Car Title Check
Look up title brands by VIN
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Your first report for $1, then $30.00/month for up to 5 reports a month. Cancel online anytime.
Why Check a Title?
A clean-looking paper title doesn't guarantee a clean history. Cars written off after floods, crashes or theft are often repaired and sold again, sometimes in a different state from where the damage happened. A title check by VIN shows the brands states have recorded, so you know what you're buying before you pay.
Our vehicle history report checks every NMVTIS title brand and lists each one either way, so you can see what was searched as well as what was found.
Title Brands We Check
Salvage
An insurer or the state declared the car a loss, usually because repairs would cost more than it was worth.
Rebuilt / reconstructed
A salvage vehicle that was repaired and passed a state inspection to go back on the road.
Flood & water damage
The car was damaged by flooding. Water can cause electrical and corrosion problems that show up much later.
Junk / dismantled
The vehicle was declared fit only for parts or scrap and shouldn't be on the road.
Odometer problems
Readings marked not actual or exceeding mechanical limits, or that go backwards between title transfers.
Prior taxi or police
The car was used commercially, which usually means hard miles and heavy wear.
Frequently Asked Questions About Title Checks
What is a car title check?
A title check looks up a vehicle's title records by VIN to see whether any state has branded the title, for example as salvage, junk, flood or rebuilt, and what odometer readings were recorded at each title transfer.
What is a title brand?
A title brand is a permanent label a state DMV adds to a vehicle's title to record its condition or history, such as Salvage, Rebuilt or Flood. Brands are meant to follow the car from state to state.
What is title washing?
Title washing is moving a branded car to a state with different rules to get a clean-looking title. Checking the national title records by VIN shows brands applied by any state that reports to the system.
Is it safe to buy a car with a rebuilt title?
It can be, but rebuilt cars are usually worth much less, can be harder to insure and finance, and the quality of the repair varies. Get an independent pre-purchase inspection before you buy one.
Where does title data come from?
Title brands, odometer readings and total-loss records come from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which collects data from state titling agencies, insurers and salvage yards, through an approved data provider.