plate on the rear.

Florida fees at a glance

What FLHSMV and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

Florida fees at a glance
Fee	Amount	Details	Source
Title transfer (Florida title)	$75.75 electronic / $78.25 paper / $85.75 fast title	Base title fee set by s. 319.32, F.S.; amounts as published by county tax collectors, who act as FLHSMV agents.	FLHSMV
Title transfer (vehicle titled out of state)	$85.75 electronic / $88.25 paper / $95.75 fast title	Includes the $10 out-of-state fee in s. 319.32(3), F.S.	FLHSMV
Duplicate title	$78.25 paper / $85.75 fast title		FLHSMV
Initial registration fee (first Florida plate)	$225	s. 320.072, F.S. Not charged on renewals or when you transfer a plate from a vehicle you disposed of.	FLHSMV
Annual registration, automobile	$28.10 (under 2,500 lb) / $36.10 (2,500 to 3,499 lb) / $46.10 (3,500 lb and up)	1-year amounts by net weight; 2-year registration is double.	FLHSMV
Plate transfer to another vehicle	$4.50	Statutory transfer fee, s. 320.0609(2)(a), F.S.; agent service charges may apply.	FLHSMV
Replacement plate	$36.90	No charge for a stolen plate with a police report.	FLHSMV
Personalized plate order	$51.90		FLHSMV
Temporary license plate	$5	Statutory tag fee is $2 under s. 320.131, F.S., plus agent service charge.	FLHSMV
Late title transfer penalty	$20	When the title application is filed more than 30 days after delivery, s. 319.23(6)(a), F.S.	FLHSMV
Lien recording with title application	$2	s. 319.32(1), F.S.	FLHSMV
Sales tax	6% state + county discretionary surtax	Collected by the tax collector as agent for the Florida Department of Revenue.	FLHSMV

Title brands in Florida

A brand on a Florida title records that the car was a total loss, rebuilt or damaged by water, and it stays on later titles. The report lists the title brands recorded for the VIN.

Title brands in Florida
Brand	What it means	Law	Source
Salvage	Total loss: the insurer paid a total-loss claim, or for an uninsured vehicle the repair cost is 80% or more of the vehicle's value. A salvage certificate of title is issued.	s. 319.30(1)(t), (3)(a), F.S.	Source
Certificate of Destruction	Declared unrebuildable, for example a late model vehicle worth $7,500 or more with repair estimates of 90% or more of retail cost. Authorizes only dismantling or destruction.	s. 319.30(3)(c), F.S.	Source
Rebuilt	The title states the vehicle has been rebuilt or assembled from parts.	s. 319.14(1)(b), F.S.	Source
Flood vehicle	Declared a total loss as a result of damage caused by water. The brand carries forward on every later title and registration for the life of the vehicle.	s. 319.14(1)(b), (1)(c)8, (4), F.S.	Source
Manufacturer's Buy Back	Repurchased by the manufacturer as a nonconforming vehicle under Florida's lemon law (chapter 681).	s. 319.14(1)(a), F.S.	Source
Total Loss Vehicle	Owner and insurer agreed to repair even though repair costs exceeded 100% of replacement cost.	s. 319.30(3)(a)2., F.S.	Source
Prior use (taxi, police, short-term lease)	Title is stamped with words stating the vehicle's previous use.	s. 319.14(1)(a), F.S.	Source

Buying a used car in Florida

In a Florida private sale, the seller signs the title over with the price, date and your name, and you both complete the odometer declaration. The seller then files a Notice of Sale (form HSMV 82050) within 30 days and keeps the plate. You have 30 days from delivery to apply for title at a tax collector office. Miss it and s. 319.23(6)(a) adds a $20 penalty. You also need Florida insurance with at least $10,000 of personal injury protection, and you pay 6% state sales tax plus any county surtax.

Florida has no periodic safety or emissions inspection for private cars. The one required check is a VIN verification on form HSMV 82042 for a used car not titled in Florida, signed by a dealer, notary, police officer or DMV compliance examiner. That makes your own pre-purchase checks more important.

Flood is the Florida-specific risk. State law defines a flood vehicle as a total loss caused by water damage, and the brand stays on every later title for the life of the car (s. 319.14). After a hurricane, look for silt under the carpet and corrosion under the dash, and run the VIN against records from all states. Also check for a Manufacturer's Buy Back brand, which marks a car repurchased under Florida's lemon law (chapter 681).

Private sale: The seller signs the title over with the price, date and buyer's name, and both of you complete the odometer declaration. The seller files a Notice of Sale (form HSMV 82050 or the section on the title) within 30 days and keeps the plate. You apply for title at a county tax collector within 30 days of delivery, show Florida insurance, and pay sales tax and fees.
Dealer sale: Licensed dealers issue temporary tags through the state's electronic system, generally valid for 30 days under s. 320.131, F.S. Any brand already on the title, such as Rebuilt, Flood or Manufacturer's Buy Back, carries forward to your new title for the life of the vehicle under s. 319.14(4).
Title transfer deadline: 30 days from delivery (s. 319.23(6)(a), F.S.)

Official Florida vehicle tools

These tools are run by state and federal agencies, not by Carlytics. Use them next to the report.

FLHSMV Motor Vehicle Information Check (MVCheck)
Vehicle description and Florida title brands for Florida-titled vehicles
You enter: VIN or title number
NMVTIS consumer access (U.S. Department of Justice)
National title, brand and total-loss history; FLHSMV points buyers here before purchase
You enter: VIN

Vehicle inspection in Florida

Florida has no periodic safety or emissions inspection for private passenger cars; the state ended emissions testing in 2000. A used vehicle not currently titled in Florida needs a VIN and odometer verification on form HSMV 82042, done by a Florida dealer, notary, police officer or DMV compliance examiner. Source

What Florida vehicle records show

Florida treats personal information in motor vehicle records as confidential. Section 119.0712(2), F.S., releases names and addresses only as the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act allows, and misuse of data from the state's DAVID database carries a fine of up to $2,000. Vehicle facts are a different matter. FLHSMV's Motor Vehicle Information Check takes a VIN or title number and shows the vehicle description and any Florida brands, such as junk, salvage or flood, for Florida-titled vehicles. Fuller records go through form HSMV 90510 with a permitted use. A Carlytics plate lookup covers the vehicle side across all states: the VIN, odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction photos, title brands and recalls, and never any owner data.

Florida license plate privacy law

Florida follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

s. 119.0712(2), F.S.

Personal information in Florida title, registration and driver records is confidential and may be released only as the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721 et seq.) allows. Unauthorized use or release of data from the state's DAVID database is a noncriminal infraction with a fine of up to $2,000.

Source: FLHSMV

What our lookup shows

Vehicle data only: the VIN, odometer readings, crashes, auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs. Never the owner's name, address or phone number.

See what a report looks like

A real report for a real car, every section included:

Sample report: 2017 Chevrolet Traverse

Latest odometer reading: 104,351 mi at a New York State inspection on Mar 26, 2026
5 dated odometer readings, no decrease
Police-reported crash in New York, 2021
3 safety recalls for the model

Open the full sample report

Look up a Florida license plate

Florida tag or plate, the result is the same: the car's VIN in seconds, then its full history for $9.99. Checking several cars? $19.99 for three, $29.99 for five.

Florida license plate lookup questions

Can I find out who owns a car from a Florida plate?

No. Florida keeps owner names and addresses confidential under s. 119.0712(2), F.S., which follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, and FLHSMV releases them only for permitted uses such as law enforcement, insurance claims or court cases. A Carlytics plate lookup gives you the vehicle instead: the VIN, odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction history with photos, title brands and recalls.

How much does a license plate cost in Florida?

A first Florida plate costs a one-time $225 initial registration fee (s. 320.072, F.S.) plus annual registration by weight: $28.10, $36.10 or $46.10 for a car, as county tax collectors publish it. Moving a plate you already own to another car costs a $4.50 statutory transfer fee instead of the $225. A replacement plate is $36.90, and a personalized plate order is $51.90.

Does the plate stay with the car when it is sold in Florida?

No. Florida plates stay with the owner. Under s. 320.0609, F.S., the seller removes the plate and either transfers it to another vehicle or surrenders it, and the buyer registers the car with their own plate. Because plates move between cars, the VIN is what matters: a plate lookup turns the tag into the VIN and pulls the car's full history.

How do I check a Florida title before I buy?

Start with FLHSMV's Motor Vehicle Information Check, using the VIN or title number, to see the description and Florida title brands. Then run the plate or VIN through a report that covers all states, because a car may have been titled elsewhere. Look for Salvage, Rebuilt, Flood and Manufacturer's Buy Back brands, and make sure the seller's name matches the title.

Is a front license plate required in Florida?

No. Florida issues one plate per vehicle under s. 320.06, F.S., and s. 316.605 requires it on the rear, between 12 and 60 inches above the ground and readable from 100 feet. A front plate applies only where two plates are assigned, such as certain truck tractors. Keep the rear plate clear of covers or grime that hide the characters or decal.

Does Florida require a vehicle inspection?

Florida has no annual safety or emissions inspection for private passenger cars. It does require a VIN and odometer verification on form HSMV 82042 when you title a used car that is not currently titled in Florida. A Florida dealer, notary, police officer or DMV compliance examiner can complete it. With no state inspection, a mechanic's check and a VIN history report do the job.

Plate lookup in nearby states

Have the VIN already? Check it by make

Run the Florida plate before you pay

Enter the plate, check the decoded car, then open the full report.

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Sources

The fees, laws and rules on this page were checked against these official sources on Oct 30, 2026.

Show all 21 sources