Prospective Purchaser Inquiry (PPI)

A used vehicle can be a mystery. Has it ever been totaled and rebuilt? How about water-damaged? Before you buy, give Prospective Purchaser Inquiry (PPI) a try. You provide the vehicle's make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN) and DMV produces a PPI summary about the vehicle. The PPI summary comes from Virginia DMV records only and does not contain personal information about the vehicle's previous owners. The fee for the service is $12 per vehicle.

This service is available online or by visiting one of our customer service centers. If applying for a PPI summary by mail, fill out form CRD-01 and mail it along with your payment to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
P. O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269
Attention: Vehicle Records Work Center

Please allow up to 15 days from the date of your request for your Prospective Purchaser Inquiry to arrive by mail.

Please do not send cash through the mail.