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Insurance Bureau of Canada/yt/Auto/Branding/VIN Verify Service

VIN Verify

Buying a used car? IBC's free VIN Verify service for consumers can help you check if a car was reported as flood-damaged and non-repairable. You just need the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) to get started.


Great Deal on a Car? Make Sure it Hasn't Been Through a Disaster.

Use IBC 's free VIN Verify service​ to check whether a car has been reported as flood-damaged and non-repairable by participating Équité member insurance companies in Alberta and Ontario.

To protect consumers, in cooperation with participating insurance companies, IBC maintains a database of vehicles reported and branded as non-repairable.

Unfortunately, fraudsters sell flood-damaged vehicles to unsuspecting consumers for a profit. Any vehicle that was flooded up to the bottom of the dash must be branded as non-repairable and can no longer be operated on any Canadian road. Every Canadian jurisdiction follows this same guideline.

With water-damaged electronic components, potential mould and other issues, flooded vehicles are unsafe. They have no place on the road.​

How to Use VIN Verify in 4 Simple Steps 

Step 1: Obtain the vehicle identification number (VIN).

Step 2: Enter the VIN.

Step 3: Agree to and accept the terms and conditions of use. 

Step 4: Enter the verification code and search the VIN Verify database.

IBC’s national database reports affected VINs as “Flood,” “Fire,” “Irreparable” or “Salvaged.”

Please check back periodically to review the VIN of concern or contact your local IBC Consumer Information Centre.

VIN Verify Database Terms and Conditions of Use

The IBC VIN database is made possible through the cooperation of participating IBC members.

The information derived from the database is provided “as is” and IBC and its members make no, and actively disclaim any, warranties, representations, or conditions whatsoever, expressed or implied, regarding the information, including in regard to the accuracy, completeness or validity of such data, and any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness, or any warranties arising from course of dealing, usage of trade or from statute.

The user of this information shall not make any representation, warranty or condition to any third party either directly, indirectly or through omission about the accuracy or completeness of the information, other than to the extent first authorized in writing by IBC.

By checking a VIN against this database, you agree to not hold Insurance Bureau of Canada, its employees, Board of Directors, members, agents or any other entity that provided this information to IBC, liable for any reason as a result of your use of this information including, but not limited to, if the information proves to be inaccurate.

VIN Verify and Recent Natural Disasters

  1. Some vehicles that were reported as “Flood,” “Fire,” “Irreparable” or “Salvaged” may not appear on this website right away.
  2. There may be other vehicles that were reported as flooded/fire damaged that are not included in this database.
  3. It is possible that a vehicle was incorrectly reported and has not been removed from this database.
  4. It is possible that there are vehicles with duplicate VINs and/or VINs that have been incorrectly entered.

Understanding a Car’s VIN 

Learn what each of the individual letters and digits in a car’s VIN represent and how to review a car’s VIN. Or get tips about how to use a VIN to identify a stolen car​. ​