What a vehicle history report shows

An NMVTIS Vehicle History Report is intentionally concise. It reports on five key indicators linked to preventing auto fraud and theft.

From the Justice Department's Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report page, read October 28, 2026. Private vehicle history providers can add information NMVTIS is not meant to hold, such as repair histories, recall information and other care and maintenance data.

What title brands like salvage and flood mean

A brand is a descriptive label a state motor vehicle titling agency puts on a title to show a vehicle's current or prior condition, such as junk, salvage or flood. Once a state brands a vehicle, the brand becomes a permanent part of its NMVTIS record.

That matters because a brand can be washed off a paper title when a car is retitled in a state that does not check the earlier records. The Justice Department gives the example of flooded vehicles moved out of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, dried out and sold in other states, including the upper Midwest, to buyers who did not know about the flood.

Each state uses its own rules and terms. One state may brand a damaged car salvage when another does not, and some states have no flood brand at all. A total loss is not always a wreck either: an insurer may call a stolen car a total loss if it is not recovered within 30 days, and that record stays even if the car turns up in good condition.

From NMVTIS For Consumers and Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report (Justice Department), read October 28, 2026.

Where vehicle history data comes from

From Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report and NMVTIS For Consumers (Justice Department), read October 28, 2026.

How to get a vehicle history report

You need the car's vehicle identification number (VIN). On a car you are shopping for, ask the seller for it.

1. NMVTIS report. Consumers buy NMVTIS Vehicle History Reports from the approved data providers listed at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov. The Justice Department notes that consumers cannot get NMVTIS reports from Carfax, DMVDesk or Experian, which provide that data only to dealerships.
2. Private reports. Many providers sell reports that combine NMVTIS data with other records, such as repair and maintenance history.
3. Free flood-damage check. The Justice Department's buying tips point to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which keeps a free database that includes flood damage and other information you can search by VIN.
4. The state title record. NMVTIS does not hold everything a state title record does. Each NMVTIS consumer report includes a link to the current state's full title record.

From Research Vehicle History, Used Car Buying Tips and NMVTIS For Consumers (Justice Department), read October 28, 2026.

What a clean vehicle history report can miss

A clean NMVTIS report is a good thing, the Justice Department says, but it is not a guarantee. Until every required entity reports, a search can return a false negative such as "no junk or salvage history." The same kind of gaps can exist in private vehicle history databases.

Some states exempt older vehicles from titling, and states report different levels of detail. A history report is also not a record of a car's mechanical condition: the Justice Department's disclaimer says it is not a substitute for an independent vehicle inspection, which can find hidden damage.

The Justice Department recommends learning these limits before relying on any vehicle history report, from NMVTIS or any other provider.

From NMVTIS For Consumers, Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report and the Consumer Access Product Disclaimer summary (Justice Department), read October 28, 2026.

Before you buy: put the report to work

The Justice Department strongly encourages buyers to get an independent vehicle inspection, get an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report and use other vehicle information resources before deciding. Its used car buying tips, a summary of Federal Trade Commission advice, add:

• Have a mechanic inspect the car for mechanical soundness and safety.
• Test drive it under varied road conditions: hills, highways and stop-and-go traffic.
• Go over the car with an inspection checklist.
• Ask for the maintenance records from the owner, dealer or repair shop.
• Talk to the previous owner if the present owner does not know the car's history.
• Look up recall information from the U.S. Department of Transportation (NHTSA).

See also our guides to what to look for when buying a used car and how to check a used car for recalls.

From Used Car Buying Tips and Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report (Justice Department), read October 28, 2026.

Shopping for a used car at Elgin Auto Sales

Browse our used inventory and ask us for the VIN of any vehicle you are interested in, so you can run your own history and recall checks before you visit. After the sale, our service department works on all makes and models.

Elgin Auto Sales & Service Center is at 1200 E. Chicago St. in Elgin. Sales is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; service is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both are closed Sunday. Get directions.

Shop used inventory, contact us about a vehicle, or value your trade.