Michigan Title Search by VIN
Buying used in Michigan? Search the VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction sales (damage, photos, and the title type the auction listed), a stolen-vehicle check, and odometer history, before you pay. These records follow the VIN across state lines, so a car totaled anywhere can still show up here, even when the Michigan paperwork looks clean.
State fee data last reviewed 2026-09-16
Free preview
Search a title by VIN
Full report $12.99 one-time — no subscription.
What the title search shows
- Salvage records with cause and date
- Salvage-auction sales: price, damage, repair estimate, photos
- Stolen-vehicle check and odometer history
- Every online listing & price cut since 2015
Michigan title & transfer facts
- Title fee
- $15
- Registration
- $100-$200 based on MSRP
- Inspection required
- No routine inspection
Michigan requires no safety inspection and no emissions testing, but a TR-54 VIN inspection is required for out-of-state, rebuilt, or salvage vehicles.
Lost or transferring a title? See Michigan title fees & paperwork.
How to check a Michigan title or lien status
Michigan title status & title inquiry, lien check & lien holder search — through the state's own records.
Michigan has no free public title or lien lookup. To verify a lienholder, request the vehicle record from the Secretary of State — online through Record Sales Services (“Request Records”) or by mail with Form BDVR-154 — for $15 per record ($16 certified). Owners can see their own title and liens in their SOS e-Services account.
Michigan SOS — Record Lookup Request (Form BDVR-154)
How to request it
- VIN, make and year
- A permissible purpose for the request (owners requesting their own record select “M”)
- $15 per record, $16 certified — charged even if no record is found
What it shows
- Current owner and current lienholder
- Optional: current title application, or a full or partial title history
- How long a title takes
- A corrected or duplicate Michigan title should arrive by mail within 14 days.
- If a lien is missing or wrong
- Electronic liens can only be released by the lienholder — a paper release letter can’t remove one. For a paper title, a lien release letter listing the VIN (or the lender’s signed “paid” stamp on the title) clears it; you can then buy a new title without the lienholder.
- Vehicles Michigan doesn't title
- Michigan does not title mopeds (they are registered).
The Michigan record covers Michigan only — it won't show titles issued in other states or a car's past salvage-auction sales. For that, run the VIN in the search above, or start with a free Michigan VIN check.
Sources: Michigan SOS: Title FAQs · Michigan SOS: Form BDVR-154 (PDF) (checked 2026-11-09)
Frequently asked questions
How do I do a title search by VIN in Michigan?
Enter the 17-character VIN above — a title search works the same in every state, because salvage and total-loss records follow the VIN, not the plate or the paperwork. The free preview shows the car's online listing footprint; the full CarWhere Used Car Report ($12.99) shows salvage records with cause and date, salvage-auction sales with reported damage and repair estimates, a stolen-vehicle check, and odometer history.
What title brands can a Michigan search turn up?
The common ones are salvage (an insurer's total loss), rebuilt/reconstructed (a repaired salvage car), flood or water damage, lemon-law manufacturer buyback, junk/non-repairable, and odometer/not-actual-mileage. Each one permanently lowers the car's value — salvage and flood the most (40%–60%), rebuilt 20%–40%. A "clean" Michigan title can still hide a brand issued in another state: an official NMVTIS report (approved providers are listed at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov) shows brands reported by participating states, and the CarWhere report adds the salvage and salvage-auction records tied to the VIN.
Isn't a Michigan title search free at the DMV?
The Michigan DMV can confirm the current title status on record in Michigan, but it will not show a brand that was issued in another state, the salvage-auction sale behind a rebuild, or the odometer and listing history. This report covers the salvage-auction, odometer, and listing side of that gap — the records that survive when a title is washed across state lines; for out-of-state brands, use an NMVTIS report.
What does it cost to title a car in Michigan?
Michigan's title fee is $15, and registration runs $100-$200 based on MSRP. Michigan does not require a routine vehicle safety inspection.
Michigan lien check: how do I find out if a car has a lien in Michigan?
Request the vehicle record from the Michigan Secretary of State — online via Record Sales Services or by mail with Form BDVR-154 — for $15 per record. Choose “current ownership/current lienholder” and provide the VIN, make and year.
How long does it take to get a title in Michigan?
A corrected or duplicate Michigan title should arrive by mail within 14 days.
Official title-record sources
- Title brands & history: NMVTIS (U.S. DOJ)
- Theft & total-loss check: NICB VINCheck
Michigan title, registration, and inspection facts are reviewed against the official Michigan DMV/DOR fee schedules by the CarWhere Research team (last reviewed 2026-09-16). State fees change — confirm current amounts with the Michigan DMV before purchase. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Michigan Title Search by VIN," www.carwhere.com/title-search/michigan.