Wheel ScoutWhat a Vermont plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the Vermont plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What a Vermont plate looks like, and the 2023 sticker change
Vermont law lets the DMV issue one plate or two. When there are two, one goes on the front and one on the rear; when there is one, it goes on the rear. Plates must be mounted level, fastened so they don't swing, and never covered. In Vermont the character 0 is always the digit zero, never the letter O, so type a zero and we find the car. The DMV also issues a Vermont Strong plate and a range of specialty plates.
The change you'll notice: there is no registration sticker on the plate. Act 41, signed into law June 1, 2023, eliminated the annual and biennial validation stickers, so a Vermont plate without one is normal.
Plates stay with the owner. The DMV's instruction to a seller is short: do not leave the plates on a car you sell. The seller isn't required to mail them back, and can move them to the next car by filing a transfer with the registration application. A buyer who needs to drive before the paperwork is complete can get a temporary registration and plate, valid for 60 days and never renewed or extended, but only in person and only for the reasons the DMV lists: the car can be titled but the title isn't in hand yet, the VIN hasn't been verified and the car isn't there, the odometer statement is missing, a vanity plate is on order, or a rebuilt title is pending documents. It won't issue one for a change to a registration that needs a title, a signature or a bill of sale, so get the paperwork signed at the sale.
Vermont title brands: what the lookup can show
Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record. Vermont's title law defines the brands this way:
| Salvage | A car bought or acquired as salvage, scrapped, dismantled or destroyed, or declared a total loss by an insurer. Whoever ends up with it must apply for a salvage certificate of title within 15 days, and the certificate is stamped to show the car is salvaged. When a car is crushed, the title is endorsed crushed and sent to the DMV with the car's original VIN plate. |
|---|---|
| Totaled | Declared a total loss by an insurance company. Vermont tracks this separately from salvage. |
| Rebuilt | A car restored for highway use after a salvage or parts-only certificate was issued, or after it was declared totaled. The owner cannot apply for a title or registration until the Commissioner's representative has inspected it: the VIN is verified and the bills of sale or titles for the major component parts are checked, and a new VIN can be assigned if needed. Every later title carries the legend rebuilt. The application is Form VT-017, Rebuilt/Salvage Title Application. |
The 2009-and-older gap. Vermont requires no title for a vehicle of model year 2009 or older that is already registered here to the person selling it; the registration certificate is the ownership document and the seller gives you that plus a signed bill of sale. No title means no title brand printed on paper, so for an older Vermont car the national record in our report is the only place a past salvage or total-loss entry will show. If NMVTIS shows an active title somewhere else for a car the seller says is untitled, the DMV will make you produce that title or go through the Title Bond process (Form VT-020).
When you register a car whose title is branded Salvage, the DMV requires a VIN verification (Form VT-010) with the application.
What a Vermont title transfer costs
Buying from an individual, the buyer pays at the DMV when registering and titling. These are the DMV's published figures.
| Title fee | $42 for a new title; a replacement or corrected title is also $42. Recording a lien is $14. A title search is $27. |
|---|---|
| Purchase and use tax | 6% of the purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater, minus the value of a vehicle you traded in. There is no cap for cars; the $2,486 cap applies to trucks with a curb weight of 10,100 lbs or more and some other vehicle types. If the car is worth less than the book says, a licensed Vermont dealer (or an appraiser licensed by the Department of Financial Regulation) can appraise it on Form VD-012; the tax is then figured on the appraisal or the price you paid, whichever is higher. If you register by mail, include a J.D. Power printout dated within the last seven days. |
| Credit for the car you sold | Sell a car registered to you within three months before or after buying the replacement and you get a credit (or refund) against the tax, based on the J.D. Power value of the car you sold. One sold car per replacement. |
| Tax paid elsewhere | Credited with proof. If the other state's rate was lower than 6%, you pay the difference. Form VT-014. |
| Gifts | A vehicle received as a gift can be exempt; the DMV's exemptions page and Form VT-014 (Certification of Tax Exemption) set out who qualifies. |
| Registration | $91 for one year or $167 for two for a gas or diesel car. A plug-in hybrid is $135.50 a year, a fully electric car $178. Transferring your existing registration and plates to the new car costs $30. |
| Plates | Replacing a lost or damaged plate is $15 for one or $29 for the pair. A vanity plate is $58 a year. |
Vermont forms and deadlines
| Form VD-119 | Registration, Tax and Title Application. One form covers the registration, the tax and the title. Section 7 is where you enter the plate number of a current registration you're transferring, and Section 8 covers the tax, including credit for a car you sold or traded. |
|---|---|
| Form VT-005 | Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement in one. The odometer part is required for model year 2011 and newer. For a 2009-or-older Vermont car, the bill of sale plus the seller's registration certificate is the whole ownership package. |
| The title (2010 and newer) | Every owner listed signs the assignment, your name goes on the transferred-to line, and every lien must be released (Form VT-008 is the lien release). If any owner has died, bring the death certificate or probate papers. |
| Form VT-010 | VIN verification, required when the title is branded Salvage. |
| Form VT-004 | Replacement title, if the seller's is lost, stolen, destroyed or illegible. Have them do this before the sale. |
| Deadline | There is no grace period for driving a newly bought car: it is illegal to drive an unregistered vehicle on a highway, so the registration (or a temporary registration) comes before the drive. Someone moving to Vermont has 60 days. |
| Title delivery | If there is a loan, the DMV mails the title to the lender, not to you, within about three weeks of processing. |
Vermont's title law changed on July 1, 2024 under Act 165, so use the DMV's current forms and the VD-119 instructions rather than an old printout.
Inspections in Vermont
Every vehicle registered in Vermont must pass a safety and visual emissions inspection once a year. Cars 16 model years old or less also get an on-board diagnostic (OBD) check each year: the inspector plugs into the port, and a check-engine light that is on, or a port that doesn't respond, is a fail. A failed emissions test means repairing the car and coming back for a re-test. There is no grace period on an expired sticker.
The rule for a buyer: a car that doesn't display a valid Vermont inspection sticker must be inspected within 15 days of registration. You can drive it during those 15 days only if it is in good mechanical condition and meets Vermont's inspection standards, and you'll need to show your insurance card at the station. Inspections are done at about 1,600 privately run garages licensed by the DMV; each station sets its own charge, subject to the Commissioner's approval, and must post it next to its station certificate. A car bought from another state is treated the same way: Vermont inspection within 15 days.
Ask the seller when the car was last inspected and whether it passed clean. A Vermont car with a current sticker was looked at by a licensed inspector within the year. A car with no current sticker could need repairs before it passes, and the 15-day clock starts when you register it.
Before you meet a Vermont seller
- Run the plate or VIN here first, before the deposit. For a 2009-or-older car this is the only brand check you'll get, since there is no title.
- Match the VIN on the dash, the door sticker and the title or registration certificate.
- Pull the J.D. Power clean trade-in value before you agree a price. You pay 6% on that number if it is higher than what you paid.
- Bring Form VT-005 and have the seller fill in the odometer section if the car is a 2011 or newer.
- Check the inspection sticker date. No sticker means an inspection inside 15 days of registering, at your cost.
- Check for a lien. Vermont mails titles to lenders, so a seller with a loan may not have the paper title to give you.
Where these Vermont facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- Vermont DMV: vehicle title
- Vermont DMV: title fees
- Vermont DMV: registration fees
- Vermont DMV: vehicle taxation (purchase and use tax)
- Vermont DMV: purchase and use tax credits and refunds
- Vermont DMV: new registrations (documents, 15-day inspection rule)
- Vermont DMV: temporary registration authorization
- Vermont DMV: license plates
- Vermont DMV: vehicle inspections
- Vermont Statutes: 23 V.S.A. § 1222, periodic inspections
- Vermont Statutes: 23 V.S.A. § 2093, rebuilt salvaged vehicles
- Vermont DMV: purchase and use tax exemptions
- Vermont DMV: Registration, Tax and Title Application instructions (VD-119i)
- Vermont Statutes: 23 V.S.A. § 2091, salvage certificates of title
- Vermont Statutes: 23 V.S.A. § 2001, title definitions
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for Vermont plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Vermont license plate lookup questions
How do I look up a Vermont license plate?
Type the plate above with Vermont selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Vermont?
The title fee is $42, registration is $91 a year ($167 for two years) for a gas car, and purchase and use tax is 6% of the price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is higher. Transferring your existing plates to the new car costs $30.
How is Vermont's purchase and use tax calculated on a used car?
6% of the greater of what you paid or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, less any trade-in. There is no cap for cars. If the car is worth less than book, a licensed appraisal on Form VD-012 can lower it, though never below what you paid, and a car you sold within three months earns a credit.
Does Vermont require a vehicle inspection?
Yes, every year: a safety and visual emissions inspection, plus an OBD check for cars 16 model years old or less. A newly registered car without a valid Vermont sticker must be inspected within 15 days of registration.
How does a salvage car get a rebuilt title in Vermont?
The owner applies on Form VT-017 after the DMV's representative inspects the car, verifying the VIN and the bills of sale or titles for the major parts. The new title then carries the legend rebuilt, and a salvage-branded car also needs a VIN verification (VT-010) to register.
Why does a Vermont car from 2009 or earlier have no title?
Vermont requires no title for a vehicle of model year 2009 or older that is registered here. The registration certificate plus a signed bill of sale (VT-005) is the ownership paperwork, which is why the national record in the report matters more for these cars.
Can I find the owner of a Vermont plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in DMV records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in Vermont?
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles issues titles and registrations, collects the purchase and use tax, and licenses the inspection stations. You deal with the DMV directly, at its offices or by mail.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).