TRACKING PREVIOUS OWNERS

[Nova Research Project]

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I forgot but you can do a Prospective Purchaser Inquiry in Virginia.

VA PPI

But it will only show the last ten years if available.

I do believe that states do keep micro film records past 10 years, but because of tighter privacy laws, it is difficult to gain access. Tracing the pedigree of a vehicle is not considered necessary or even desirable for government agencies who fear that the previous owner will take them to court for releasing the information. Not to mention the budget cuts which probably eliminated the people to do the research.

Having a few 'orphaned' vehicles with no documentation, I feel your pain.

Good luck,
Greg

PS. Have you tried the The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) but mostly requires a newer VIN formats. But you may be able to find someone who can search the early VINs.