NMVTIS-Approved Providers Compared: Report Prices in 2026

What every NMVTIS report contains

NMVTIS is the federal title-history system created under the Anti Car Theft Act and governed by the 2009 NMVTIS Final Rule (74 Fed. Reg. 5740). It is a Department of Justice program, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) has operated the system since 1992. The official consumer report is deliberately narrow and is built around five indicators: the current state of title and last title date, brand history (labels state titling agencies apply, such as junk, salvage, and flood), odometer readings, total-loss history, and salvage or junk history.

Just as important is what the federal data never includes: accident details, repair histories, service and maintenance records, and recall information are all outside NMVTIS by design. Some approved providers wrap commercial data around the federal core, but those add-ons vary by company and have their own sources and limits. The NMVTIS portion draws on the same federal system regardless of the approved provider or whether that provider charges.

Current provider list and dated price observations

Update checked September 22, 2026: the DOJ lists twelve primary providers offering NMVTIS data to public customers: Bumper, Carsforsale, carVertical, CheckThatVIN, ClearVIN, EpicVIN, GoodCar, TitleCheck, VinAudit, VINData, VinReport and VINsmart. Additional approved websites are listed under some providers and are not counted again here. This updates our August list; it does not establish when VinReport was added.

VinReport is listed on the official DOJ page and its own site offers a VIN search and sample report. Its price is not verified in this comparison; inspect its current checkout before purchase.

The table below separates August 27, 2026 paid-price observations from Carsforsale's free-report claim checked September 23. We could not verify a current price for carVertical, CheckThatVIN, VINSmart or VinReport. Confirm eligibility, report contents and current terms on each provider's site before relying on any offer.

Who must report to NMVTIS, and how fast

State titling agencies are the backbone of the system. All 51 participating jurisdictions — the states plus the District of Columbia — provide data, and the DOJ reports that 100% of U.S. DMV data is represented in the system based on 2026 Federal Highway Administration figures. States must perform an NMVTIS title-verification check before issuing a permanent title for a vehicle brought into the state. DOJ encourages checks for other transactions, including in-state transfers. States must send new and updated title information at least once every 24 hours.

For the current model year and four preceding model years, insurance carriers must report covered salvage and total-loss automobiles at least monthly. The DOJ encourages insurers to report older vehicles too, but that older-vehicle reporting is not part of this federal minimum. Qualifying auto recyclers, junk yards, and salvage yards must also report at least monthly, including the VIN, acquisition date, source, and disposition. DOJ exempts operations handling fewer than five salvage or junk vehicles a year, among other exceptions. Recent events may not yet appear, and a missing insurer record for an older car does not establish a clean history.

How to choose among approved providers

Because these products draw on the federal NMVTIS core, the decision comes down to how many vehicles you are checking and how each provider packages access. For a single car, first verify whether Carsforsale's advertised free report is available for that VIN; paid per-report offers we verified in August 2026 ranged from $3.49 to $17.99. For a multi-car search, bundles such as VinAudit's ten reports for $29.99 or ClearVin's five for $28.99, or a short unlimited pass like GoodCar's $1.95 seven-day offer, can lower per-VIN cost. Read trial mechanics carefully: EpicVIN's $1 trial converts to $49.99 per month unless canceled, and Bumper sells subscriptions starting at $27.99 per month.

Whichever provider you use, read the actual record rows — issuing states, dates, brands, and odometer readings — rather than a summary badge, and pair the report with a free VIN decode, an NHTSA recall lookup, an NICB VINCheck screen, and an independent inspection. If a purchase decision hinges on a specific title claim, re-verify it with the issuing state before money changes hands.

Buyer checklist

1. Confirm the provider appears on the DOJ consumer access list at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov.
2. Match the pricing model — single report, bundle, or subscription — to how many vehicles you are checking.
3. Check trial and subscription renewal terms before entering payment details.
4. Read each title, brand, and odometer row rather than relying on a summary score.
5. Pair the report with a VIN decode, recall check, NICB VINCheck, and an independent inspection.