How do you search for vehicle owner details by number plate?

In India, some services allow you to access specific details of a vehicle owner and the vehicle by using the vehicle's registration number on the number plate. There are several reasons for which you may wish to have access to these details, some of which are:

1. Tracking the owner of the vehicle in case of a hit-and-run accident case

2. Tracing the owner in case of a dispute in case of an accident with your vehicle

3. Checking whether the details shared with you are genuine and authentic when you are buying a used vehicle

4. As a substitute for a physical No Objection Certificate (NOC) during an inspection of your vehicle by RTO authorities

5. During a general inspection of your vehicle by any authorities, the details from the VAHAN vehicle search and the soft copies available from the Digilocker app may be produced in lieu of hard copies.

What are the options available to search for the owner's details?

You may access the relevant information on a vehicle online from the RTO database by the following methods:

1. By using the Vahan vehicle search option available in Parivahan’s Vahan portal

2. By using the SMS service

Guide to access owner details using the Vahan portal

You may use any internet-enabled device like a computer, smartphone, tablet or iPad to access the owner details of a vehicle through the Vahan portal using the following steps:

1. Visit the official website of Parivahan - https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan//en.

2. Click on the tab, which is the third from the left on top of the site – “Informational Services” and then click on the second option from the drop-down menu – “Know Your Vehicle Details”. This redirects you to the Vahan portal.

3. If you are a new user, you must create your account by entering basic details such as your mobile number and email ID and then click to generate an OTP after entering the verification captcha code. Existing users may log in with their mobile number and enter the captcha code.

4. Once logged in, you may enter the vehicle's registration number whose details you need. Enter the captcha code and click on the “Vahan Search” radio button.

5. The subsequent page will show the details of the vehicle's owner and other critical information about the vehicle you have searched for.

What vehicle details are available from the Vahan portal?

You may access the following details of the vehicle through the registration number:

1. Type, make and model of the vehicle

2. Fuel type and norms of emission of the vehicle

3. Information on the local RTO

4. Date of registration of the vehicle

5. The name of the owner – this is partially masked

6. The status of the registration of the vehicle and its validity

7. The status of the fitness certificate of the vehicle and its validity

8. The expiry date of the latest car insurance policy of the vehicle

9. The expiry date of the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate of the vehicle

10. Tax validity details

11. Status of hypothecation, if applicable.

How do you check the registration details through SMS?

Send an SMS to the number 7738299899 in this format – “VAHAN<space>Vehicle Registration Number>”. Example: “VAHAN MH02AM7xx9”

The information you receive will be less than that available on the VAHAN portal, but will have the crucial details,

Conclusion

The registration number allows you to access certain crucial details about a vehicle and its owner. However, the SMS service does not always work, and it is a better idea to use the Vahan portal.