Registration lookup, can we do it?

[Zik43]

Hi,

I am curious about something. While listening to my scanner, I hear allot of registrations being called in for the dispatcher to look up criminal warrants, suspensions, stolen, etc.

Are there any websites we can type in the info and look it up ourselves? Is this information public or not?

Thanks, Don P.

 

[hoser147]

Negative, you cant access those records like that, although some will say they are public record. And you can probably go to DMV and buy the information. As far as crime related and NCIC that is a closed Law enforcement system. Hope this helps...

 

[Zik43]

Negative, you cant access those records like that, although some will say they are public record. And you can probably go to DMV and buy the information. As far as crime related and NCIC that is a closed Law enforcement system. Hope this helps...

Indeed it did help. Thank you for the information and quick response.

 

[davidbond21]

If you've got some money, you can access some of that information, though it all relates to vehicle registration and names and addresses and what not, but not any type of criminal history. I don't really know of specific places to do this, but there are some websites that offer this service nationally, and I know here in Texas, the DPS official website will allow you to access their own database( no TCIC or NCIC info though to the general public) for a fee.

I know repo companies have memberships to these sites, because I hear the repo truck drivers call in plate numbers all the time and their dispatcher calls back to them the same info you'd hear in a police traffic stop, sans criminal info. Back when I used to work odd jobs for a contractor, he borrowed a friends password to one of these websites and we used it to figure out where some people were living, so we could go repo some vehicles that he(my boss) had liens on and the people had moved without fully paying him. It was up to date and he got the cars back.

These places are expensive though. They either charge by the record retrieved or they have astronomical prices(for a private citizen who is just curious)in their unlimited access membership fees.

 

[NeFire242]

Many counties, states or agencies will at least allow an online warrant check for nothin.

I've always thought a lot more places should do this via an MDT or encrypt their "channel 2 - info" traffic because I would think this is an identity thief's dream sitting there and just record all the names, DOB, Socials, etc that roll out during an entire day.

 

[RedPenguin]

HaHa, spot on....

Many counties, states or agencies will at least allow an online warrant check for nothin.

I've always thought a lot more places should do this via an MDT or encrypt their "channel 2 - info" traffic because I would think this is an identity thief's dream sitting there and just record all the names, DOB, Socials, etc that roll out during an entire day.

I always wondered about that my self. Though never any socials heard on my local channels.

Now sometimes I do harmless things like go to http://ujsportal.pacourts.us and look up if the name they ran actually got charged at the magistrate, later on of course.

Sometimes I just like to see how "bad" someone is when the police officer says "We are familiar". Some people have like at least one charage a month, LoL. (I like the guys/gals with 4+ charges in one month).

I think that's bad when police officers say over the radio, that they are "familiar" with you or if when they come to your house they address you buy your first name without even asking who you are. (Unless somehow you know them on a personal level).

 

[Don_Burke]

There are several outfits like this:

http://www.criminalsearches.com/

I doubt you will find anything to let you look up a vehicle registration online.

 

[davidbond21]

Sometimes I just like to see how "bad" someone is when the police officer says "We are familiar". Some people have like at least one charage a month, LoL. (I like the guys/gals with 4+ charges in one month).

I had a friend that was on a first name basis with many officers(not because they were pals though). He moved out of town because of this(they would drive by his house 15 min after the bars closed to see if his car was there, if not, they'd go looking for him to arrest him for drunk driving).

Well he moved back to town for a while, and one day he got pulled over, and while the officer was looking at his license, he said "John Doe[name changed to protect the guilty], now where have I heard that name before?" My friend immediately said "You must be a rookie" to which the officer replied "how did you know?" My friend told him "because if you hadn't just started working here, you'd know exactly who I was."

Also, a google search of "vehicle registration search" brings up quite a few pay sites that will search any state's records for public info. You don't have to believe that they're out there, but they are available. I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything, but I'm just certain about this because I have personally used one of these sites before.

 

[Zik43]

http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/

http://www.criminalsearches.com/

Thank you both. Those are interesting sites. When I hear a persons name/birth date now, I can at least check and see if he/she has been bad in the past.

Thanks allot. Great informative forum. Too bad I am so new and cant help anyone. If you have any drywall finishing questions, fire away. lol

 

[hoser147]

Use to be you could listen to SSNs and other info all day long. Because of the Identity theft, it is a thing of the past in most places. Now its alot of cell phone for the juicy stuff and Run and hold.

 

[blueangel-eric]

lots of people searches online offers background check services for a fee. couldn't we go to the police department and get a background search as well? Employers do when you apply for jobs.

 

[newsphotog]

Before Iowa moved to a different license registration system in about 98 or so, the Des Moines newspaper had access to a database of license plate numbers. I played around with it but after trying to look myself up in the system, I realized the database hadn't been updated since they switched to the new system. This was in 2005 I think when I looked through it. So, it's my impression that at least in Iowa it was considered public record at one point if the newspaper had access to a database. I would think that registration info would be treated the same as a police report. The most "private" information on Iowa registrations is the address of the owner.

Also, on traffic stops I've only heard names, DOB's, and driver's license numbers (NOT Social Security numbers) go over the air.

 

[georgew0819]

Hi,

I am curious about something. While listening to my scanner, I hear allot of registrations being called in for the dispatcher to look up criminal warrants, suspensions, stolen, etc.

Are there any websites we can type in the info and look it up ourselves? Is this information public or not?

Thanks, Don P.

Lots of state and county courthouses have links which allow warrant and criminal history checks. Some are pay sites but a surprising amount have no fee because of public record laws. Currently there are 34 States that allow this that I am aware of.

22 are free and 12 charge a fee. And even those that charge a fee (AR and CA for example), many of the County and District Court Houses provide the information for free. Here are just a few that I have found http://ripoliceandfire.synthasite.com/criminal-history-checks-by-state.php

 

[talviar]

Since Don is in Uniontown, PA here is some Fayette County Specific information

http://www.co.fayette.pa.us/fayette/cwp/view.asp?a=2142&q=577251

Above is current Fayette County Bench Warrent List

PA warrents
http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/

Although I will say a listing on the PA Warrents site does --NOT-- mean a person is wanted. Examination of entries will show that a person may have a warrent that has already been cleared but will still show on the system just with a different status

As always, YMMV, no warrenty implied, just my $1.95
Have a nice evening!

Tony

 

[davidmc36]

http://www.criminalsearches.com/

And you can't tell me I was the only one to punch in Orenthal James Simpson just for fun.

Comes up as "Traffic/Other"