To look up a license plate in Alabama, you need to contact the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division, and pay an annual subscription fee of $95 plus $6 for each report. You must supply your name, address, email address, driver's license number, your phone number, and the license plate you are searching for. In some cases, you must also supply documentation proving you are eligible to receive records. The information you will get to see will include the odometer reading, title number, the color of the car or truck, the date the title was issued, the purchase date, along with the lien holder's information, title status, and lien date. Alabama has strict DPPA laws, and only specific individuals with proper identification can pull records for another person. Some of the allowable purposes are for insurance, private investigations, a court order, or obtaining a copy of your own record.
Alabama has various laws related to license plate registration and tilting of a vehicle. When someone moves to the state of Alabama, they have 30 days to register the car. Upon purchasing a new vehicle, the owner has 20 days to register the new vehicle. Some other regulations related to Alabama license plate registration are:
Alabama uses a staggered registration system for renewals that go from January through November, based on the first letter of the owner's last name. Not all counties send out renewal notices. Anyone who fails to renew their registration on time will pay an additional $15 late fee.
The state of Alabama has many options for license plates. Each type is described below:
The Alabama statute 810-5-1-.485 Implementation of the Federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), is the law regarding the use and dissemination of personal information linked to driver's license numbers and plate numbers. Some of the highlights of this law are:
When requesting records, you must provide documentation proving you have a legal right to review the information. Proper forms may include a power of attorney, signed consent form, private investigator's license, court documentation, or ownership paperwork.
Yes, it is legal but with very fine restrictions. You must contact the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division to obtain records and they release them only to the following individuals with a legal right to review:
When requesting records, you need to provide your own personal information, including name, address, driver's license number, email address, and phone. You must also provide the license plate number for the vehicle you wish you look up. Be prepared to provide documentation to prove your legal right to use the information as well.
You may use the ADOR website to lookup a license plate using a VIN or a third-party vendor. However, be warned that access is restricted in some cases.
Alabama has a special area on the Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles website to report an abandoned vehicle. You can enter the license plate number, and this will generate a report with the owner's name, address, and complete vehicle information, including VIN.
Alabama restricts the use of license plate owner information for specific purposes; they include:
You can look up an Alabama license plate for free online using one of many third-party websites. The Alabama Department of Revenue does not have a way that you can look up records for free. They charge a fee for all reports. Using a free service, you can look up a license plate in Alabama but will only see basic vehicle information like make, model, year, and other manufacturer details.