SafeOrStolen Features
Updated
SafeOrStolen checks whether a phone, vehicle, plate, gun, bike or any serial-numbered item has been reported stolen. On top of the check itself you get a saved history of every search, an optional $1.99 verification certificate, a free form to report your own stolen items, bulk checking for businesses, and a free web app you can use at a meetup.
Here is every feature, what it does and what it costs. Nothing on this list is "coming soon."
| Feature | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stolen item check | One box for an IMEI, VIN, plate or serial number. Searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results, plus extra sources for some items (below). Results in a few seconds with every source listed. | 2 free, then $0.99 each or unlimited at $10 a month |
| Gun serial check | Adds 242,839 police firearm theft and loss reports from 33 states and Washington, DC (filed through 2017; the years covered vary by state) and live Ohio law-enforcement records. Flags serials that look altered or obliterated. | Same as any check |
| Bike serial check | Adds a national stolen-bicycle registry to the search for the frame serial number. | Same as any check |
| VIN check | Decodes the year, make and model and lists open safety recalls. Arizona VINs are also searched against Arizona law-enforcement stolen-vehicle records, updated twice a day. | Same as any check |
| License plate check | Searches SafeOrStolen theft reports for the plate, and Arizona law-enforcement records for Arizona plates. Never shows the owner's name. | Same as any check |
| IMEI check and phone blacklist check | Shows the make and model the IMEI belongs to and searches theft reports. A paid check adds the lost/stolen carrier blacklist search. | Blacklist search on a $0.99 check, or up to 20 a month on the monthly plan |
| Check history | Every check is saved to your account with the number, the date, the result and the sources searched. | Included |
| Verification certificate | A dated record with its own link that shows you checked an item before the sale. Send it to a buyer, or keep it in case questions come up after you buy. | $1.99, free for monthly members |
| Report a stolen item | If something of yours was stolen, add its serial number, IMEI or VIN. Anyone who checks that number later sees the report. | Free |
| Bulk check | For pawn shops and dealers: check a list of serial numbers, IMEIs or VINs at once. | See the bulk check page |
| Installable web app | Add SafeOrStolen to your phone's home screen from your browser, so you can check a number on the spot at a meetup. It is a web app, not an App Store or Google Play download. | Free |
Results you can read in one look
Every check ends in one of three results: "reported stolen", "possible match", or "no report found in the records searched". Under it you see each source that was searched. A no-match is not a guarantee, and the page says so, because plenty of stolen items were never reported with a serial number. The step-by-step of what happens behind the search box is on how it works.
What's not included
SafeOrStolen does not show who owns an item or who reported it, and it does not provide title, accident or odometer history for vehicles. It does not search police-only systems like NCIC, DMV records, or Apple and Google account locks. When you buy a used phone or laptop, have the seller sign out of their account in front of you; no outside check can confirm that.
Questions about features
What can SafeOrStolen check?
SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/features) checks phones and tablets by IMEI, vehicles by VIN, license plates, guns, bikes, and anything else with a serial number, such as laptops, game consoles, cameras and power tools. Every check searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results. Guns, bikes, Arizona vehicles and paid phone checks get extra sources.
Is there a SafeOrStolen app?
Yes, a free installable web app at safeorstolen.com/app. Open it in your phone's browser and add it to your home screen; it then opens like an app. It is not in the App Store or Google Play. It runs the same checks as the website, so you can check a serial number while standing next to the item.
Can a pawn shop or dealer check many items at once?
Yes. Bulk check at safeorstolen.com/bulk-check lets a pawn shop, dealer or reseller run a list of serial numbers, IMEIs or VINs in one go instead of typing them one by one. Each number is searched the same way as a single check. For questions about volume or setup, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Can I prove I checked an item before I bought it?
Yes. Every check is saved to your account with the date. For something you can share, add a verification certificate for $1.99: a dated record with its own link showing you checked before the sale. Monthly members get certificates free. It shows you did your homework; it doesn't replace a receipt or bill of sale.
What does SafeOrStolen not check?
It does not search the FBI's NCIC, ATF eTrace, DMV or MVD records, Apple Activation Lock or Google account status, manufacturer records, pawn databases or insurer databases. Carrier records are searched only through the paid phone blacklist check. Every result lists exactly which sources were searched, so you know what was and wasn't covered.
Try it on your next purchase
2 free checks with a free account. No credit card.