4 ms·

All these advertisers get to do all sorts of creepy stuff and yet I, a normal person, can't go from plate to name. I just wanna offer to buy cool old shitboxes

All these advertisers get to do all sorts of creepy stuff and yet I, a normal person, can't go from plate to name. I just wanna offer to buy cool old shitboxes I see driving around.

yial 4y ago
I think you can actually. In Pennsylvania for example, https://pennsylvania.staterecords.org/licenseplate https://pennsylvania.staterecords.org/licenseplate There’s a form to fill out. Looking at the instructions it’s E or F, so in theory if you can fulfill one of the reasons in F, I suppose you don’t need the owners information. Outside of the US, you can also request similar information - Ontario for example. http://www.ontario.ca/page/uncertified-vehicle-record http://www.ontario.ca/page/uncertified-vehicle-record
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago
  There's a federal law that restricts the info to a list of specific purposes (basically that list) and states are slowly updating their processing accordingly so you generally have to lie on the forms. Different states go to different lengths to do their due diligence.
- nucleardog 4y ago
  The link for Ontario specifically says: > Vehicle records ordered online do not contain information about current odometer readings, collision information, driver’s licence numbers, owner names or personal address information. It says it contains: Vehicle description Plate number of current plate attached to the specified vehicle and all other previously attached plates Date(s) the vehicle was registered to each registrant Vehicle status So, not really equivalent or what the parent comment was looking for.
  - yial 4y ago
    If you scroll down further, there’s a separate section to submit a request specifically for current owner information. While it doesn’t have their address, it would be a first step in identifying the person. This is also using the “official” sources. There are for profit entities that correlate better. The link to the exact area: https://www.jtips.mto.gov.on.ca/jtips/orderPlSearchRecOwner.action?lang=EN&certified=true https://www.jtips.mto.gov.on.ca/jtips/orderPlSearchRecOwner.... After that, with the information you get about the current owner, you may be able to submit the paper form for one of the driver history requests that do include addresses. https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/023-sr-lc-112 https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/023-sr-lc-112 I don’t live in Canada, nor do I really have a solid understanding, but it seems like for ~$40 and some time you might be able to obtain a lot of information from a plate. They do say you need to be a business / approved entity, however, it looks like you could request it as the person as an uncertified record online. http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-driving-record http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-driving-record While I’m sure that’s illegal, it doesn’t seem like it would actually stop someone who started at the plate, and wanted to get to name and address. And/or It does seem like you need the current address, but, you could probably abuse the system to confirm an address by seeing if your order is cancelled or not. Once you have name and date of birth, you can probably begin to track most people down. Edit: so it wouldn’t work quite that easily, you can get to name, but I confused license and permit on the one form. So barring trying the paper form for a 3 year check without the licence number, I’m not sure you can get beyond name from the plate.
monkeybutton 4y ago
If you have money, is there anything really stopping you? Just set up a fake corporate-looking website and start contacting vendors! You will have to meet minimum order volumes though.
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago
  I don't do enough sales volume anymore for it to be worth it. And even if I did I don't exactly want to lead a trail of breadcrumbs straight to a title floating operation.

All these advertisers get to do all sorts of creepy stuff and yet I, a normal person, can't go from plate to name. I just wanna offer to buy cool old shitboxes I see driving around.

yial 4y ago

I think you can actually. In Pennsylvania for example, https://pennsylvania.staterecords.org/licenseplate https://pennsylvania.staterecords.org/licenseplate There’s a form to fill out. Looking at the instructions it’s E or F, so in theory if you can fulfill one of the reasons in F, I suppose you don’t need the owners information. Outside of the US, you can also request similar information - Ontario for example. http://www.ontario.ca/page/uncertified-vehicle-record http://www.ontario.ca/page/uncertified-vehicle-record

throwaway0a5e 4y ago
There's a federal law that restricts the info to a list of specific purposes (basically that list) and states are slowly updating their processing accordingly so you generally have to lie on the forms. Different states go to different lengths to do their due diligence.
nucleardog 4y ago
The link for Ontario specifically says: > Vehicle records ordered online do not contain information about current odometer readings, collision information, driver’s licence numbers, owner names or personal address information. It says it contains: Vehicle description Plate number of current plate attached to the specified vehicle and all other previously attached plates Date(s) the vehicle was registered to each registrant Vehicle status So, not really equivalent or what the parent comment was looking for.
- yial 4y ago
  If you scroll down further, there’s a separate section to submit a request specifically for current owner information. While it doesn’t have their address, it would be a first step in identifying the person. This is also using the “official” sources. There are for profit entities that correlate better. The link to the exact area: https://www.jtips.mto.gov.on.ca/jtips/orderPlSearchRecOwner.action?lang=EN&certified=true https://www.jtips.mto.gov.on.ca/jtips/orderPlSearchRecOwner.... After that, with the information you get about the current owner, you may be able to submit the paper form for one of the driver history requests that do include addresses. https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/023-sr-lc-112 https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/023-sr-lc-112 I don’t live in Canada, nor do I really have a solid understanding, but it seems like for ~$40 and some time you might be able to obtain a lot of information from a plate. They do say you need to be a business / approved entity, however, it looks like you could request it as the person as an uncertified record online. http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-driving-record http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-driving-record While I’m sure that’s illegal, it doesn’t seem like it would actually stop someone who started at the plate, and wanted to get to name and address. And/or It does seem like you need the current address, but, you could probably abuse the system to confirm an address by seeing if your order is cancelled or not. Once you have name and date of birth, you can probably begin to track most people down. Edit: so it wouldn’t work quite that easily, you can get to name, but I confused license and permit on the one form. So barring trying the paper form for a 3 year check without the licence number, I’m not sure you can get beyond name from the plate.

monkeybutton 4y ago

If you have money, is there anything really stopping you? Just set up a fake corporate-looking website and start contacting vendors! You will have to meet minimum order volumes though.

throwaway0a5e 4y ago
I don't do enough sales volume anymore for it to be worth it. And even if I did I don't exactly want to lead a trail of breadcrumbs straight to a title floating operation.