Can Non-Law Enforcement 'Run' a License Plate in Texas?

(Tyler, Texas) - There has always been an online debate about posting someone's license plate online. The thing about license plates is that anyone can see them. It doesn't matter if you're parked at home, commuting to work or in the parking lot at Walmart, anyone can see your plate.

Police need to be able to see the plate for several purposes including checking for warrants or if the vehicle is stolen. Some believe that anyone can just look up a license plate and get this plethora of information from it. Is this true? I dug deep to find the answer.

Can Non-Police "Run" a License Plate?

There was a post on the Tyler Rants, Raves and Recommendations Facebook group where a Tylerite was complaining about another person's driving. The person that was complaining posted a picture of the other person's vehicle with the license plate in full view.

A commenter to the post took offense to this because they believed anyone could now get that person's personal information. The commenter said that "Anyone can go have his plate run for $6" and that it's as simple as going to the DMV and having it done.

What is Legal and What Isn't?

In the case of the police, it is legal for them to get personal information from "running a plate." That information includes:

Name of the registered vehicle owner.
Address of the registered vehicle owner.
What state the vehicle is registered in.
Has the vehicle been reported as stolen.
If the license plate matches the vehicle's registration.
In some states, police can see if the vehicle has valid insurance.

A civilian, however, can't just walk into the DMV or search online and get someone's personal information from a license plate like in the scene from Gone in 60 Seconds where Donny went to the DMV to get a list of cars.

There is a form that can be filled out at the DMV to request someone's information from their license plate. However, the process takes about four weeks and 99% of the time, it will be denied unless the circumstances actually warrant the information to be released. There is a fee that you won't get back if the request is denied (fairpunishment.org).

What Makes "Running a Plate" Illegal for Civilians?

It is a federal law called the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, or DPPA. The law has been in effect since the mid 90s. Before this law, it may have been possible to go to the DMV and look up someone's personal information based off of their license plate. So, despite what you've been told, we, as civilians, cannot legally 'run a plate' in Texas.

There are some websites that claim you can search their database to find information from a license plate. Those sites are most likely a scam and will, ironically enough, steal your personal information or just give you the the wrong information all together. DO NOT use those sites. You will compromise the security of your own personal information.

Can You Post Someone's License Plate Online or Can it Be Recorded in a Video?

Yes, you can. Same goes for recording video from, say, a dash cam. You see vehicles and their license plates in the background of news reports, too. There is no requirement to blur out a plate.

So there you go, posting a picture of a license plate IS NOT illegal to do. No, someone CAN NOT get any personal information from that posted picture.

21 of the Funniest Personalized License Plates Rejected in Texas

Adding a personalized license plate to your vehicle is a fun extension of your personality. We do see a lot of them on the road but even more have been rejected by the state.

Gallery Credit: Michael Gibson, Townsquare Media / myplates.com