Stolen Property & Vehicle Recovery Resources
When dealing with a stolen vehicle, missing trailer, or suspecting you are about to purchase stolen property, having the right tools is critical. As a Licensed Private Investigator and the founder of Stolen 911, Marc Hinch has compiled these free public resources to help you verify Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), check license plates, and track missing assets.
Vehicle & License Plate Verification Tools
Is It Stolen? Check the VIN (NICB)
Before buying a used car, truck, motorcycle, or RV, you should always run the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) provides a free database search to check if a vehicle has been reported stolen, salvaged, or declared a total loss.
⚠️ Important Limitations of the NICB Database
While the NICB tool is an excellent starting point, it does not contain every stolen vehicle. A “clean” result does not guarantee the vehicle is legitimate. The database relies on reporting from participating insurance companies, meaning several types of stolen assets will never appear in their system, including:
- Uninsured or Liability-Only Vehicles: If a vehicle did not have comprehensive theft coverage, the victim may only report it to the police. Because no insurance claim is filed, the NICB is never notified.
- Non-Standard VINs: Older classic cars (pre-1981), utility trailers, heavy construction equipment, ATVs, and custom builds often lack the standard modern 17-digit VIN required to process an NICB search.
- Reporting Lags: It can take days or even weeks for a stolen vehicle report to be processed by an insurance company and officially uploaded to the public NICB database.
- Non-Participating Insurers: If the victim’s insurance provider is not a participating member of the NICB, the theft record will not be shared in this specific search tool.
License Plate Lookup Check
Does the vehicle actually match the license plate attached to it? Auto thieves frequently swap license plates on stolen cars and trailers to avoid detection by automated license plate readers (ALPR). You can use a public license plate lookup tool to verify that the year, make, and model registered to that specific plate match the vehicle sitting in front of you.
Search The Stolen 911 Registry
Because of the limitations in traditional insurance databases, it is highly recommended to also search the Stolen 911 Asset Registry. Our database contains thousands of user-submitted reports for stolen heavy equipment, trailers, firearms, bicycles, electronics, and uninsured vehicles. Enter a serial number, VIN, or unique marking to see if an item has been reported stolen directly by its rightful owner.
What To Do If You Locate Stolen Property
- Do Not Confront: Never confront a seller or individual in possession of suspected stolen property.
- Gather Intelligence: Secretly record the URL of the online listing, take screenshots, and note any phone numbers or seller aliases.
- Contact Law Enforcement: Call your local non-emergency police dispatch immediately and provide them with the VIN, serial number, and any Stolen 911 case links.
- Hire an Investigator: If police lack the resources to actively pursue your lead, contact our Licensed Private Investigator for active case management and recovery assistance.