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How will I check to see if a car is stolen?

What’s the best way to check if a car was stolen? I'm about to buy a car from a private seller, and the price is just low enough to make me worried.

avatar
Liz Jenson · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry—so it’s good to check whether a car is legal before you buy it. To check if a car was stolen, you’ll need to get the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) from
the seller
.
Once you have the VIN, you can use the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)’s VINCheck page to see if it’s associated with a stolen car. If it is, contact the police to inform them that the car is for sale! Remember, cars are investments, and a low price won’t always be worth the trouble in the long run.
If you’re buying a new car, then you should use
Jerry
to make sure you have the coverage you need. A licensed broker, the Jerry app helps you find and compare quotes from over 50 top providers for free. All you need to do is take a minute or two to fill out your information, and Jerry will handle the rest!
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