How to Check if a Camera or Lens Is Stolen
Check a used camera body, lens or drone before you buy it. Find each serial, check it for theft reports, and use a test photo to confirm the body is what the seller says.
2 free checks · No credit card · Updated October 7, 2026
Quick answer
How do I check if a camera is stolen?
Read the body serial number on the bottom plate and each lens serial on the barrel or mount, and enter them on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/check-camera-stolen), which searches theft reports and public web results in a few seconds. At the meetup, take a test photo: many cameras write the body serial into the photo's data, so you can confirm it matches the plate. Also look for someone else's name in the camera's copyright or owner setting.
Where to find camera and lens serial numbers
| Item | Where to look | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camera body (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM System) | On the bottom plate, near the tripod socket. On some models, inside the battery or card door. | Check this one first. It is the number owners report. |
| Lens | On the barrel, on the underside, or around the rear mount | Every lens has its own serial. Check each one separately. |
| Test photo | The photo file's data (EXIF). On most recent bodies the field is called Serial Number or Body Serial Number. | View it in any photo-info app or on a computer. It should match the bottom plate. |
| Box, warranty card, receipt | A label on the box end; the receipt often lists the serial | Should match the body, not just the model. |
| Drones and action cameras | Under the battery, on the body, or in the companion app | Ask the seller to unbind the drone from their app account. |
Two checks that only work on cameras
The test photo. Take a picture with the camera at the meetup and look at the file's data on your phone or laptop. Many cameras write the body serial into every photo. If it doesn't match the bottom plate, the plate has been swapped or the camera isn't what the seller says it is.
The owner name. Canon, Nikon, Sony and other brands let owners set an author or copyright name in the menu, often under Copyright information, and stamp it into every photo. Open that setting. If it shows a name that isn't the seller's, ask about it, and expect a clear answer before you pay.
Signs a camera may be stolen
- The serial plate on the bottom is scraped, covered with tape, or missing
- A body serial in the test photo that doesn't match the plate
- Someone else's name in the copyright or owner setting, or on a strap or label
- A full kit (body, several lenses, flash, bag) sold cheap, quickly, with no receipts
- Rental-house, school or newsroom stickers, or marks where stickers were peeled off
- A seller who doesn't know the gear: no idea of the shutter count, the lenses' names, or what the settings do
What a Camera check looks for
A camera stolen check looks for theft reports tied to the serial numbers of the body and each lens. Owners give these serials to the police and their insurer after a theft, and can report them on SafeOrStolen. For laptops, phones and other gear, see the electronics check.
Step by step
Ask the seller for photos of the bottom plate and each lens serial before you meet.
Check every serial on SafeOrStolen.
At the meetup, take a test photo and confirm the body serial in the photo data matches the plate.
Open the copyright or owner setting in the menu and ask the seller to clear it in front of you.
If any serial comes back reported stolen or the plate has been tampered with, don't buy, and give the details to your local police.
Type the body or lens serial into the search box. SafeOrStolen searches its own theft reports and public web results, including listings and posts that mention the serial, and returns reported stolen, possible match, or no report found in the records searched, with every source listed. It does not search the camera makers' or insurers' records. Check each serial separately.
Why check before you buy
Camera kits are valuable, light and easy to resell piece by piece, and stolen gear recovered by police goes back to the owner. Checking every serial, and confirming the body serial in a test photo, takes a few minutes and catches the cases a buyer can catch.
Common questions
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