Arizona VIN Lookup

Used cars offer significant financial benefits, including lower purchase prices and reduced insurance, saving you money upfront. However, used cars may come with potential financial challenges and hidden issues. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct extensive research before purchasing one. In Arizona, there are 436 used car dealerships across the state, with about 6.1 used car dealers per 100,000 residents. The average price of used cars stands at $24,520, which is 0.8% lower than the national average of $24,710.

Arizona does not offer the same legal protections and safeguards to used car owners as it does to new car owners. Known as Arizona's lemon law, it is designed to protect buyers of new cars, not used cars. This means that buyers of used cars have to protect themselves from the risks associated with purchasing pre-owned cars. Therefore, the responsibility is on the buyer to conduct a thorough check through a VIN lookup to ensure that the vehicle is in good condition and has no title issues or accident history.

Why Performing an Arizona VIN Check Is Important

A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a unique 17-character code assigned to all vehicles. It acts like a car’s fingerprint, helping to identify the car's make, model, year, and history. VIN may be used to track things like accidents, recalls, title status, and theft records. Therefore, performing an Arizona VIN check is essential when buying used cars. Not only does it help you learn about the car’s history, but it also protects you from buying a stolen or fraudulent vehicle. Generally, VIN checks aim to reveal the following:

• Theft History: In Arizona, the annual theft rate of cars is about 261 cars stolen per 100,000 residents. This means that roughly 261 vehicles are stolen in a community of 100,000 people yearly. By conducting VIN checks, you can see if the car has ever been reported stolen.
• Odometer Verification: Odometer reading is the number of miles a car has been driven. Odometer fraud occurs when someone rolls back the vehicle’s mileage, making the car seem less used than it is. The NHTSA records that over 450,000 vehicles have their mileage rolled back at the time of sale every year. VIN checks help to verify the odometer reading over previously recorded readings.
• Auto Fraud Prevention: Auto fraud involves selling a car with a false history or using a VIN that has been altered to hide the car’s problem. Arizona ranks 19th in auto-related fraud. The state records 1,897 auto fraud-related cases annually, with 260.6 fraud cases per 100,000 residents. By checking the VIN, you can confirm that the car’s history is consistent, protecting you.
• Title Issues: Title issues include liens, money owed on the car, or discrepancies in the ownership records. Conducting VIN checks can reveal if the car has been rebranded or if there are any unresolved liens, helping you avoid purchasing cars with complicated legal issues.
• Title Brands: These are special marks, such as salvage, rebuilt, or flooded, that reveal a car’s history. When you perform a VIN check, the report lists any title brands associated with the vehicle, helping you avoid costly repairs in the future.
• Registration and Title Verification: VIN checks help you see the car’s registration and title history. VIN reports include information about previous registration, helping to confirm the legitimate ownership. A clean title and proper registration imply that the car has been legally sold and registered.

Arizona requires every car on the road to be properly registered and show current license plates. Section 28-2532 of the Arizona Revised Code specifies penalties for driving unregistered vehicles or cars that do not display the correct license plates in the state. Similarly, Section 28-2162 outlines the penalties for late or expired registration. Generally, the state law prescribes civil penalties, late fees, vehicle impoundment, and vehicle registration withheld.

How To Perform an Arizona VIN Check

Performing a VIN check is a crucial step in ensuring that buyers make safe and informed decisions when purchasing a car. Therefore, it is essential to use credible resources to perform an Arizona VIN check. These resources include:

Arizona MVD:

The Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), under the Arizona Department of Transportation, offers online VIN lookup services via the AZ MVD Now Account. It provides details such as clean title status, registration validity, unpaid fees, and outstanding liens.

The NHTSA VIN Decoder:

The VIN Decoder by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers information on safety recalls, defects, and technical specifications, such as model, engine type, and manufacturing data.

NICB VINCheck:

The VINCheck Lookup tool by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) detects vehicles that have been reported stolen or have salvage records. It helps uncover damage history and VIN tampering.

Free vs. Paid VIN Check Services in Arizona

Conducting a VIN lookup is a must, especially when buying pre-owned cars. In Arizona, you can do a VIN lookup for free using government or nonprofit websites. However, if you require a detailed report, you may consider using a paid service from credible third-party sites like GoodCar, Carmart, or CarFax. These paid VIN check services aggregate data from multiple sources and provide a comprehensive report on a car’s history, including:

• Vehicle specifications
• Ownership records
• Title details and transfers
• Accident history
• Odometer readings
• Theft records
• Title brands
• Service and maintenance records
• Recall information
• Lien information
• Rebuild records
• Safety defects
• Inspection records
• Sales history
• NHTSA crash testing, and much more!

What Used Car Scams Are Common in Arizona?

It is essential to know about common scams that could end up costing the buyer a lot of money or putting them in a legal bind. Recently, a South Philadelphia man unknowingly purchased a stolen vehicle. The police reported that it turned out that the VIN was taken from a legally owned car and transferred to the stolen car. This transaction, known as a VIN cloning scam, set the buyer back thousands of dollars as well as ultimately losing the vehicle. The commonly used car scams in Arizona include:

Curbstoning:

Unlicensed sellers act as independent dealers to sell cars on the street or from private lots without proper licensing or record-keeping.

Title Washing:

This scam involves altering or “washing” a car’s title to hide its troubled history, such as flood damage, salvage status, or previous accidents.

Odometer Rollbacks:

Occurs when someone rolls back the car’s odometer reading to show fewer miles than the vehicle has actually been driven.

VIN Cloning:

Scammers steal the VIN from a similar, legitimately registered vehicle and use it on a stolen or damaged car to mask its true identity.

Fake Documentation Scam:

Fraudulent sellers may provide forged repair records, inspection reports, or even fake titles to cover up the car’s real condition.

Being a victim of a used car scam can result in financial loss, safety risks, legal troubles, and difficulty in selling the car. Furthermore, it leads to unnecessary months of paperwork and police reports. Therefore, to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a used car scam, it is essential to conduct a thorough VIN check. You can avoid these used car scams in Arizona by:

1. Avoid curbstoning by sticking to reputable and licensed dealerships or sellers with good reviews.
2. Visually inspect the vehicle and have a trusted mechanic inspect the car before purchasing it.
3. Verify all documents. Compare the information on the title, registration, and any repair or inspection report with the VIN report.
4. Look up the seller’s reputation online and ask for a reference if possible. However, do not click on strange links or visit unknown websites to check the vehicle report.
5. Reputable dealers typically give free history reports. If a dealer refuses, be cautious.
6. Always conduct a thorough VIN check. You may use platforms like GoodCar, which offers detailed reports on the car’s history.

How Do I Check the Status of My Vehicle's Title in Arizona?

The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) under the Arizona Department of Transportation offers online services to help you verify a vehicle’s title status. These checks are useful for confirming lien details, ownership history, and ensuring the title is clean.

To check your vehicle title status in Arizona, create an account and sign in to the AZ MVD Now Service. You’ll need to enter the 17-digit VIN. Additional details, such as your license plate number and personal ID, may be requested for identity verification.

The system typically charges a fee of around $2, payable by debit or credit card. The report includes ownership history, lien information, registration status, and any title brands.

How To Register a Brand New Car in Arizona

When you buy a brand new car in Arizona, registering and titling it is required within 15 days of purchase to legally own the vehicle. Titling is the process where the state issues an official document showing who owns the car. Registration is the process of recording your car in the state’s system. Registering and titling brand-new vehicles in Arizona involves the following steps:

• Complete the Title and Registration Application form.
• Buy an auto insurance policy and include it in the registration paperwork.
• Gather the required documentation. For brand-new vehicles, include the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) and bill of sale. For pre-owned cars, include the previous owner’s Certificate of Title or Dealer Reassignment forms, bill of sale, and former registration.
• Take the completed form to your local MVD office or authorized third-party provider.
• There will be fees for processing the title and registration. The fees cover administrative costs, issuing license plates, and updating the state records. The fees vary based on the weight of the vehicle.

What Are the Requirements for Registering a New Car in Arizona?

With over 6 million cars registered in Arizona yearly, knowing how to title and register your vehicle is crucial to avoid fines and legal troubles. If the car is purchased from a licensed dealer, they typically handle all the paperwork. They take care of transferring the title and handling the registration process. Although the dealer manages the registration process, the buyer may still need to provide the insurance.

Whether the paperwork is handled by the dealer or the car owner, titling and registration require completing the application form and gathering all relevant documents, such as proof of vehicle ownership, auto insurance, proof of sale, identification, and paying the fees.

The fees for titling and registering a new car vary depending on factors like the vehicle value, weight, and local jurisdiction charges. Generally, the title fees cost $2, while the registration fee is $8. Additionally, there is a $32 public safety fee in addition to the base registration fee. The license plate fee is around $12.

Vehicle license tax is included as part of the annual registration fee. The tax is based on the car’s value rather than its current market price. The state assesses the car’s value at 60% of its original retail price. Each year, the assessed value drops by 16.25% to account for depreciation. For new vehicles, the tax is $2.80 per $100 of the assessed value. It is slightly higher for used cars at $2.89 per $100. This amount is paid annually, alongside the registration renewal.

Does Arizona Mandate Vehicle Inspection?

Arizona does not require annual safety inspections for most vehicles. However, emissions testing is mandated in specific counties as part of the Arizona Clean Air Act Program. In counties like Maricopa and Pima, vehicles must pass an emissions test before registration renewal. These tests are required every two years, or yearly for diesel vehicles.

While Arizona does not enforce regular safety inspections, certain situations do require them. For example, rebuilt or salvaged vehicles may undergo a Level III inspection. In other cases, like verifying the VIN or odometer reading, a Level II inspection may be necessary.

VIN and odometer verifications play an important role in protecting buyers and ensuring accurate records. VIN checks confirm the vehicle isn’t stolen and matches the state database, while odometer checks help detect fraud and ensure accurate mileage reporting.

How Do I Get a Replacement VIN in Arizona?

There are several reasons why you might need a replacement VIN in Arizona:

• Damaged or worn-out VINs make it hard for the state to verify the car’s identity.
• Sometimes, the VIN gets lost—either accidentally or deliberately—and may need to be replaced.
• Homemade-built cars or cars significantly modified from other vehicles require a replacement VIN to be legally titled.
• When cars are rebuilt from salvage, the original VIN might become invalidated, requiring a replacement.

You can apply for a replacement VIN in Arizona online using the AZ MVD Now service. You may also apply by mail. The online application involves selecting the Title Replacement Service option, filling out the application, and uploading the necessary documents.

To apply by mail, complete the Title and Registration Application form and check the appropriate box. There is a $4 fee for replacing a VIN in Arizona. Mail the completed form to:

Motor Vehicle Division
PO Box 2100
MD 555M
Phoenix, AZ 85001

Does Arizona Require a VIN Inspection for Out-of-State Vehicles?

Yes. Arizona requires a VIN inspection for some out-of-state vehicles during the registration process. Called a Level I inspection, it is mandated for out-of-state cars without proof of title or registration to ensure that the VIN matches the ownership documents. The inspection also checks for signs of VIN tampering.