Re: VIN verifications in California

Posted by Packard Don On 2019/11/11 15:05:34

As Howard pointed out, such records do not exist. Even if the car had been registered constantly from new, the records would go back only so far as the DMV did not digitized early records as far as I know but even if they had, a VIN verifier has no access that is not available to anyone else.

On the 1966 Cadillac, as pointed out, the VIN plate was just a simple screw-on piece of plastic (my 1965 Fleetwood 60 Special is the same) but the VIN sometimes exists elsewhere as a "hidden VIN" but only law enforcement agencies are made privy to the locations. In fact, a VIN verifier is expressly forbidden from looking for it!

That said, for about a year, the verification of all vehicles in California required two VINs when many vintage cars have only one. I fought the DMV on that so the next reg31 VIN verification form revision changed and no longer required it for older vehicles before a certain year. The old form also required all 1966 and newer vehicles to have an emissions label when only 1966 California cars ever had it. Emission controls didn't become nation wide until 1967, I believe.