Indiana License Plate Lookup

Type the IN plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Indiana selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history.

1. 1. Enter the plate

   Type the Indiana plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.

2. 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. 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

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

In an Indiana private sale, the seller fills in the seller section of the title and you fill in the purchaser section. You then have 45 days to apply for your own title at the BMV, or you pay a $30 late penalty. You also pay 7% sales tax on the purchase price at the branch. If the car carries an out-of-state title, a VIN physical inspection on State Form 39530 is required before Indiana will title it. That inspection confirms the VIN, which is your chance to catch a swapped or altered number.

Registration adds a $21.35 base fee, the $15 infrastructure fee, and vehicle excise tax based on the car's value and age. Some counties and cities add a wheel tax. In Lake and Porter counties, most cars also need an emissions test every two years.

Indiana is a road-salt state, so look underneath for rust on brake lines, rockers and subframes. Check the title for a Salvage, Rebuilt Vehicle or Rebuilt Flood Damaged Vehicle brand. Indiana brands a car salvage when repairs exceed 70% of its value, or when it is flood damaged. Cars that were flooded elsewhere are sometimes retitled here, so a history check that reads records from other states is worth running.

Private sale

The seller completes the seller section of the Indiana title and takes the license plate off the car. You complete the purchaser section, then apply for a new title, registration and plate at a BMV branch, paying 7% sales tax on the price. If the car was titled in another state, it needs a VIN physical inspection first.

Dealer sale

An Indiana dealer collects sales tax and submits the title application for you, giving you an ST-108 receipt for tax paid. You still register the car and get or transfer a plate. Allow up to 21 days for a printed title to arrive.

Title transfer deadline

45 days from purchase; a $30 late title penalty applies after that

Source: Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles

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

IC 9-14-13 (disclosure of personal information by the BMV)

The BMV may release personal information from motor vehicle records only for listed permitted uses, such as government and court functions, vehicle safety and theft matters, insurance claims, legal proceedings, towing notices and research that does not contact the person, or with the person's written consent. Personal information includes name, address (not ZIP code), phone number, license number and photo. A member of the public cannot get a plate owner's name or address just by asking.

Source: BMV