Thank You For Sharing
A vehicle was reported stolen every 40.9 seconds in the United States in 2017.
That year, 773,139 vehicles were stolen, costing roughly $6 billion nationally according to the FBI. The average dollar loss per theft was $7,708. Even with the peace of mind insurance provides, discovering your vehicle has been stolen can be an overwhelming and unsettling experience.
Check For Possible Cctv Recordings
In this age of rapidly expanding technology, it is common for businesses of all kinds to have security cameras installed outside of their business. Let’s put it this way, in most cities, someone somewhere is watching. This could be a parking lot or garage, street parking, or even parking near an ATM that has a camera. It is worth checking with any businesses near where you were parked to see if they might have captured the car thief on camera.
Reporting A Stolen Vehicle Uk
There are several important things to do without delay if your vehicle gets stolen. After reporting a stolen vehicle to the police and the insurer you may also need to inform the DVLA.
CAR GOT STOLEN? If so, the first step is telling the police and the vehicle insurance company. You must inform both of them straight away.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Siriusxm In Car
How To Report Your Car Stolen
It’s gone. You scan the parking lot one more time, hoping against hope that you didn’t see it the first 10 times you looked. But it’s still not there. You have to face it. Your car has been stolen. You always lock your car doors and keep the windows rolled up, but those are small obstacles to today’s thieves. What should you do next? Any time your car is stolen, the first thing you must do is report the theft to the police.
Wait for the police to arrive. The police will come to your location to take a statement from you and to fill out a police report on the theft of your car. Depending on how busy they are with emergencies, it may be a little while before they get there. Read More:How to Report a Stolen Car Online
Have all the details handy. The police will ask you a lot of questions about when, where and how your car was stolen. Be prepared to give answers that are detailed and accurate. The more information you give, the better equipped the police will be to find your car.
Settle in for the duration. The police are investigating the theft of your car. Depending on the circumstances of the theft and the available clues, it could be anywhere from a day or months until they find your car. In some cases, your car may never be found.
Tips
Tips
Writer Bio
This article was written by Legal Beagle staff. If you have any questions, please reach out to us on our contact us page.
Phone The Local Police Station
Dial 101 and ask the operator to put you through to the local police. They will want to know:
- The registration number of the stolen vehicle.
- The make and model .
- A good description of its colour .
All UK police forces issue a crime reference number for stolen vehicles. Have this number handy when you contact the insurance company. The police will also inform the DVLA about the theft and update them if they find it.
Recommended Reading: Adding Xm Radio To Car
Can Onstar Find My Stolen Vehicle
Yes. If your vehicle is stolen, alert authorities and file a police report. When you do so, let law enforcement know you have OnStar. An OnStar Advisor can use GPS technology to help law enforcement locate your vehicle. If your vehicle is stationary, OnStar can tell police where to find it and send a Remote Ignition Block signal to keep the engine from restarting.
Once your vehicle is recovered, the Advisor or police will contact you and let you know when and where you can retrieve your vehicle.
Rental Car Thefts And Embezzlement
Whenever any person who has leased or rented a vehicle willfully and intentionally fails to return the vehicle to its owner within five days after the lease or rental agreement has expired, that person shall be presumed to have embezzled the vehicle.
To assist with the investigation and successful prosecution of an embezzled vehicle, the Detective will require the following information and documents:
After all the above documents and information are obtained, call your area station auto theft detective to schedule an “In-Person” report.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is Car Registration In Texas
Who Else Do I Need To Inform
- After reporting your vehicle as stolen, you will also need to inform your insurance company if you intend to make a claim for the theft of your vehicle.
- Nottinghamshire Police will automatically pass on details of any vehicles reported as stolen to the DVLA , who we will also update if and when the vehicle is recovered.
- The gov.uk website offers additional advice on what to do if your vehicle has been stolen.
Get A Personalised Registration Off A Stolen Car
As a rule, you can retrieve a personalised registration number if someone steals your vehicle. You then have a choice whether to:
- Take the private registration number off a vehicle to keep it.
- Put the private registration number on another vehicle.
You can then apply for a vehicle tax refund from the DVLA and inform them that you no longer own the vehicle.
There are several conditions attached to getting a personalised registration number back. It only applies if:
- You reported the theft of your vehicle to the police.
- The theft stays on the DVLA records for at least 12 months .
- The vehicle had a valid MOT certificate and up-to-date road tax when it got stolen.
Note: Once you tell DVLA your vehicle got sold to an insurance company you cannot get a personalised vehicle registration number back.
Read Also: What Kind Of Car Battery Do I Need
How To Use It
If your vehicle is stolen, alert authorities and file a police report. When you do so, let law enforcement know you have OnStar. An OnStar Advisor can use GPS technology to help law enforcement locate your vehicle. If your vehicle is stationary, OnStar can tell police where to find it and send a Remote Ignition Block signal to keep the engine from restarting.
If your vehicle is moving, an Advisor can keep police updated on its location. Once police have a visual, the Advisor can activate emergency flashers to help law enforcement verify its the correct vehicle. After confirmation, a Stolen Vehicle Slowdown signal is initiated by the Advisor, to gradually slow your vehicle to an idle speed.
Once your vehicle is recovered, the Advisor or police will contact you and let you know when and where you can retrieve your vehicle.
Does Auto Insurance Cover Car Theft
The comprehensive portion of an insurance policy covers stolen vehicles, but because this coverage is optional, youll need to check your policy and make sure you have it. If you dont have that coverage, youll end up having to replace your transportation out of pocket, Walker says.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, comprehensive insurance costs $134 per year on average, and youll usually need to pay a deductible before coverage kicks in. Call your insurer and ask for a quotebefore you need the coverage. You cant use new insurance for a loss that already happened.
Also Check: Removing Water Stains From Car
How To Report A Car Stolen
byAugust 6, 2021, 11:29 am1.3k Views
Need to know how to report a car stolen? Report your stolen car right away in order to have the best chance of recovering you vehicle. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2008 a car was stolen every 33 seconds in the United States. The good news? That number is actually down from previous years.
To report a car stolen you will need:
- The cars description including year, make, model and color
- Approximate time and location of theft
- Details about potential witnesses or anything else suspicious about the incident
Do I Have To Report A Stolen Car To The Dmv
âCustomer service agents provided helpful guidance along the way, and we couldnât be more pleased with the experience. It was great from start to finish. Thanks Jerry!â – Satisfied Jerry User
Havenât shopped for insurance in the last six months? There might be hundreds $$$ in savings waiting for you.
Don’t Miss: How To Know If Car Battery Needs To Be Replaced
How To Report A Stolen Car Online
Depending on where you live, you might be able to file a police report online. This includes reporting a stolen car. Many major cities across the United States and most states have police reports that you can file online. The process is quick and easy to do, but you should know that often police reports filed online can take longer to be processed than other police reports. Therefore, it is important to explore all options when reporting a stolen car, because you might want to file a report online as well as call your local police department.
Do Insurance Companies Talk To Each Other
Insurance companies dont contact one another to discuss an individuals motor vehicle records and insurance claims history in order to determine their rates for coverage. Rather, virtually every insurance company subscribes to a service and purchase reports one at a time for underwriting and pricing purposes.
Recommended Reading: How To Change The Interior Of Your Car
How To Check If A Car Is Stolen
You might recall that checking whether the car youre considering buying has been stolen is as simple as doing a REVS check, but apparently it was too simple. Thats why its now called a PPSR check – meaning youre investigating the ownership using the Personal Property Securities Register, run by the Australian Financial Security Authority.
For an absolute bargain of $3.40 , you can conduct a Quick Motor Vehicle Search, either online or though the Assisted Phone Service of the PPSR. The search will provide both on-screen results and an emailed copy of the search certificate.
Learn The Steps You Should Take Immediately After You Suspect Your Car Has Been Stolen
Between daily commuting, errands and long road trips, you spend a lot of time behind the wheel trying to stay safe and avoid accidents. But when you think about auto insurance, getting your car stolen is also a top concern. How do you report a stolen car and is theft insured? Read on to find out.
Also Check: How To Remove Scuff Marks From Car Door
Beware Of The Insurances Interrogation
Informing the police or the lienholder is not a problem, the problem is the insurance company. They have some annoying and interrogatory questions that can make you a suspect. Regardless of their assertions, do not take it personally.
Dont blame the insurer, blame false claims amounting to several billion. The insurance adjuster may inspect information, including phone records, social media posts , and financial history.
Meanwhile, if the stolen vehicle was put up for sale recently or it is over the mileage on lease, it becomes a red flag to the claim adjustor. Moreover, recently suspended drivers license, delayed police report, and recent increases in coverage can be red flags.
Failure to answer the questions or giving flimsy responses mitigates your chance of passing the interrogation. If you are innocent of the crime, provide straightforward responses, and do not ask whether your auto insurance covers theft or what happens when your stolen car is recovered. Instead, if you have car theft insurance, say stuff like cant wait for a replacement car! and seek suggestions to safeguard your future car.
S To Replacing A Stolen Car Title
-
Find and complete the Duplicate Title paperwork found on your states DMV website
-
Mail the form with all required documents and fees enclosed
-
Or visit your local DMV and complete these steps onsite
Begin by searching for duplicate title forms on your states DMV website. Its sometimes faster to use a search engine to search for the phrase duplicate title form with quotation marks.
Paperwork involves filling out your name, address, and drivers license number, along with vehicle information like the VIN number, license plate, and year, make, and model. To skip the hassle of the DMV, submit your paperwork by mail.
Required documents may include a photocopy of your ID and insurance card, proof of paid property taxes, and a passing inspection slip. Several states require a notary public to witness the document.
Additional paperwork may be required if you have a loan on the vehicle. Its wise to include a copy of the police report if there is one.
The cost of replacing a stolen car title is usually less than $50.
Turnaround time to receive a new title is a minimum of 6-8 weeks. The DMV cannot hand you a new title onsite!
This cannot be completed online in most states due to the security and importance of car titles.
You cannot use this process to title a stolen vehicle. Proof of ownership will be required, not simply handing them the title.
Read Also: How To Sign Over A Car Title In Texas
What Should I Do If My Car Registration Was Stolen
Take these steps immediately following a car registration theft:
Inform Dvla If The Insurer Pays Out
As a rule, the insurer will pay out on a claim for a stolen vehicle. That means you must inform the DVLA that it ‘got sold’ to the insurance company.
You can tell the DVLA that you no longer own a vehicle either online or using the log book . Fill in section 9 and send it to the DVLA. Add a letter confirming that you accepted the payment with the details of your insurer.
In most cases, the insurance company will ask for the remaining part of the V5C. If they ask for the complete log book you will need to send a letter to the DVLA giving them:
- The name and contact details of your insurance company.
- The date that you made the claim.
- The registration number, make, model, and colour of your vehicle.
Make sure you sign the letter and send it to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency:
DVLASwanseaSA99 1BD
Note: Some vehicles have a personalised registration number. You must ‘get it back’ if you want to keep it before telling DVLA you no longer own the vehicle.
Read Also: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Car
Find Out If Online Reporting Is In Your City
Find out if your city or town has online police reports by going to the city’s web page or the police department web page. Look for a section that explains how to file police reports or look for a button that says “File a police report.” If you do not see one, call the police department to ask if reports can be filed online. They will tell you how.
How Does Insurance Handle A Stolen Car
Car insurance can cover a stolen car, but only if you have comprehensive coverage. If your car is stolen and not recovered, this coverage pays the current value, or actual cash value, of your vehicle. Comprehensive claims have a deductible, which is the amount you pay before your insurance pays the rest.
Don’t Miss: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Car
Should I Report A Stolen License Plate
You should report a stolen license plate to your local police department. A police report is a good record keeper and lets authorities know that it has been stolen. Here in California, you must then go to the DMV office , and the plate that was left in your car.
Look up the form called REG 156 and take it to the DMV field office. Oh and pay the fees to receive your new set of plates, of course.
We cant forget those darn fees.
