For developers and businesses
SafeOrStolen API: What's Available
SafeOrStolen does not offer a public API with keys today. There are three ways to connect that work now: a check link that starts a check from your own site, the bulk check that takes a CSV of up to 100 serial numbers, IMEIs or VINs and returns a results CSV, and certificate links that show a single dated check. For programmatic access, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Updated October 7, 2026
1. Check link
Send people from your listing, inventory page or app to a check that starts on its own. The format is:
https://safeorstolen.com/verify?q=356789012345678&type=imei
| Parameter | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| q | The serial number, IMEI, VIN or plate to check | q=356789012345678 |
| type | Optional hint: imei or phone, vin or vehicle, gun or firearm, bike or bicycle, plate, tablet, motorcycle | type=imei |
The visitor sees the result on SafeOrStolen, not on your site. Visitors get 2 free checks without paying; after that they create an account and pay $0.99 a check or $10 a month.
2. Bulk check: CSV in, CSV out
Signed-in users open /bulk-check, paste numbers or upload a .csv or .txt file, and download the results. Up to 100 rows per run. Fields can be separated by commas or tabs and quoted. A first row starting with identifier, serial, imei, vin or id is treated as a header and skipped.
Input columns
| Column | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1. Identifier | Required. The serial number, IMEI, VIN or plate. Rows shorter than 3 characters are skipped. |
| 2. Type | Optional. Words like gun, rifle, phone, iphone, vin, car, plate, bike, laptop, tool or camera. Blank rows use the type picked on the page. |
| 3. Note | Optional. Your own reference, such as a ticket, lot or claim number. Comes back unchanged. |
identifier,type,note 356789012345678,phone,ticket 4412 1HGBH41JXMN109186,vehicle,lot 212 ABC123456,gun,ticket 4413
Output columns
| Column | Contents |
|---|---|
| Identifier | The number as you sent it |
| Type | The item type used, or auto |
| Note | Your note |
| Result | REPORTED STOLEN, REPORTED LOST, NO REPORT FOUND, NOT CONFIRMED or ERROR |
| Message | The plain-language result text |
| Sources searched | Every source the check ran against, separated by semicolons |
| Checked at (UTC) | Date and time of the check |
| Check ID | The ID of the saved check in your account |
Each row uses one check on the account, so this is built for the $10 monthly plan. If the account runs out of checks, the run stops and says so. Every check is also saved to the account with its date.
3. Certificate links
After a single check, the user can add a $1.99 verification certificate (free on the monthly plan) within 30 days. It lives at its own link on safeorstolen.com/proof/ and shows the check date, category, result, the last four characters of the number, the sources searched and a SHA-256 record hash. You can store or display that link next to an item. See how sellers use it.
What a check searches
- Every check: SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results that mention the number.
- Guns: also 242,839 police firearm theft and loss reports from 33 states and Washington, DC (filed through 2017; the years covered vary by state), live Ohio records, and a flag for altered or obliterated serials.
- Bikes: also a national stolen-bicycle registry.
- Phones: make and model from the IMEI; the carrier blacklist on paid checks.
- Vehicles: decoded year, make and model, open recalls, and Arizona law-enforcement records for Arizona VINs and plates.
Not searched: NCIC, ATF eTrace, DMV or MVD records, Apple and Google account status, manufacturer, pawn or insurer databases.
Common questions
Does SafeOrStolen have an API?
Not a public one. There are no API keys, endpoints or SDKs to sign up for today. What works now: a check link that starts a check from your site (safeorstolen.com/verify?q=NUMBER), the bulk check at safeorstolen.com/bulk-check that takes a CSV of up to 100 numbers and returns a results CSV, and certificate links for single checks. For programmatic access, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Is there an IMEI check API?
Not from SafeOrStolen. To check IMEIs in volume, upload them to the bulk check as a .csv file and download the results. Each phone check shows the make and model and searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and web results. On the $10 monthly plan, the first 20 phone checks each month also search the lost and stolen carrier blacklist.
Is there a VIN stolen check API?
Not a public one. VINs can go through the bulk check in a CSV, up to 100 at a time. Each VIN check decodes the year, make and model, lists open safety recalls, and searches SafeOrStolen theft reports, web results and, for Arizona VINs, Arizona law-enforcement stolen-vehicle records. It does not return title, odometer or lien data.
Can I link to a SafeOrStolen check from my website?
Yes. Link to safeorstolen.com/verify?q= followed by the number, and add &type=imei, vin, gun, bike or plate if you know the type. The visitor lands on SafeOrStolen and the check starts. Visitors get 2 free checks; after that they sign up or pay. Nothing on your side needs a key.
How much would API access cost?
There is no API price list because there is no public API. Today's prices are 2 free checks, $0.99 per check, or $10 a month for unlimited checks with up to 20 blacklist checks a month. If you need checks to run from your own system, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com with your item types and monthly volume.
Need checks to run from your system?
Email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com with what you check, roughly how many a month, and how you'd want results back. Marketplaces can also read marketplace integration.