Check if a phone, car, gun, or bike was reported stolen.
Scan or type a serial number, IMEI, VIN or license plate. Gun checks search more than 220,000 police theft and loss reports from 33 states and DC, plus live Ohio records. Free web app included.
Web app launched January 2026 (PRLog, Jan 2, 2026) · SafeOrStolen on Crunchbase
Check for free. No credit card.
Need more checks? Pay $4.99 for 1 verification check or $10/month for unlimited standard checks. Verifying often? Get $10/month unlimited with the seller badge, installable web app, and verification certificates included. Cancel anytime, 30-day refund.
What do you want to check?
Pick the kind of item. Each check searches every source that applies to it at the same time and lists them in the result.
Most searchedGun Serial Number Lookup
Police theft reports from 33 states and DC, plus live state criminal justice records
Vehicle VIN Check
Theft reports, year, make, model and open recalls
Phone IMEI Check
Theft reports and the phone model, plus an optional blacklist check
License Plate Lookup
Stolen check by plate, with Arizona police records for AZ plates
Bicycle Serial Check
Frame serial checked against a national stolen-bike registry
Electronics, Power Tools & Appliances
Laptops, consoles, cameras, tools and anything with a serial number
On your phoneScan Barcode or QR
Point your phone camera at a barcode instead of typing
Paste Listing URL
Paste a Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist or eBay link
What a check shows you
Here's a sample phone check. Every check searches SafeOrStolen's own theft reports, lists every source it searched, and comes back in a few seconds.
Gun, bike and vehicle checks search extra sources.
No report was found in the records searched. That isn't a guarantee the phone isn't stolen. Before paying, have the seller sign out of their Apple ID in front of you and check that the IMEI in Settings matches the one you checked.
What if an item is flagged?
If a check comes back as "reported stolen" or "possible match", you'll see which source it came from and what was reported. Don't buy the item. If you think it's stolen, tell the local police where and when it's being sold.
What people say on Trustpilot
Rated 4.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 3 reviews. See them on Trustpilot
This is my favorite app by a landslide!
“I was really surprised at how easy this app was to use, and the results really are instant. I am part owner of a little pawn shop, so after discovering this app, I have to call it my absolute favorite. It makes my job a thousand times easier!”
I really enjoy this app
“I love to bargain hunt, I love going to auctions. I use this app all the time. It's really easy to navigate, plus they give you free searches. I recommend it to anybody working with used items, especially high-value, big-ticket items.”
Very helpful with some rings
“They were very helpful with some rings I was thinking about buying. They put my mind at ease knowing I was buying something that was not stolen.”
What buyers say before they find a check
From a public guitar forum. These are not SafeOrStolen customers.
"I have a guitar that I am interested in on Craigslist... Is it stolen. I have no idea how to check this?"
"There really isn't a way before you buy it. If you know a cop you could get it run thru their computer."
How a check works
Enter the number
Type or scan the IMEI, VIN, serial number or license plate, or paste a Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist link and SafeOrStolen pulls out the number for you.
Every source searched at once
SafeOrStolen theft reports on every check, plus police gun theft reports from 33 states and DC, live state criminal justice records, and a national stolen-bike registry where they apply.
Read the result
Reported stolen, possible match, or no report found, with each source listed. The check is saved to your account with the date, and you can add a $1.99 certificate to share.
See what a finished check looks like
The sample result below shows what a check returns before you pay.
Show buyers you checked
before you listed it
More buyers ask whether an item is stolen before they pay. Check your item's serial number, then add the dated certificate link to your listing so the buyer can see what you checked and when.
Verification Record
Generate a shareable Proof of Clean Purchase record showing what was checked and when
Shareable Link
Send buyers a direct link to your verified result — no login required to view
Results in Seconds
Check before you list, so a buyer never finds the problem first
Clear Context
Give buyers a dated record they can review alongside the identifier and your ownership documents
Share it anywhere: paste the result link into your Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist listing, or text it to a buyer. They see the date you checked and what the check found.
Check every item at intake,
and keep the record
Many states require pawn shops and secondhand dealers to record serial numbers and report purchases to police. SafeOrStolen adds a stolen check at the counter: unlimited checks for one monthly price, a bulk check for up to 100 items at a time, and a dated record of every check.
- ✓Unlimited checks for $10 a month
- ✓Bulk check: paste or upload up to 100 items at once
- ✓Download a dated results file for your records
- ✓Every check saved to your account with the date
- ✓Gun serials checked against police theft reports
- ✓Certificates you can show a customer
- Unlimited checks
- Bulk check for up to 100 items
- Verification certificates included
- Every check saved with the date
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if something is stolen before I buy it?▼
How do I check if a phone is stolen?▼
How do I check if a used car is stolen?▼
How do I check if a gun is stolen?▼
Can I check a Facebook Marketplace listing?▼
What does SafeOrStolen search?▼
How much does SafeOrStolen cost?▼
Can a license plate lookup tell me who owns a car?▼
Can I show a buyer that my item checked clean?▼
What should I do if an item comes back stolen?▼
Does SafeOrStolen work for pawn shops and dealers?▼
Check it before you pay
If you buy something that turns out to be stolen, police can return it to the owner and you usually lose what you paid. It takes a few seconds, and your first check is free.
Run a free check1 free check · No credit card · Every source listed