Florida VIN Check & Lookup

Here is a fact: Every single day in Florida, thousands of people are buying used vehicles that have all kinds of problems. They don't know that these units have been in accidents, floods, fires, or just neglected by their previous owners. Your first line of defense during a used car transaction is to conduct a Florida VIN lookup that will reveal the prior history and title status of a vehicle you're considering.

Florida Title Check

A Florida Title check is a process of verifying the ownership and history of a vehicle before buying or selling it in the state of Florida. It can mitigate the risk of purchasing a stolen, damaged, or fraudulent vehicle that may have liens, unpaid taxes, outstanding recalls, and other issues. Confirming the title status can also safeguard your rights as a buyer or seller for a trouble-free and legal transaction.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is the agency responsible for maintaining vehicle records in Florida. It issues titles and registrations for all vehicles in the state, as well as driver licenses and identification cards. The FLHSMV also provides online services for customers, allowing them to examine their title status, or registration, as well as ordering a car history report or a certified copy of a title.

Title status

There are different types of title status designations in Florida that vary based on the vehicle's history. Here are common ones you'll encounter and what they signify:

• Clean: The vehicle has no outstanding liens or a history of severe damages.
• Clear: Similar to a clean title, the term also means that the vehicle has no history of accidents, thefts, or other issues that could impact its value, ease of insuring, or safety.
• Salvage: The car was declared a total loss by an insurance company in Florida because the repair costs amounted to 80 percent or more of its actual cash value.
• Bonded title: It's a certificate of a surety bond obtained by the owner if they can't produce the original title after misplacing or losing it to prove that they legally own the unit in question.
• Rebuilt title: The vehicle was previously salvaged but has been repaired and inspected by the DMV.
• Lemon: It's issued to vehicles with repeated defects or problems that could not be fixed by the manufacturer or dealer within an allotted period of time or after several attempts.
• Junk/dismantled: The car has suffered extensive damages, and it can only be sold for parts or scrapped.
• Odometer rollback title: It signifies that someone has altered the mileage reading on the odometer to make it appear lower than it actually is.

So, you should perform a FL VIN check before buying or selling the vehicle as the title status can impact its performance, longevity, and legal status.

FL DMV VIN Check

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — Florida's FLHSMV — collects and stores data on every car registered in its jurisdiction, such as the make, model, year, color, mileage, history, and ownership. So, requesting a DMV check entails requesting this information from the DMV. You can do so by providing the car's VIN or its registration details. However, you don't necessarily need to go directly to the DMV to get a FL VIN check. There are alternative ways, such as using FAXVIN, which is an online service that compiles information from more sources, such as insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, auto auctions, and repair facilities. This affords you a more comprehensive and accurate report on the car you are interested in.

FL Lien Check

Vehicles used as collateral will have an outstanding lien until the debt is paid off. It makes it impossible to register the car in your name. One way to examine for liens is to look at the title document of the car. It has a section on the first page labeled “Lienholder” where liens are recorded, and you can see if there are any names or organizations that have a claim on the car.

You can perform a lien examination from the FLHSMV that may also access the national database of vehicle records and provide you with information on any liens. However, the title document may not show all the liens that exist on the car. Some liens may be filed in different states or jurisdictions, or may not be updated on the title document. Therefore, it's advisable to order a lien check from a reliable source with a much extensive database before buying a car.

FAXVIN takes into account more data sources than the FLHSMV, such as insurance companies, salvage yards, auctions, and private sellers. This can give you a more accurate picture of all potential stakeholders in the car, ensuring you avoid buying a car with a hidden lien.

Alternative ways to perform a VIN check in Florida

We’ve mentioned that you can order a VIN check Florida report on FAXVIN. But there are more alternative ways to get the scoop on your next purchase.

Online services

• The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Vehicle Information Check Service
  If you want to examine the information of a vehicle in Florida, you can request a Vehicle Information Check from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) website. You will need to enter the title or VIN to obtain instant results if the provided VIN matches records in their databases.
• The National Insurance Crime Bureau's VIN Check Tool
  It's a free service from NICB that lets the public examination if a vehicle has ever been stolen and not found, or declared as a total loss by NICB member insurers. You need a VIN to do a check, but you're limited to five checks in a 24-hour period from the same IP address.
• NHTSA's VIN Decoder
  One way to decode a VIN is to use NHTSA's online tool. By entering a VIN into this tool, you can find out various details about the vehicle, such as:
  • The vehicle’s plant of manufacture;
  • Manufacturer specifications (such as transmission type, engine capacity, etc.).

In-person services

You can also visit your local FLHSMV service center to perform a Florida VIN lookup in person. Alternatively, you may also hire a pre-purchase car inspection expert who can help with other aspects such as determining the value.

Benefits of conducting a VIN check in Florida before purchasing a used vehicle

Unlike new vehicles, used vehicles are sold as-is, meaning you can't hold the seller responsible for any problems that may arise later, unless they are illegal, such as tampering with the odometer. A VIN check Florida report covers the following critical categories of data, and here are the benefits of knowing what each category means:

• Title Records: You can know when and where the vehicle was registered, the date of first shipping, and ownership history, which will alert you of any potential issues, such as liens, branded title, or mileage discrepancies.
• Sales Records: Past sales records can reveal the fair market value of the vehicle, allowing you to compare it with other similar vehicles on the market. You can also spot any signs of fraud, such as price inflation or rollback.
• Junk/Salvage/Insurance Records: You can find out if the vehicle was declared as junk, salvage, or total loss by an insurance company or a state agency, which helps avoid vehicles severely damaged by accidents, floods, fires, or other causes.
• Theft Records: The entries reveal if the vehicle was ever reported stolen, whether it was recovered or not. You can avoid buying a stolen vehicle, which could lead to legal troubles and financial losses and provide insights as you assess the condition as stolen vehicles are more likely to have damages or missing parts.

Tips and Best Practices for Choosing Service

Here are some tips and best practices for choosing a VIN check service:

• Look for a service that has been in the industry for a long time with a proven track record of providing accurate information.
• Examine their reputation online by reading customer reviews, ratings, testimonials, and complaints.
• Find out if they can decode your VIN for free and give you basic information about your vehicle to help you verify if the Vehicle Identification Number matches the vehicle you are interested in.
• See if they show you potential categories of data available in the paid report, which helps you decide if the report is worth paying for.

FAXVIN follows these best practices, giving you bang for your buck!

Conclusion

FAXVIN's Florida title check provides a detailed, vehicle history report based on the VIN number of the car. This report can help you avoid buying a car that has been damaged, stolen, or used as collateral for a loan. However, a DMV check is not enough to ensure that the car is in good condition. You should also perform a mechanical examination by inspecting the engine, brakes, tires, and other parts of the car.

A mechanical examination can reveal problems that are not visible on the title or the exterior of the car. Therefore, while FAXVIN's Florida title check is important, you should also perform more diligence by also scheduling a mechanical examination with a qualified mechanic.