Old Car With a Missing or Unreadable VIN Plate

A car’s VIN is what connects the metal in front of you to the paper in your hand.

There is also a theft concern. A buyer who cannot match a car to its paperwork has no way to know the car is the one on the title. RCW 46.12.750 makes dealing in stolen vehicles a class B felony, so a careful buyer will ask questions, and you should expect that.

Finding the number on paper is a good first step. It does not replace the marking on the car, but it tells you what you are dealing with. Check:

• Your title and registration.
• Your insurance card and policy papers.
• Old repair invoices and service records.
• The bill of sale from when you bought it.
• Any sticker or label on the driver’s door jamb, if one survives.

Write it down, and then compare it with whatever you can read on the car. A plate that is merely dirty may clean up. Use a soft cloth, and do not pry at it or take it off. Take clear photos of what you can see, including the empty spot if it is gone.

If the numbers you find do not match each other, stop and ask DOL. That is a different problem from a faded plate.

• Do not re-attach or replace a plate on your own, including one from another car or a replica. We did not find any rule that lets an owner do this. Under RCW 46.12.560, the State Patrol assigns a new number and places or stamps it on the vehicle.
• Do not remove a marking. RCW 46.12.560 says the State Patrol places a marking at the driver’s door latch pillar on rebuilt or salvage vehicles it inspects, and removing it is a class C felony.
• Do not guess at a missing character on a form. RCW 46.12.750 makes a false statement on a title application or transfer a class B felony.
• Do not strip the car and scrap the shell quietly. It still has an owner, and paperwork is still required.

Washington has a rule for this. RCW 46.12.560 says that before a title application is accepted for a vehicle whose VIN has been altered, defaced, obliterated, omitted, removed or is otherwise absent, the applicant must provide a State Patrol inspection certificate. The State Patrol assigns a new VIN and places or stamps it on the vehicle, and the Department of Licensing uses it as the official number. A fee applies. We did not find a rule on whether you must do this before you sell or scrap a car, so here is what else we can confirm, and what to ask.

• The Washington State Patrol inspects vehicles in defined cases. RCW 46.12.560 requires a WSP inspection for a vehicle declared a total loss or salvage, a rebuilt vehicle not kept by the registered owner, and out-of-state salvage. WSP’s guide says those inspections are by appointment only, and originals are required.
• The ownership in doubt procedure in WAC 308-56A-210 includes a WSP inspection, with exemptions.
• WAC 308-56A-150 says an inspection certificate must go with a title application when the department or a licensing agent asks to have the identification number verified.
• The State Patrol’s VIN inspection page says a licensing agent tells you whether you need an inspection and completes the request form, which you must have before you book. Inspections are by appointment only.

Start with a vehicle licensing office. Bring your title or registration and your photos. Ask:

• Can you confirm the VIN on record for this title?
• My car’s plate is missing or unreadable. What do you need from me before I can sell or scrap it?
• Do I need a State Patrol inspection, and how do I arrange one?
• Will it be a problem if the car does not run?

A project car that has been apart for years may be in the worst shape on this front. See the project car you will never finish for the broader decision, and our missing parts guide for what a shell may mean for an offer.

A hauler has to hold documents for each vehicle, and those documents have to match the car. RCW 46.79.070 also lets the state penalize a hauler for buying or holding a vehicle with a missing, defaced, altered or covered manufacturer’s identification number, unless a law enforcement officer approved it. So tell us about the plate before we send a truck. Call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can take it. Send up to 3 photos through the pickup form, including the dash, the door jamb and your title or registration, with personal details covered. Our licensed hauler page explains why we need this.