Getting info from a licence plate?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 715
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From: Long island NY
Getting info from a licence plate?
On janurary first I was rear ended by a guy in a VW, his car was damaged alot, and my bumper moved up and scratched the paint to the metal on the bed. I have the guys licence plate number, name, insurance number.. But his phone number i got dosnt work. I want to call him and see if he will settle to buy me a new bumper and pay for the touch up, or if he wants to go through insurance. How can i get his phone number from his licence plate, or should I just call my insurance co.?
Body shop said about 700 for the bumper, fixing the bed side and paint.
Thanks
Ryan
Body shop said about 700 for the bumper, fixing the bed side and paint.
Thanks
Ryan
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 1
From: North of Boston MA
Exact same thing happened to me in October. Guy rearended me, gave me all his info but couldn't find the regitration to his girlfriends car. I called the number he gave me and itdidn't work. Fortunately I wrote down the plate number, being the suspicious type that I am.
I tried the local police and they couldn't give it to me due to privacy concerns, even though I had had an accident with him. I finally sweet-talked a very nice state trooper (female type) into giving me enough info to track down the owner. Boy was her father surprised by my call.
As it turned out it was an honest mistake - the guy had a new cell phone and transposed two digits. He apologized a bunch and the insurance took care of it all.
There are some web sites that you can pay to trace a plate. You can also request the info through the DMV - they may release it if you swear out an affidavit. Or, like johnstech said, find a friend who is a cop. They should give you the info since you have a valid reason for it. What about your insurance agent? In my state they have access to the RMV computer.....my soon to be ex-agent was just too much of a *^%&*#* to do it for me.
I tried the local police and they couldn't give it to me due to privacy concerns, even though I had had an accident with him. I finally sweet-talked a very nice state trooper (female type) into giving me enough info to track down the owner. Boy was her father surprised by my call.
As it turned out it was an honest mistake - the guy had a new cell phone and transposed two digits. He apologized a bunch and the insurance took care of it all.
There are some web sites that you can pay to trace a plate. You can also request the info through the DMV - they may release it if you swear out an affidavit. Or, like johnstech said, find a friend who is a cop. They should give you the info since you have a valid reason for it. What about your insurance agent? In my state they have access to the RMV computer.....my soon to be ex-agent was just too much of a *^%&*#* to do it for me.
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 411
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From: Oregon
Most Police Departments won't give you telephone numbers based on a Lic. Plate. Use of LEDS (Law Enforcement Data System) is restricted info. In addition, who do you think will get sued if you got the telephone number/address from a Police Officer and you get involved in a physical dispute???
My advise is let the insurance company abrogate the claim. After all - that's what you pay them for.
My advise is let the insurance company abrogate the claim. After all - that's what you pay them for.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,514
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
this is the exact reason why you should ALWAYS call the police if you are in any kind of accident. how do you know that he did not turn it all around and call the cops after you left and report it as a hit and run?? this changes the fault to you automatically, because he reported it, and you did not. . if the police are called, an accident report will be made, and the insurance company's will be allot easier to deal with.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Long island NY
I know a girl who's father is a cop, I'm going to ask her to have him run the plate.
I learned my lesson, I should have called the cops at the time, I could have had him busted for speeding too, he had to be going about 80
I learned my lesson, I should have called the cops at the time, I could have had him busted for speeding too, he had to be going about 80
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Connecticut
Originally Posted by ChiefGReid
Most Police Departments won't give you telephone numbers based on a Lic. Plate. Use of LEDS (Law Enforcement Data System) is restricted info. In addition, who do you think will get sued if you got the telephone number/address from a Police Officer and you get involved in a physical dispute???
The lesson about always calling the cops immediatly after the accident is one we all learn, sooner or later.
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Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Originally Posted by RyanMiller
I know a girl who's father is a cop, I'm going to ask her to have him run the plate.
I learned my lesson, I should have called the cops at the time, I could have had him busted for speeding too, he had to be going about 80
I learned my lesson, I should have called the cops at the time, I could have had him busted for speeding too, he had to be going about 80
Put it in the hands of your insurance company.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,748
Likes: 16
From: Connecticut
Originally Posted by ChiefGReid
And Ryan! If he does that - he's an idiot....Using LEDS for any kind of personal use is strictly forbidden and against the law.
Put it in the hands of your insurance company.
Put it in the hands of your insurance company.
It used to be easy for law enforcement officials to "run a quick plate" for a buddy (remember Jim Rockford bugging Sgt. Dennis Becker all the time?
) but those days are over. Today there are consequences for that kind of thing. And the systems are such that those type of VIN or plate # inquiries are logged and must be accounted for by the person seeking the information, if called upon to do so. Otherwise, there are privacy concerns and hence legal ramifications.
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Rockledge:
It's not a matter of not being WILLING to pursue the matter as a crime. The original poster NEVER said that the police were called.
Ryan needs to do 2 things immediately.
1. Contact his insurance company and give them all details.
2. Complete an Accident Report with the police or state DMV.
Ryan. As an LEO, I am telling you - get it done NOW!
It's not a matter of not being WILLING to pursue the matter as a crime. The original poster NEVER said that the police were called.
Ryan needs to do 2 things immediately.
1. Contact his insurance company and give them all details.
2. Complete an Accident Report with the police or state DMV.
Ryan. As an LEO, I am telling you - get it done NOW!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 1
From: Cullman Alabama
TJC is right. Report them all. There are lot's of things you dont know about.
In Seattle they used to ask "are there any injuries? Is the property damage more than $25?" HAH! So lot's of things went nunoticed.
But if you watch the True Crime stories on TV you'll see that almost everything in the way of information can be of use to an investigator.
Insist they come out, and let them throw away the information.
From experience, if you dont get all the information on the spot, you better call the cops right away. I almost lost some big bucks, and the info I got, sketchey as it was, saved my bacon.
Call the cops everytime.
In Seattle they used to ask "are there any injuries? Is the property damage more than $25?" HAH! So lot's of things went nunoticed.
But if you watch the True Crime stories on TV you'll see that almost everything in the way of information can be of use to an investigator.
Insist they come out, and let them throw away the information.
From experience, if you dont get all the information on the spot, you better call the cops right away. I almost lost some big bucks, and the info I got, sketchey as it was, saved my bacon.
Call the cops everytime.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,509
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From: Northern Massachusetts
if you have his name, did you try any of the online phone number search engines??
such as anywho, bigyellow also metacrawler search engine has a nice one where you can do a reverse lookup of their addresses.
such as anywho, bigyellow also metacrawler search engine has a nice one where you can do a reverse lookup of their addresses.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 1
From: North of Tulsa, Oklahoma
I agree with the others. Get the cops involved. But at this point too much time has passed and they may have more serious criminal issues to attend so you may be put on the bottom of the "priority list", if at all.
As for getting the info, I remember a news report a few years ago that showed how easy it was for the reporter to get a license plate number, go to the department of motor vehicles, pay a processing fee and get the information.
You'd better hurry for filing a report. The clock is ticking:
(straight from the NYDMV website)
If You Have an Accident
What must I do at the accident scene?
If you are in an accident, you must stop and exchange information with the involved drivers. If the accident caused property damage only, then exchange information about your driver license, insurance, and registration with the involved drivers. If a parked vehicle or other property is damaged, or if a domestic animal is injured, you must locate the owner or contact the police.
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmvfaqs.htm#accident
As for getting the info, I remember a news report a few years ago that showed how easy it was for the reporter to get a license plate number, go to the department of motor vehicles, pay a processing fee and get the information.
You'd better hurry for filing a report. The clock is ticking:
(straight from the NYDMV website)
If You Have an Accident
What must I do at the accident scene?
If you are in an accident, you must stop and exchange information with the involved drivers. If the accident caused property damage only, then exchange information about your driver license, insurance, and registration with the involved drivers. If a parked vehicle or other property is damaged, or if a domestic animal is injured, you must locate the owner or contact the police.
- If the property damage of any person is $1,001 or more, all the involved drivers must file form MV-104 (Report of Motor Vehicle Accident). File form MV-104 with the DMV no more than 10 days after the accident. The DMV can suspend your driver license if you fail to report an accident.
- If a person is injured or killed, immediately notify the police. All the involved drivers and the police must file an accident report with the DMV. It is a crime to leave the scene of an accident that causes personal injury or death.
- The accident appears on the records of all the involved drivers. An accident listed on your driver record does not indicate that you were at fault. The DMV does not try to determine fault in an accident.
- Call or visit the local police agency or precinct where the accident occurred, or the State Police troop headquarters where the accident was reported. Ask the agency if your report is available and what the fee is.
- or - - To get a copy from the DMV, use form MV-198C (Request for Copy of Accident Report). You must certify that you have a permissible use, which is defined in the Driver's Privacy Protection Act.
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmvfaqs.htm#accident
Last edited by cigarxtc; Jan 4, 2006 at 12:14 PM.