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What is the name of the system law enforcement officers use to pull personal information from a license plate?

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mrmunchkins4

Active Member
What is the name of your state? DC

I am trying to review privacy act of 1974 to review my privacy rights. When, for example, when you commit a hit and run, and your license plate is photographed, but is located in a different state, what electronic system do law enforcement officials use to locate the suspect from license plate number? I'm assuming it's federal, as many people travel across the US.
 


quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? DC

I am trying to review privacy act of 1974 to review my privacy rights. When, for example, when you commit a hit and run, and your license plate is photographed, but is located in a different state, what electronic system do law enforcement officials use to locate the suspect from license plate number? I'm assuming it's federal, as many people travel across the US.
Did you commit a hit and run?
 

mrmunchkins4

Active Member
Did you commit a hit and run?
It is related to this matter, but unfort hit and run are criminal matters, so I prefer avoiding to answer a direct question of yes/no.

It's a narrow request, do you quincy happen to know the name of interstate/federal program law enforcement officials use to search up license plate number to pull up driver records, including personal identifiable information if the suspect is located outside the officers state?
 

quincy

Senior Member
It is related to this matter, but unfort hit and run are criminal matters, so I prefer avoiding to answer a direct question of yes/no.

It's a narrow request, do you quincy happen to know the name of interstate/federal program law enforcement officials use to search up license plate number to pull up driver records, including personal identifiable information if the suspect is located outside the officers state?
There is not one system used by all states although many law enforcement agencies use automated license plate readers to access different databases.
 

mrmunchkins4

Active Member
There is not one system used by all states although many law enforcement agencies use automated license plate readers to access different databases.
Do you know the system in DC used to issue out criminal citations for interstate drivers? Like a PD looks over picture of license plate involved in a situation, and pulls up personal information.
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
Do you know the system in DC used to issue out criminal citations for interstate drivers? Like a PD looks over picture of license plate involved in a situation, and pulls up personal information.
It would have to contact the other state for that information. There is no central database of the federal government that contains the driver's license information for all drivers. Note that the Privacy Act only applies to federal government executive agencies; it does not apply to state and local governments, or to DC, with the exception of the provision that restricts how SSNs are collected and used.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Do you know the system in DC used to issue out criminal citations for interstate drivers? Like a PD looks over picture of license plate involved in a situation, and pulls up personal information.
Do your questions have to do with your speeding ticket? Or are you just curious?
 

mrmunchkins4

Active Member
It would have to contact the other state for that information. There is no central database of the federal government that contains the driver's license information for all drivers. Note that the Privacy Act only applies to federal government executive agencies; it does not apply to state and local governments, or to DC, with the exception of the provision that restricts how SSNs are collected and used.
Oh! So DC contacts VA for example, and Virginia DMV hands over the information to DC?
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
Oh! So DC contacts VA for example, and Virginia DMV hands over the information to DC?
Essentially correct, yes.

No it's in regard for a hit and run incident.
What is your goal here? Do you have a license plate number of a vehicle that hit you and you want to find out who owns it? Or something else?

And I will defiantly take into account the SSN factor!
How does a SSN figure in here? Note that the Privacy Act simply regulates the circumstances in which a government agency (federal, state, or local) may collect your SSN. It does not provide for any sharing of SSN information, and you certainly can't use the Privacy Act to find the SSN of another person.
 

quincy

Senior Member
There are databases that contain license plate information that police use to track down stolen cars, cars involved in accidents, those who endanger the lives of others by speeding in strict enforcement areas ...
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? DC

I am trying to review privacy act of 1974 to review my privacy rights. When, for example, when you commit a hit and run, and your license plate is photographed, but is located in a different state, what electronic system do law enforcement officials use to locate the suspect from license plate number? I'm assuming it's federal, as many people travel across the US.
Your license plate can be run through a number of state and local systems. But, the system used to access nationwide DMV databases is known as NCIC (National Crime Information Center). It allows one agency to access DMV databases in other states, though they generally have to run the plate through each specific plate - which wouldn't be a problem if they had a picture. A STOLEN plate, on the other hand, should automatically return with a hit via NCIC even without the specific state.

And your SSN is NOT an issue in this sort of thing.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Your license plate can be run through a number of state and local systems. But, the system used to access nationwide DMV databases is known as NCIC (National Crime Information Center). It allows one agency to access DMV databases in other states, though they generally have to run the plate through each specific plate - which wouldn't be a problem if they had a picture. A STOLEN plate, on the other hand, should automatically return with a hit via NCIC even without the specific state.

And your SSN is NOT an issue in this sort of thing.
mrmunchkins has a history on this forum that should be reviewed.
 

mrmunchkins4

Active Member
mrmunchkins has a history on this forum that should be reviewed.
Not related.

Your license plate can be run through a number of state and local systems. But, the system used to access nationwide DMV databases is known as NCIC (National Crime Information Center). It allows one agency to access DMV databases in other states, though they generally have to run the plate through each specific plate - which wouldn't be a problem if they had a picture. A STOLEN plate, on the other hand, should automatically return with a hit via NCIC even without the specific state.

And your SSN is NOT an issue in this sort of thing.
Awesome advise! I'll start from there. I don't know if NCIC allows searches for non-stolen license plate numbers? I have no idea to be honest, I am clueless in matters of federal database systems.
 

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