License Plate Lookup in Mississippi
A Mississippi license plate lookup is a process of searching for the details of a vehicle by entering the license plate number in a license plate search tool. A license plate lookup provides information about a vehicle, such as a vehicle's current owner and their Mississippi traffic records, the vehicle history, vehicle identification number (VIN), date of last renewal, odometer readings, and any associated lien. It is beneficial when purchasing a pre-owned car as it provides some features of the vehicle and its history.
The Mississippi Motor Vehicle Act governs the registering and issuing of license plates. The Mississippi Vehicle Licensing Division under the Department of Revenue (DOR) regulates the issuance of vehicle license plates. However, each county's tax collector's office in the state administers the registration and assignment of license plates. Any interested person can look up a license plate in Mississippi. The Mississippi Motor Vehicle Act governs the registering and issuing of license plates.
There are several other free license plate lookup websites in the state to get basic information about a vehicle. While the free license plate lookup tools provide basic information about the vehicle, the paid lookup tool gives more detailed information, such as the criminal history of the driver and the accidental history of the vehicle.
What is a Mississippi License Plate?
In Mississippi, a license plate is called a tag. A license plate helps identify a vehicle and the county where the vehicle is domiciled. License plates are issued by the Vehicle Licensing Division of the Mississippi Department of Revenue. All vehicles have been required to display a license plate in the state since 1912. The Mississippi Motor Vehicle Act requires only rear plates for vehicles in the state. A license plate is registered to both the vehicle owner and the vehicle. If the vehicle owner transfers the vehicle, the vehicle owner must return the license plate to the county tax collector's office.
Passenger License plates in Mississippi are county-coded, with the first two alphabets representing the county code. For instance, Adams County is represented with AD, Carroll County with CR, Tunica County with TN, and Perry with PE. Standard passenger license plates carry the inscription "In God We Trust," the state seal, and the phrase "The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi".
There are four types of license plates in the state, namely:
- Standard passenger license plates.
- Special license plates - Special license plates are further divided into several other subgroups based on purpose and organization. Such subdivisions include military, veteran, disabled, educational, and governmental.
- Fleet license plates.
- Personalized license plates.
How Do I Get a License Plate in Mississippi?
The Department of Revenue regulates and registers all vehicles in Mississippi through the county tax collector's office where the vehicle is domiciled or parked. A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight above 10,000 pounds and travels across state boundaries must register directly at the Department of Revenue's office at:
500 Clinton Center Drive
Clinton, MS 39056
A vehicle owner must register a newly purchased vehicle within seven working days from the purchase date (excluding delivery date). A vehicle from out-of-state must be registered within 30 days of the vehicle entering the state or the owner becoming a Mississippi resident. A license plate (tag) is obtained after registering and titling a vehicle in Mississippi.
A vehicle owner must provide the following to register a vehicle:
- Name and address of the owner.
- State issued identification card.
- Odometer reading.
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
- Existing Title or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO).
- Bill of sale to calculate the tax rate.
- Evidence of payment of all fees, including title fee of $9, Road and Bridge Privilege tax, registration fees of $14, sales or use tax, and Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem tax. The taxes depend on the vehicle's value, type, and county or city of domicile.
The Motor Vehicle Service official will provide the certificate of title application at the tax collector's office except where the vehicle is purchased from a Mississippi dealer. Where the vehicle is purchased from a dealer, the dealer submits the completed form, and the vehicle owner will only need to submit the yellow copy to buy the license plate.
Titles and license plates are issued within four weeks. However, a vehicle owner can apply for a fast-track title at an extra cost of $30, and the Title will be issued in three working days.
Passenger License Plates vs Commercial License Plates
There is no physical distinction between passenger license plates and commercial license plates in Mississippi. Passenger license plates are the standard license plates issued to residents for personal use. In contrast, commercial license plates are issued to vehicles for commercial purposes, such as buses, taxis, and commercial trailers. The requirement for obtaining a commercial license plate is the same as that of a passenger license plate. In place of the owner's name and address, the business name, registration number, and address will be required.
How Can I Find the Owner of a License Plate in Mississippi
The Mississippi Driver Privacy Protection Act, following the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), prohibits the disclosure of personal information from the motor vehicle record unless as permitted by law. The law limits access to the social security number, address, phone number, medical information, and emergency contact information of the vehicle owner. The license plate lookup request can only be made by applicants that meet the exemption stated on the Records Request Form. Reasons for disclosure must be one of the following:
- To be used by a governmental agency
- To verify the accuracy of personal information submitted by the individual
- To be used in connection in a motor vehicle or driver safety and vehicle emissions
- To prevent fraud
- In civil, criminal, arbitral, or administrative proceedings
- To investigate claims by an insurer
- To verify or obtain information by an employer
- To conduct research activities
- To provide notice to the owners of towed, impounded, or abandoned vehicles
- For use by a licensed private investigative agency
- For any other use authorized by the state laws and such use is related to the operations of a vehicle
- With the express consent of the owner
The information requested will be provided within 14 days. The associated fees are stated below:
- Registration information - $3
- Certified registration information - $8
- Titleholder information - $5
- Title history - $8
- Title verification letter - $8
Third-party businesses or websites also provide the license plate lookup service free of charge or for a fee. Anyone can use the information obtained from the lookup to find the vehicle owner through a phone number lookup or by searching Motor Vehicle Service records in Mississippi.
Third-party aggregate sites are a reliable alternative for obtaining license plate information. These sites are maintained by independent establishments which collate the information from government-run repositories. Obtaining records from these sites often proves substantially easier than government alternatives. However, requestors may be required to provide any information required to facilitate the record search and pay any required fees to access the record of interest.
Mississippi License Plate Renewal
The Mississippi Motor Vehicle Services is responsible for renewing vehicle registration and license plates through the County Tax collector's office. The DOR sends registration renewal notices to vehicle owners via mail a month before the license's expiration. A vehicle owner can renew the registration immediately after receiving the renewal notice. If a vehicle owner does not receive the renewal notice, then they must visit the county tax collector's office for renewal. The penalty for late renewal of license plates is 5% of the renewal fees starting from the 16th day after expiration till the 30th day. An additional 5% is added every 30 days until the maximum penalty of 25% is reached, after which the renewal is no longer possible. A vehicle owner has 15 days after the expiration before the late renewal penalty kicks in, though the owner can be ticketed within the period.
To renew a vehicle registration, the vehicle owner can visit the local county treasurer's office where the vehicle is domiciled or the online renewal facility if the county is registered for online renewal. The list of counties registered for online renewal is given on the department's website. The documents required for vehicle registration renewal are as follows:
- The renewal notice.
- The current registration.
- Mississippi State ID or Driver's license.
- Proof of insurance.
- Payment of appropriate renewal fees such as registration renewal, ad valorem tax, and privilege tax. The registration renewal fee is $12.75. The other taxes are dependent on the car's age, type of license plate, and county of residence.
The Mississippi License plate is replaced every five years, and a decal is given for the intervening years. The renewed decal or license plate is mailed within 14 working days.
Can You Look Up License Plates with VIN?
Yes, you can look up a vehicle's license plate with its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN and the license plate number are linked in the Mississippi vehicle registration database. The Records Inquiry web page provides the platform for the VIN lookup. The inquirer must have an account on the portal before access is given.
Mississippi VIN Number Lookup
A Mississippi VIN lookup involves using a VIN search tool to check for information on a vehicle. All registered vehicles in Mississippi have a 17-character identifying code that uniquely identifies the vehicle and its manufacturer. The VIN can be found on the hood underside, the dashboard of the driver's side of the vehicle, the doorpost of the driver's side door, or the engine block. The VIN can reveal specific details about the vehicle, such as country of production, airbag types, engine size, plant name, safety recalls, insurance coverages, and claims.
To perform a VIN lookup, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) provides a database of title information from all the states in the US. A VIN lookup using the NMVTIS resource will provide the following information:
- The current state of Title and last title date
- Odometer reading
- Brand history indicates the vehicle's status, such as junk, flood, and salvage
- Total loss history
- Salvage history
Can Civilians Lookup License Plates in Mississippi?
Yes, civilians are allowed to look up license plates in Mississippi. Therefore, interested parties can perform license plate searches through the Mississippi Department of Revenue by obtaining Motor Vehicle Records Information and through free and paid third-party license plate lookup services online. However, the type of information civilians can obtain by looking up license plates is regulated in Mississippi.
According to Miss Admin Code 35.VII.1.01, Mississippi strictly follows the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) (18 USC, Section 2721). The DPPA prohibits public access to personal information found in motor vehicle records. Under 18 U.S.C. 2725 (3), personal information refers to all information that can be used to identify a person. These include an individual’s name, address, driver identification number, social security number, telephone number, photographs, and medical or disability information. Personal information can only be obtained for permissible reasons detailed in 8 USC, Section 2721(b) and by individuals or entities with the express consent of the record’s subject. The implication is that when civilians look up license plates in Mississippi, they typically can not obtain personal information on the registered owner of the plates. As a result, when looking up license plates, civilians typically only receive information on the technical specifications, vin data, title records, recalls and problems, and other open records on the vehicle registered to the plate.
What Do Police See When They Run Your Plates in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, the information law enforcement agencies, including police officers, can see when they run plates while carrying out their legal duties is not restricted by any state or federal regulations. As a result, when police officers run plates in Mississippi, they can see details about the vehicle registered to the plate, such as its make, color, model, year, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and the plate expiration date. Police officers can also see the personal information of the registered owner of the license.
Using the vehicle’s information, police officers may also check their databases to see if the vehicle has been reported stolen and for other security alerts on the vehicle. Meanwhile, the license plate registrant information may be used by police officers to find out the registrant's driver's license status, driving history, and whether there are any warrant’s out for their arrest.
Free License Plate Lookup in Mississippi
In Mississippi, the only way to conduct free license plate lookups is through third-party websites that offer such services. Most of these websites are built around an input form where users can enter a license plate number to look up the plate. While some of these third-party sites may provide their services for free, the information obtained from such services is often basic and technical information on the vehicle registered to the plate. This information includes and is not limited to the vehicle’s registration year, odometer readings, and salvage records.
Personal information on the registered owner of a license plate in Mississippi is protected per Miss Admin Code 35.VII.1.01. As a result, such personal information is inaccessible to the general public through free license plate lookup services. To access such information, record seekers must query the state’s Department of Revenue (DOR) or other entities that adhere to DPPA provisions.
How to Search for Ticket by License Plate in Mississippi
Interested persons can search for unpaid traffic tickets issued in Mississippi by querying the municipal court in the city where the ticket was issued. To conduct a ticket search, an inquirer can make an in-person request at the courthouse or use online tools some courts provide. An example of such an online tool is the Gulfport City court payments website. Through the aforementioned website, interested persons can search for and pay certain parking and traffic citations that were issued in Gulfport City.
Generally, inquirers must provide one of the following information to search for and look up unpaid traffic tickets, either online or in person:
- License plate number
- Social security number
- Driver license plate number
- Citation number
