For families

What to write down about your car before it is stolen

The police and your insurer will ask for the same few facts. Having them ready makes the report quicker.

VantageIQ Technologies · October 4, 2026 · 2 minute read

Record these now

• The VIN, the 17-character vehicle identification number. It is at the lower left of the windshield and on the registration card, and it may be on your insurance card.
• The license plate number and state.
• Make, model, year and color.
• Anything that identifies it. The police may ask for identifying characteristics, so note dents, stickers, a roof rack or aftermarket wheels.
• Photos from each side. This is our own suggestion, not an official requirement.
• Whether it has a GPS or tracking system, and how to reach it.

Keep these out of the car

• The title. Police departments warn against keeping it in the vehicle.
• Spare keys and garage door openers.
• Wallets, mail, financial papers and anything valuable left in view.

Make it harder to take

The National Insurance Crime Bureau describes four layers, and says each one you add makes a vehicle harder to steal.

1. Common sense: take the keys, lock the doors and windows, park in a well-lit place, and never leave it running unattended.
2. A visible or audible warning: an alarm, a steering-wheel lock, or the VIN etched on the windows.
3. An immobilizer: a smart key, a kill switch or a fuel disabler.
4. A tracking device that reports where the vehicle is.

If it is stolen

1. Call the police at once and file a stolen-vehicle report. Give them the plate, make, model, color, VIN and anything that identifies it.
2. Call your insurer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises doing so within 24 hours. Insurers usually want the police report, and theft is covered only if you carry comprehensive coverage.
3. Cancel any cards that were inside, and change your locks if house keys were in it.
4. If you find the vehicle, call the police and your insurer before you touch it.

A tracker tells you where the car is. It does not make it safe to go and get it. The Saint Paul Police Department's advice, if you find your vehicle, is to call the police and not to get in or move it until officers have looked at it.

Speed matters. The National Insurance Crime Bureau said in July 2024 that, of the stolen vehicles that are recovered, 34% are recovered the same day and 45% within two days.