Free VIN check

Paste a 17-character VIN. The box checks the check digit, tells you the model year and where it was built, and opens the free decoder, recall and theft lookups.

Picked and checked by a licensed private investigator. Updated October 2026.

Try an example

Pick one to see the lookups for it, or paste your own above.

9 tools, free ones first

Each one opens the tool's own site. Free tools cost nothing; freemium tools show some results free and charge for the rest. Licensed PI items need a licensed investigator.

Free 4

NHTSA VIN DecoderYear, make, model, engine, plantvpic.nhtsa.dot.gov NHTSA RecallsOpen recalls by VINnhtsa.gov NICB VINCheckInsurer-reported theft and salvage recordsnicb.org FMCSA SAFERTrucking company by USDOT or MC numbersafer.fmcsa.dot.gov

Freemium 3

VinAuditNMVTIS title brands, odometer and theft historyvinaudit.com CarfaxService, accident and ownership historycarfax.com AutoCheckAuction and accident historyautocheck.com

Licensed PI 2

Licensed investigator service: License plate sighting historyNeeds a licensed PI

Licensed investigator service: Plate to registered ownerNeeds a licensed PI

What to expect

What you can find for free

Year, make, model, engine and plant from NHTSA's decoder
Open safety recalls
Insurer-reported theft and salvage records from NICB
Old auction and sale listings, often with photos
Trucking companies by USDOT or MC number

Where free tools stop

Title brands and odometer history come from NMVTIS, through paid reports. Looking up a plate's registered owner is restricted by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), and plate sighting history comes from commercial plate readers. Both are for licensed investigators with a permitted purpose.

Tips

A check-digit mismatch means a typo, a VIN from outside North America, or a VIN that may have been altered.
NICB's free VINCheck limits how many searches you can run a day, so check the VIN carefully before you search.