What you get

What's in a Puerto Rico vehicle history report

Before you hand over a check for a used car in Puerto Rico, run the VIN through try.vin. The free check decodes the VIN and lists the NHTSA recall campaigns for its model year. A full vehicle history report adds title brands, reported accidents, odometer readings, and ownership history, where reported.

A full try.vin report for a PR-registered vehicle comes from a commercial vehicle-history data provider. Here's what it can include, wherever records were reported:

Title brands

Title brands reported for the vehicle in Puerto Rico or any other state — salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood, fire, hail, or lemon.

Accident & damage records

Reported collisions, airbag deployments, structural damage, and total-loss events, with damage location and severity where available.

Odometer history

Reported mileage readings from Puerto Rico inspections, service visits, title transfers, and auctions, plus odometer-problem checks such as “not actual miles” brands.

Safety recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns for the model year, with the defect and the manufacturer remedy — free with the VIN decode. Confirm a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

Ownership & service history

The number of previous owners, how the vehicle was used (personal, fleet, rental, or commercial), and reported service visits.

Specs from the PR VIN

Make, model, model year, engine, and country of assembly, decoded from the VIN by NHTSA — free.

Puerto Rico at a glance

Capital
San Juan
Population
3,205,691
Registered vehicles
2.5 million

Local guide

Finding the VIN in Puerto Rico

Where to find the VIN on a vehicle in Puerto Rico

The Vehicle Identification Number is a 17-character code printed in several standard locations on every U.S.-registered car, truck, and motorcycle. On a passenger vehicle in Puerto Rico, you'll typically find it:

  • Stamped on a metal plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side (visible from outside through the glass).
  • On a sticker in the driver-side door jamb or B-pillar.
  • On the vehicle title and registration issued by Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas.
  • On insurance ID cards and dealer service invoices.
  • For motorcycles, stamped on the steering neck or right side of the frame.

A legitimate Puerto Rico VIN never contains the letters I, O, or Q — they are excluded to avoid confusion with the digits 1 and 0. If a seller refuses to share the VIN, walk away.

Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas

Official website
https://www.dtop.pr.gov/
Customer service
(787) 722-2929

State records from Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas are governed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). For buyer-side research on a used vehicle, a full try.vin history report shows the title brands reported for the vehicle without a DMV visit.

FAQ

Puerto Rico VIN check questions

Everything to know before buying a used vehicle in Puerto Rico.

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Don't buy a used car in Puerto Rico blind

Paste any VIN for a free decode and its NHTSA recall campaigns in seconds — a full report with title brands, accidents, and odometer readings is one click away.