UT license plate lookup · plate to VIN

Utah License Plate Lookup

A Utah license plate lookup turns the plate on a car you are considering into its VIN in seconds, then into one 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. In Utah that matters because the state brands rebuilt cars in plain words, such as "in a flood and restored to operation", and a car's history can span several states before it lands on the Wasatch Front. Utah had more than 3.2 million registered vehicles in 2024 (FHWA). No account needed.

Full report $9.99. One payment, no subscription.

Records from all states
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Used car with crash damage: check the VIN before you buy

How a Utah plate lookup works

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

1. Enter the plate
Type the Utah 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

Utah license plate formats

Utah had 3,207,140 registered vehicles in 2024. Source: FHWA

Utah license plate formats
Plate	Format	Example	Notes
Standard passenger, Delicate Arch or ski design (2007 base)	`A12 3BC`	`Z41 7KD`	Both standard designs, introduced in 2007, use the A12 3BC serial. Utah now ships a single plate with the registration decal printed on it.
In God We Trust / United We Stand	`1ABC2`	`4KRT8`	A specialty design made standard from January 1, 2017.
Personalized and special group plates	`Up to 6 characters`	`UTAHN`	Special group plates can usually be personalized with up to six characters (four on some motorcycle plates).
Temporary permit	`Paper permit`	`Temporary permit`	Standard permit $6; 96-hour permit $2.50.

The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles, part of the Utah State Tax Commission, issues plates through DMV offices and by mail. The two standard passenger designs, Delicate Arch and the ski scene, both date from 2007 and use the A12 3BC serial style. A third design, In God We Trust, became a standard option in 2017 and uses a 1ABC2 style.

Utah changed two things recently. The front plate requirement for passenger vehicles was lifted on January 1, 2025, and the DMV now ships a single plate with the registration decal printed on it. So a Utah car with no front plate is normal.

Plates are issued to the owner, not the car. Under Utah Code 41-1a-701, the seller removes the plates when the car is sold, unless the plates are included in the sale. Within 20 days the seller must return them to the DMV or have them assigned to another vehicle. Because plates can transfer with a sale, the plate on a used car may have been reassigned, which is one more reason to confirm the VIN.

Personalized plates cost $50 plus a $25 processing fee to start and $10 a year to renew. Special group plates, from university plates to wildlife designs, add a $5 fee plus a contribution. A standard temporary permit costs $6.

Front plate rule

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

Utah fees at a glance

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

Utah fees at a glance
Fee	Amount	Details	Source
Certificate of title (new or duplicate)	$6		DMV
Registration, vehicle 12,000 lbs or less	$44 + $7	Statutory base under Utah Code 41-1a-1206(1)(b) and (3)(a); the Tax Commission adjusts these fees for inflation each January 1	DMV
Age-based uniform fee or 1.5% uniform property assessment fee	Varies by vehicle age or value	Paid at every registration in place of property tax	DMV
Hybrid electric vehicle fee	$21.75	Plug-in hybrids $56.50; full EVs pay the road usage charge cap under Utah Code 72-1-213.1 (statutory base, indexed)	DMV
Personalized plate, original	$50 + $25 processing	Utah Code 41-1a-1211(2)	DMV
Personalized plate, renewal	$10 a year	Utah Code 41-1a-1211(5)	DMV
Special group plate, original	$5 + base plate fee + contribution	Utah Code 41-1a-1211(3)	DMV
Temporary permit	$6	All title and registration fees and taxes are due when the permit is issued	DMV
96-hour permit	$2.50		DMV

Title brands in Utah

A brand on a Utah 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 Utah
Brand	What it means	Law	Source
Salvage certificate	Issued for a salvage vehicle: one damaged by collision, flood or other event so that safe repair costs more than its fair market value, or one declared salvage by an insurer or another state. It cannot be used to register the car.	Utah Code 41-1a-1001(7), (8)	Source
Rebuilt and restored to operation	Branded title for a salvage vehicle that was repaired and put back on the road.	Utah Code 41-1a-1004	Source
In a flood and restored to operation	Branded title for a flood-damaged salvage vehicle that was repaired.	Utah Code 41-1a-1004	Source
Not restored to operation	Branded title for a salvage vehicle that has not been repaired.	Utah Code 41-1a-1004	Source

Buying a used car in Utah

In a Utah private sale, the seller signs the title and the odometer disclosure and must hand them over at the sale or within 48 hours. Keep a bill of sale. If the car has a Utah title, you can finish most transfers online through UPP, Utah Person to Person, and print a temporary permit. Out-of-state titles and salvage-branded cars go through a DMV office, and any car titled in Utah for the first time needs a VIN inspection on form TC-661.

You pay sales or use tax on the price, the $6 title fee, registration, and an age-based uniform fee that replaces property tax. If you live in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber County, you need a current emissions certificate, valid for two months, before you can register.

Utah ended routine safety inspections for most cars. A rebuilt car is the exception: a salvage vehicle needs a safety inspection before it can move to rebuilt status. Utah treats a car as salvage when safe repair costs more than its value, and brands repaired cars "rebuilt and restored to operation" or "in a flood and restored to operation". Under Utah Code 41-1a-1004, anyone selling a car they know has a salvage certificate, branded title or insurer total loss must tell you in writing.

Private sale: The seller signs the title, including the odometer disclosure, and must deliver it to you at the sale or within 48 hours (Utah Code 41-1a-702). The seller removes the plates unless they are included in the sale, and reports the sale to the DMV. You title and register the car at a DMV office or online through UPP if it has a Utah title, paying sales or use tax, the $6 title fee and registration.
Dealer sale: A Utah dealer handles title and registration paperwork and collects sales tax. If the car was titled in another state, a VIN inspection on form TC-661 is part of the first Utah title, and an emissions certificate is needed if you live in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber County.

Official Utah vehicle tools

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

UPP: Utah Person to Person online title transfer
Lets buyer and seller complete most private transfers of Utah-titled vehicles online, apply for title and registration, and print a temporary permit. Out-of-state titles and salvage-branded vehicles go through an office.
You enter: Utah title details, buyer and seller information
Motor Vehicle Portal: report a sale
Where a seller notifies the DMV that a vehicle was sold, so later tickets and tow fees do not follow them.
You enter: Plate number or VIN, year, make, model
Utah DMV vehicle inspections
Explains emissions testing in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties and when a safety inspection is required.
You enter: County and model year
NMVTIS vehicle history (U.S. DOJ)
Lists approved providers of National Motor Vehicle Title Information System reports: title brands, last title state, total-loss and junk/salvage records.
You enter: VIN

Vehicle inspection in Utah

County emissions testing (Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, Weber); safety inspection only for salvage-to-rebuilt and first-time street-legal ATVs; VIN inspection for first Utah title

Most Utah vehicles need no safety inspection. A safety inspection is required when a salvage title is changed to rebuilt status, and commercial vehicles are inspected yearly. Emissions certificates are required in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties and are valid for two months. In Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber, cars under six years old test every other year and older cars every year; cars less than two years old are exempt. A VIN inspection on form TC-661 is required the first time a vehicle is titled in Utah. Source

What Utah vehicle records show

Utah treats title and registration records as protected. Under Utah Code 41-1a-116, the DMV releases them only for purposes the federal DPPA permits, plus a short list of others like licensed investigators and lenders. A buyer cannot get the owner's name or address from a plate.

The state's own tools serve owners and parties to a sale. UPP and the Motor Vehicle Portal handle transfers and sale notices. County health departments track emissions certificates. None of them show a car's crash history, auction photos or odometer readings from other states. A plate lookup gives you the VIN and that full history in one report, which helps when a car arrives in Utah from a flood or hail state with a clean-looking title.

Utah license plate privacy law

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

Utah Code 41-1a-116

Utah title and registration records are protected records by default. The DMV releases them only for purposes the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act allows, plus a few listed cases such as licensed private investigators with a legitimate business need and secured lenders. Recipients may not resell the data or use it for marketing, and misuse is a class B misdemeanor. Parking lot operators cannot get protected records at all.

Source: DMV

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 Utah license 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.

Utah license plate lookup questions

Are license plates public records in Utah?

No. Utah Code 41-1a-116 makes title and registration records protected by default. The DMV releases them only for uses the federal DPPA allows and a few listed purposes, such as licensed investigators and lenders. A plate lookup gives you the car's VIN and history, never the owner's name or address.

Does Utah still require a front license plate?

No. Utah lifted the front plate requirement for passenger vehicles on January 1, 2025, and now ships a single plate with the registration decal printed on it. Mount it on the rear, at least 12 inches off the ground with no tinted cover, as Utah Code 41-1a-404 requires.

Do Utah license plates stay with the car or the owner?

They are issued to the owner. Under Utah Code 41-1a-701, the seller removes the plates when the car is sold, unless the plates are part of the sale, and within 20 days returns them or moves them to another vehicle. Sellers should also report the sale to the DMV so later tickets do not follow them.

How much does it cost to title and register a car in Utah?

The title fee is $6. Registration for a vehicle of 12,000 lbs or less starts from a $44 statutory base plus $7, adjusted for inflation each year. You also pay an age-based uniform fee in place of property tax, sales or use tax on the price, and an emissions test in five counties.

Does Utah require a safety inspection or emissions test?

Most cars need no safety inspection, except a salvage car being changed to rebuilt status. Emissions tests are required in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties. In four of them, cars under six years old test every other year and older cars every year. Cars less than two years old are exempt.

What does a branded Utah title say?

Utah uses plain-language brands under Utah Code 41-1a-1004: "rebuilt and restored to operation", "in a flood and restored to operation" or "not restored to operation". Before that, a salvage vehicle carries a salvage certificate, which cannot be used to register the car. Sellers who know about a brand must disclose it in writing.

Plate lookup in nearby states

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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 18 sources