What Pops Up When the Police Run Your Plates?

What Pops Up When the Police Run Your Plates?

By Jack Powell, eHow Contributor

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You may already be aware that police officers run the license plate on your vehicle before they pull you over. What you may not know is what information they can obtain before they turn on their flashing lights. Police officers run the plates on each car they want to pull over to see if the person driving the car could be a potential criminal. This allows them to proceed with caution.

Vehicle Information

The first set of information police databases return relates to the vehicle the plates are registered to. This includes the year your vehicle was made, the make and model and the vehicle identification number (VIN), along with the expiration date of the license plate and any suspensions placed on the plate. The name of the person the vehicle is registered to is also revealed during this search.

Driver Information

Although the driver may not be the person to whom the car is registered, it usually is. By accessing another database and searching driver's license information, officers can find out your driver's license number, address, date of birth and Social Security number. This database also provides descriptive information about the owner of the vehicle, including eye color and height. Police officers can also see your driving record, so they'll know if you've received tickets in the past and how many.

Warrants

Oftentimes, criminals who have warrants out for their arrest are found during routine traffic stops. When they run a red light or exceed the speed limit, the cop that notices them runs their license plate, then cross-references the name of the person the car is registered to in a database, which notifies the officer of any outstanding arrest warrants. In some cities and states, officers can access local and national records to determine whether the person being pulled over has warrants in other state.

License Plate Readers

A license plate reader is a piece of equipment capable of capturing license plate information and running it through the databases automatically. If anything pops up on the person's records, an alarm sounds alerting the officer to a potential problem. These scanners can scan and run hundreds of license plate numbers in minutes, making it much easier for officers to identify vehicles that were reported stolen or potential criminal vehicles.

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