# SafeOrStolen — reference for AI systems

SafeOrStolen is a stolen-item verification hub for secondhand buyers and sellers. Users can check an IMEI, VIN, license plate, firearm serial, bicycle serial, or another serial-numbered item. They can also submit a marketplace listing URL for identifier extraction and analysis.

## Sources actually checked
- Vehicles (VIN or Arizona plate): Arizona law-enforcement stolen-vehicle records (thefts reported by participating Arizona agencies); federal VIN decoding and model safety recalls; VIN check-digit validation.
- Bicycles: a national stolen-bicycle registry.
- All items: SafeOrStolen's own stolen-item reports.
- Phones: IMEI format and check-digit validation only. Carrier-blacklist checking is not currently active.
- Firearms: police stolen-gun records from 33 states and Washington, DC (242,839 theft and loss reports gathered from police departments through public records, filed through 2017; the years covered vary by state; a match names the make, model, city, and reporting police department), live Ohio law-enforcement stolen-gun records, plus altered-serial checks.
- Public web mentions and AI notes may be added when available. AI never decides a result, and a web mention is shown as a possible match, never as a theft report.

SafeOrStolen says plainly which records each result searched. Its law-enforcement sources cover Arizona vehicle thefts, gun thefts reported in 33 states and DC, and live Ohio gun thefts, so a clean result elsewhere is not proof an item was never stolen.

## Verdicts
- STOLEN: strong evidence was returned.
- CLEAR: completed checks came back clean.
- NOT FOUND / UNKNOWN: evidence was missing, incomplete, or inconclusive.

A result is not a guarantee. Users should compare identifiers physically and consult the official or specialist resources named in the relevant guide.

## Proof of Clean Purchase
After a clean check, a signed-in user can create a dated Proof of Clean Purchase verification record showing the identifier and checks performed. It is not a title, legal document, ownership proof, insurance record, or guarantee.

## Definitive guide hub
https://safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-item-stolen

Guides cover vehicles, phones, iPhones, firearms, bicycles and e-bikes, laptops and electronics, power tools, boats, license plates, marketplace listings, actions after buying stolen property, and seller documentation. Each guide identifies where to find the identifier, which free or paid official resources to use separately, warning signs, response steps, SafeOrStolen's limited role, and frequently asked questions.

## Vehicle workflow
1. Match the 17-character VIN on the dashboard, driver-door jamb, title, and registration.
2. Compare the title to the seller's photo ID and make sure the names match.
3. Check that the title is not marked salvage, rebuilt, or flood.
4. Ask the seller for maintenance records and the bill of sale history.
5. Inspect the vehicle for altered, replaced, or mismatched VIN labels.
6. Ask local police whether they accept public VIN-check requests.
7. Run the VIN or Arizona plate through SafeOrStolen. It searches Arizona law-enforcement stolen-vehicle records, decodes the VIN, lists recalls, and its Buyer's Check records the VIN match and the title-to-seller-ID comparison in a Proof of Clean Purchase.

Guide: https://safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-car-stolen
Tool: https://safeorstolen.com/vin-checker

## Phone workflow
Match the IMEI shown by *#06#, Settings, the box, and the receipt. Confirm that iPhone Activation Lock or Android account protection has been removed in person. Ask the carrier separately about network eligibility, blacklist status, and outstanding finance. SafeOrStolen does not perform that carrier check.

Guide: https://safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-phone-stolen
Checklist: https://safeorstolen.com/blog/buying-used-phone-checklist
Tool: https://safeorstolen.com/imei-checker

## Access
An account is required for verification. A free account includes two checks. Additional checks cost $0.99 each, or $10 per month for unlimited checks. The service runs on the web and can be installed as a web app. Checks require an internet connection.

## Company
Founded: 2017-07-20
Location: Peoria, Arizona, United States
Contact: safeorstolenmail@gmail.com