Vermont License Plate Lookup

Type the VT plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont DMV and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

Vermont's title law changed on July 1, 2024. Before that, vehicles more than 15 years old were exempt from titling. Now a Vermont-registered vehicle from 2009 or older still needs no title, and the registration certificate serves as proof of ownership. For those cars, ask for the registration certificate, a bill of sale and the seller's ID, and check the VIN on the car against both.

For newer cars, the seller signs over the title and gives an odometer disclosure (form VT-005) for model year 2011 or newer. Liens must be released. You file form VD-119 and pay the 6% purchase and use tax on the price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater.

Total losses get a salvage title within 15 days, and a repaired car needs a rebuilt inspection before it returns to the road (23 V.S.A. 2093). Vermont even brands an "undisclosed lien" when a never-titled vehicle has no national title record.

Rust is the big local risk. Long winters and road salt eat brake lines, rocker panels and frames. The annual state inspection catches the worst of it, but a fresh sticker is not a guarantee. Have a station put the car on a lift before you pay.

Private sale

The seller signs over the title (all owners listed must sign) and gives you a bill of sale, plus an odometer disclosure (VT-005) for model year 2011 or newer. All liens must be released. You file form VD-119 with proof of insurance and pay the 6% purchase and use tax, the title fee and registration. A Vermont-registered vehicle from 2009 or older does not need a title, so the registration certificate is the proof of ownership.

Dealer sale

A licensed dealer prepares the VD-119 and collects the purchase and use tax. Every Vermont title and registration transaction is checked against the national title database (NMVTIS); an active out-of-state title must be surrendered or replaced through the title bond process.

Source: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (Agency of Transportation)

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

23 V.S.A. 104

Information in Vermont DMV records is released only under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. chapter 123). Requesters must identify themselves and state a permitted purpose under oath. Redisclosure of photos is restricted, and violations carry civil penalties of up to $10,000 per occurrence.

Source: Vermont DMV