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How can you check to see if a car is stolen?

My sketchy cousin wants to sell me his old car for just $300. I would love to buy it and fix it up in my free time, but he doesn't have any of the paperwork. Is there a way for me to check if the car was stolen?

avatar
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! You can go to
www.nicb.org
to find out if a car was stolen.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau collects the VINs (Vehicle Identification Number) of reportedly stolen vehicles from participating
car insurance
companies. If you put the VIN from your cousin’s car into their VIN tracker, you can see if it was stolen.
But if the car wasn’t stolen, you’ll still have trouble registering the car without the
title
. Double-check with your cousin to make sure he doesn’t have any paperwork. If he really doesn’t, contact your local DMV and ask about your state’s rules regarding duplicate titles without proof of ownership.
Once your car is titled and restored, use the
Jerry app
to find the coverage you need! A licensed broker, Jerry helps you find rates from over 50 top insurance providers for free and sends the best offers right to your phone!
If you have any questions, you can call or text an agent for assistance. Our top-of-the-line customer service has helped Jerry earn its spot as the top-rated insurance app in the country!
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