Kansas License Plate Lookup

Type the KS plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Kansas selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history. A Kansas tag lookup works the same way.

1. 1. Enter the plate

   Type the Kansas 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 KDOR and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

In a private sale the seller signs the title over to you. You then have 60 days from the purchase date on the title to register at your county treasurer's office. Bring the original title, since treasurers do not accept copies, plus proof of insurance and a lien release if the title shows a paid loan. If the car carries an out-of-state title, the Kansas Highway Patrol must inspect the VIN first. Expect to pay annual vehicle property tax at registration, on top of the $10 title fee and the $30 or $40 registration fee. Kansas has no safety or emissions inspection, so nobody checks brakes or rust for you. Book your own mechanic. Watch for hail repair and salvage history. Under K.S.A. 8-198, a salvage vehicle must be retitled within 60 days, and a rebuilt one gets a Highway Patrol notice on the left door frame. A missing door-frame notice on a car with a rebuilt salvage history is a red flag. Buying from a dealer gives you one protection most states lack: K.S.A. 50-639 voids 'as is' disclaimers of implied warranties.

Private sale

The seller signs the Kansas title over to you with the price and date. You title and register at your county treasurer's motor vehicle office within 60 days of the purchase date shown on the title. Bring the original title (copies are not accepted), proof of insurance, a lien release if the title shows a paid-off lien, and a Kansas Highway Patrol VIN inspection if the title is from another state.

Dealer sale

Kansas dealers cannot sell a car 'as is' to escape implied warranties: K.S.A. 50-639 voids any attempt to exclude the warranty of merchantability, except for a specific defect you knew about and bargained over. Bring the dealer's sales tax receipt to the county treasurer when you register.

Title transfer deadline

60

Source: Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles

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

K.S.A. 74-2012

Kansas title and registration records fall under the Kansas Open Records Act, but lists of names and addresses may be released only for certified purposes, including uses allowed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act. Vehicle history reports built from these records may not include current or previous owners' names or addresses.

Source: KDOR