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• Vehicles from out of state (nonresident vehicles).

• Any vehicle or trailer, excluding motorcycles, with supporting documents for which there is no California record, or is no  longer in the CA DMV database.

The VIN verification consists of verifying that the VIN on your vehicle matches the one on the documents being used to register your vehicle with the CA DMV, that the vehicle has a Federal Certification Label that matches the VIN.  We also verify whether the emissions label on the vehicle complies with California emission standards.  This last part is important if your vehicle is registered out of state and has less than 7,500 miles (considered “new” by the CA DMV), and you purchased it while you were a resident of the state of California.  See more information about registering a vehicle from out of state here.

The VIN verification also confirms whether the VIN plates or labels are in normal condition.  If your vehicle is an older model (pre 1983), or it is a trailer, travel trailer, boat or motorcycle, make sure the VIN plate can be located, and you have verified the VIN on the car matches your documents. Sometimes the VIN is hard to find, and can be located in different places depending on the year, make and model of the vehicle.

If your vehicle is missing the Federal Certification Label usually located on the driver’s side door jamb, or door frame, a secondary VIN plate, label or VIN number stamped or located on the vehicle frame or body must be inspected.  If this is the case, you should locate the secondary VIN number, as these are sometimes hard to find.

If your vehicle is a motorcycle or scooter, we also verify that the engine number matches the one on your ownership documents.  You should locate the engine number and check that it matches your ownership documents prior to having the motorcycle verified by a licensed vehicle verifier as sometimes it is hidden from view, and parts might have to be taken off to have access to it.