Virginia VIN Lookup

Among the approximately 920 used car dealers in Virginia are various dishonest and unscrupulous dealers who seize every chance they get to rip off pre-owned vehicle shoppers. Although purchasing a used vehicle rather than a new one can save you some money, the average cost of a used car in the state is still around $33,725. The best way anyone who plans to spend this amount on a pre-owned vehicle in Virginia can get value for their investment is to conduct a VIN lookup before finalizing the deal.

The Virginia Lemon Law only applies to used motor vehicles in limited circumstances. Consequently, a person’s right to file a lemon law claim for safety defects or mechanical issues on any used car purchased in the state is absolutely limited, especially outside the rights period. As a result, used vehicle buyers in Virginia must conduct due diligence on their proposed ride to avoid purchasing a lemon. A certain way to make sure of that is to obtain a vehicle’s history report through a reliable VIN lookup service.

Why Performing a Virginia VIN Check Is Important

Performing a Virginia VIN lookup is a vital step anyone purchasing a pre-owned vehicle in the state should take. Generally, a VIN check retrieves a vehicle’s entire history which contains information that can help anyone make an informed decision when buying a used car. Virginia ranks as one of the states with the highest car-related fraud cases in the United States with 278.4 auto-related fraud matters per 1m residents. This implies that residents are at risk of getting scammed when purchasing used vehicles in the state. However, obtaining a vehicle history report through a VIN check can help minimize such risks.

Conducting a VIN check in Virginia is essential for many other reasons, including the following:

• Verifying Registration Status: VIN is a unique identifier and a gateway to a vehicle’s registration details and status. When you perform a VIN check, the results will typically include information about the current registered owner, which can prevent you from purchasing a stolen vehicle in Virginia. The search result will also indicate if the vehicle’s registration is still valid or not. This may prevent you from violating Section 46.2-600 of the Code of Virginia, which mandates the registration of all vehicles in the state.
• Uncovering Title Issues: Vehicles damaged by flood or accident are sometimes declared as a total loss by insurance companies and are designated as vehicles with salvage titles. Many of these cars end up on the used car market and most used car dealers will not disclose the title issues to pre-owned vehicle shoppers. Thankfully, a VIN check will reveal undisclosed damage and specify if a vehicle has a salvage title. This can prevent you from purchasing a car that has undergone several repairs.
• Identifying Stolen Motor Vehicles: According to reports, Virginia has a car theft rate of 172.8 per 100,000 residents. While this is one of the lowest in the United States, purchasing a vehicle that has been reported stolen can land a person in legal trouble and financial loss. However, you can avoid these issues by performing a thorough VIN check if you ever consider purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. A comprehensive report from a VIN lookup will reveal vehicle theft records.
• Investigating a Vehicle’s Accident History: It is common knowledge that accidents can reduce a car’s resale value and overall safety. In many cases, used car dealers do not disclose information about a vehicle’s previous accidents, some of which might have impacted its structural integrity, making it unsafe to drive. However, with a VIN lookup, you can pull up a comprehensive vehicle history report that will typically reveal past accidents, the severity of such accidents, and the level of repairs done.

How To Perform a Virginia VIN Check

Virginia VIN checks may be conducted in various ways. The following agencies generally provide the means of looking up vehicles registered in the state using their VINs as the search parameter:

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): The DMV manages a Prospective Purchaser Inquiry (PPI) system that enables anyone intending to purchase a used vehicle in the state to obtain vehicle records at a $12 fee. Information required for this search includes a VIN, vehicle make, model, and other information. Interested persons may obtain PPI reports in any of the following ways:

• In person at any DMV customer service center
• By completing a Request for Vehicle Information by a Prospective Purchaser Form (Form CRD-01) and mailing it with proof of payment to the DMV at:
  Department of Motor Vehicles
  Attn: Customer Records Work Center
  P.O. Box 27412
  Richmond, VA 23269
• Online using the PPI Online Portal

Vehicle records obtained from the PPI generally include vehicle description, vehicle history, sale history, disclosure statement, and current vehicle information, including details like water damage.

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): This agency has a VIN Decoder that allows anyone to obtain information about a vehicle’s build plant and a few safety-related information. To perform a VIN check using the NHTSA’s VIN Decoder, enter a vehicle’s full VIN in the appropriate search field and click on the “Decode VIN” tab.
• The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB): The NICB offers members of the public VINCheck, a free VIN lookup service that helps in finding vehicles’ theft and salvage records using the VIN. Typically, participating NICB insurance companies file reports of all insurance theft claims made by policyholders and salvage vehicle details with the bureau, which may be accessed on VINCheck.

Free vs. Paid VIN Check Services in Virginia

Most VIN check services offered by government agencies and non-profit organizations are provided free of charge. As a result, users barely get enough information after conducting VIN checks on Virginia-registered vehicles through resources managed by these agencies or organizations. At best, a person will only obtain basic information about the vehicle being checked, which generally includes vehicle specifications.

If you need to obtain comprehensive history reports on any vehicle registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is best to conduct a VIN check on credible third-party sites like GoodCar, AutoCheck, CarFax, and Carmat. At a small fee, these sites offer users premium VIN lookup services that enable subscribers to obtain detailed vehicle history reports, which typically include the following information:

• Open safety recalls and defects
• Full vehicle specifications, which generally include make, model, engine type, body style, trim, and transmission type
• Accident records
• Title records/issues
• Ownership history
• Odometer readings
• Theft records
• Sales history
• Salvage and junk reports
• Market value
• Major issues with the vehicle
• Service/maintenance history
• Lien information, and much more!

What Used Car Scams Are Common in Virginia?

Thousands of reports of auto-related scams perpetrated by car dealers are filed with the Federal Trade Commission annually. While Virginia has many used car dealerships that play by industry rules, some dealers do not play by such rules and are out to con unsuspecting used car shoppers out of their money.

The internet was recently flooded with news of a Virginia woman, Barbara Aboagye, who got into a financial mess after discovering the preowned car she purchased from a private seller was not what she expected. The vehicle was listed on Facebook Marketplace for $25,000.

Unknown to Barbara, the original owner of the car (seller) financed it through a finance company but was delinquent on repayment. So, the vehicle was repossessed by the finance company months after it was sold to Barbara despite being handed a clean title. It was still under the seller’s name at the time it was repossessed, which implies a fraudulent (washed) title was handed over to the buyer. Unfortunately, Barbara had secured a loan with her bank and made full payment to the seller, while she repays her bank.

A good number of used vehicle shoppers in the Commonwealth of Virginia are faced with the following used car scams:

VIN Cloning:

A car seller removes the VIN plate of a stolen vehicle, accident car, or a car with a salvaged title and replaces it with a VIN from a similar and legally registered vehicle and sells it to an unsuspecting shopper.

Title Washing:

A dishonest car seller washes a vehicle’s title to remove certain information like salvage reports, accident history, or liens as though the vehicle has a clean title.

Curbstoning:

This is when an individual pretends to be a vehicle owner (when they are not) and tries to evade certain industry laws to sell that vehicle to another individual, usually meeting the buyer at a public location that is not linked to a particular residential or business address.

Odometer Rollbacks:

This scam involves altering a vehicle’s odometer readings to make the car appear less used and sell at an outrageous price.

Fake Car Listings:

Scammers create fake vehicle ads online (using photos of genuine cars listed elsewhere) and tag them with ridiculously low prices to lure used car shoppers. They typically offer to deliver such vehicles to potential buyers after asking them to make deposits or full payments. People who fall victim never get to receive such vehicles.

In Virginia, VIN checks on reliable third-party sites like GoodCar offer an excellent means of evading these scams, as they generally reveal a vehicle history. For instance, a comprehensive vehicle history report will reveal if a used vehicle has ever been reported stolen, had an accident, or was damaged by flood. It will also disclose its actual mileage and other undisclosed information, which can help anyone decide whether or not to purchase a car. Similarly, purchasing a used vehicle from reputable and licensed used car dealers in the state can prevent prospective buyers from falling victim to used car deals.

How Do I Check the Status of My Vehicle's Title in Virginia?

You may want to check your vehicle’s title status for varying reasons. These include car ownership confirmation, resale value verification, and ensuring a vehicle has no current financial leans from lenders.

In Virginia, you can check the status of your vehicle’s title by obtaining the vehicle history from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Besides providing a record of the vehicle’s previous ownership, a vehicle history report obtained from the DMV will also show the vehicle’s titling transactions. To request a vehicle history, submit a written request (containing the title number, vehicle make, and VIN) or a completed Information Request Form (Form CRD-93) and a check for $8 to the DMV at:

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
Attn: Customer Records Work Center
P.O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269

How To Register a Brand New Car in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is responsible for registering all motor vehicles in the state in line with state law. Whether you purchase a vehicle from a private seller or a licensed dealer in the state, you must register it.

All registration requirements must be met to be able to register and title a vehicle in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Once a person satisfies all the requirements, they can submit all the necessary documents and information to the DMV in any of the following ways:

• Mail Application - Send the completed application, required documents, and a check or money order covering applicable fees to the DMV at:
  Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
  Attn: Titling Department
  P.O. Box 27412
  Richmond, VA 23269-0001

• In-Person Application- Submit all the required documents and payment at any DMV Select, customer service center, or mobile office. You may want to schedule an appointment online for an in-person submission to save yourself some time.

What Are the Requirements for Registering a New Car in Virginia?

The Commonwealth of Virginia currently has over 7.6 million registered vehicles registered with the state’s DMV. At a minimum, the following requirements must be met before any new vehicle can be registered in the Commonwealth:

• Vehicle titling
• Minimum insurance coverage requirements
• Completed Vehicle Registration Application Form (Form VSA 14)
• Proof of completed emissions inspection for vehicles garaged in Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Stafford, or Fairfax Counties or in the Cities of Falls Church, Manassas, Fairfax, or Alexandria
• Proof of identity
• Proof of vehicle ownership
• Evidence of completed safety inspection
• Payment of the applicable DMV fees (registration and titling fees). The DMV provides a title and registration fee calculator to help estimate fees required to register or title a vehicle

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles mails vehicle owners renewal reminders at least 90 days before their registrations and sends text and email reminders to them 30 days before the expiration of their registrations. The DMV offers the following Virginia vehicle registration renewal options:

• In-Person Renewal at a DMV Select - Visit the nearest DMV Select location with the same documents provided during the initial registration, including Form VSA 14.

• Online Renewal - Vehicle owners should provide their title number and the last four digits of their VIN on the Online Vehicle Registration Renewal system and then follow the screen prompts. The DMV provides certain guidelines regarding the online vehicle registration renewal process.

• Mail Renewal - To renew a Virginia vehicle registration by mail, complete Form VSA 14 (select renewal on the form) and submit it alongside the renewal notice and a check or money order covering the applicable fees in an enclosed envelope to:
  Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
  Attn: Renewal Center
  P.O. Box 27412
  Richmond, VA 23269-0001

Does Virginia Mandate Vehicle Inspection?

Yes. The Code of Virginia, Section 46.2-1158, mandates safety and emissions inspection for all motor vehicles registered in the Commonwealth. In many cases, odometer and VIN verification are a part of these inspections.

Generally, it is mandatory to subject all vehicles in Virginia to safety tests at least once every year. On the other hand, all diesel vehicles model years 1997 or newer and all gas motor vehicles less than 25 years old in Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington, Stafford, and Loudoun Counties and Cities of Falls Church, Manassas, Fairfax, or Alexandria must undergo emissions tests once every two years.

How Do I Get a Replacement VIN in Virginia?

In Virginia, you may request a replacement VIN (Assigned VIN) for homemade trailers, reconstructed vehicles, replica vehicles, and specially constructed vehicles. A replacement VIN may also be sought if the original VIN is missing, altered, or changed. To do this, you must prepare the following:

• A completed Application for Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Form (Form VSA 22).
• Virginia title, which must bear the same name as filled out in Form VSA 22. If the vehicle is not titled in the applicant’s name, complete the Application for Certificate of Title and Registration Form (Form VSA 17A).
• Check or money order for replacement VIN fee (fees are specified on Form VSA 22)

Once you meet all the requirements, mail all the necessary documents and a self-addressed envelope to the DMV at:

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle
Attn: Vehicle Branding Work Center
VIN Replacement
P.O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269-0001

Does Virginia Require a VIN Inspection for Out-of-State Vehicles?

Yes. If a vehicle is purchased out of state and then moved to the Commonwealth of Virginia and registered, it must be inspected. VIN inspection is generally conducted as a part of the entire vehicle inspection.