Partial number plate search

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Partial number plate search

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muppet

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#3396564 23-Jul-2025 14:33

I accidentally typoed my rego online once when renewing it, it was also a VW Golf (different year and colour but I wasn't paying attention)
Thankfully I DID realise when the confirmation email came thru. I rang up Waka Kotahi and they fixed it very quickly - told me it happens _all the time_ and at least I caught it early as it's a lot harder to fix when the label's been printed.

So yea, don't guess.

tweake

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#3396566 23-Jul-2025 14:38

the other problem with carjam (and its not a fault of their service) is quite often the cars info is incorrect. very common to have different colors, but also different models.

snj

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#3396569 23-Jul-2025 15:01

kiwiharry:

Yeah I was driving around one day and happened to come across another car driving in opposite direction. It was same make, same model, same colour and his number plate was 1 number higher than mine. SR1094 vs SR1095

Yeah, I remember I was on the bus and looked out the window and saw a car (might've been a Toyota Aqua or something) that had N+1 of my Vitz at the time (they were Toyota certified imports so batch registered by Toyota at time of import). Seen similar for my current Toyota and my mum's previous Toyota (both were originally lease/fleet), and my mum's current Ford which was purchased brand new, saw the similar plate on another Ford that had the dealer trims.

Anyway, this is all a way of saying, if you iterate over Carjam, think you've got the right one, make a declaration to your insurance, and it turns out false, you can really end up in the muck as they might start questioning every other detail of the claim or outright reject it as suspected insurance fraud (which can also get you listed on the insurance register). Just be truthful and honest.

mattwnz

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#3396578 23-Jul-2025 15:54

This is why just taking quick photos with your phone is usually the best option as soon as it happens. So easy not to remember the full license plate or get a number or letter wrong. Especially the case with personalised number plates where they may have used a number instead of a letter, to look like a letter, which IMO is one reason I don't think they should allow that combination.

mudguard

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#3396599 23-Jul-2025 17:22

tweake:

the other problem with carjam (and its not a fault of their service) is quite often the cars info is incorrect. very common to have different colors, but also different models.

One of my cars has a low volume cert, it's listed as a five seater when it only has four. I raised it with certifier a few months afterwards but it still hasn't been changed.

I assume it says five seats on carjam and that's what he used.

sonyxperiageek

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#3396660 23-Jul-2025 20:23

concordnz:

Even knowing the full plate number, is not likely to achieve what you are hoping it will.....

I was rear ended a few months ago, and got all the details. (driver was uninsured)

The insurance company advised me, they will only wavy the excess, if

A) the other party admits fault AND they are able to recover the costs of repair from them.

(it sound your perpetrator is ghosting, - so unfortunately your likely to end up paying the excess.)

I had a different Incident in the recent past as well - and was unable to get details of the other party - I lodged the insident with the police,

Police replied via email that they had requested Traffic camera footage

I followed up a couple of times with Police, but got no further response from them either.......so had to pay the Excess then too....

(even know, neither insident was my fault...)

I wouldn't waste time with Carjam - there's a chance the address on there is out of date too.

And then the next year or whenever you change insurance companies and they ask if you've ever made a claim in the past X years, you have to say Yes and your premiums go up even though none of the claims may have been your fault?

Sony

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

BlakJak

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#3396796 24-Jul-2025 12:47

This is the reason we have insurance. You tell the Insurance company the story and they do the chasing (and figure out what you need to pay).

From https://www.state.co.nz/blog/insurance/excess

But I’m not at fault, do I still need to pay an excess?

If you have Comprehensive car cover with State, you have excess protection cover. This means that if an identifiable driver of another vehicle causes loss that is covered by your policy, we will waive or refund your excess as long as the following criteria are met.

You must give us enough information to establish that the driver of the other vehicle was completely at fault, the registration number of the other vehicle and information we need to identify the driver (including name, phone number and address), and reasonable help to recover your claim from the driver of the other vehicle, or from its owner.

In other situations (e.g. someone crashes into your home’s front fence) where we recover the full costs of your claim from the responsible person or their insurer, we will be able to reimburse your excess.

From https://www.canstar.co.nz/car-insurance/making-a-car-insurance-claim-if-youre-not-at-fault/

If you have comprehensive car insurance and the other driver is known and at fault, you car repairs should be covered and you shouldn’t have to pay an excess or lose your no-claims bonus.

From https://www.tower.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/car-comprehensive-02-21.pdf

Claims that were not your fault
You’ll keep your no claims bonus and you won’t pay an excess if you’ve been involved in an accident during the period of insurance, and:
1. you’ve identified the party at fault (name, phone number, and registered number of that other party’s vehicle), and
2. we’re satisfied that the other party was more than 50% at fault

From https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/help-product-service/cars/paying-registering-insuring-car/car-insurance

If you're in a car accident with another person and they’re at fault, your insurer may may waive or refund your excess if you can prove you weren’t at fault and get the name, address and telephone number of other drivers involved. Ask for the name of their insurer and make a note of their registration and drivers licence details. If you can, photograph the damage on your phone.

... if you can't identify the other party then it's up to you to either use your insurance and pay the excess + wear any no-claims bonus loss, or not involve your insurance, not claim, and cover your costs yourself. Ghosting you is a crime, so what do you expect from criminals?
Insurance is your contingency against being unable to afford to manage the consequences of a mishap or the bad actions of another party, but it's not cost or risk-free... this is life.

No signature to see here, move along...

floydbloke

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#3396814 24-Jul-2025 14:58

Getting the other involved person's rego gets damn tricky if they're on a bicycle or an e-scooter.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

scuwp

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#3396826 24-Jul-2025 16:00

Is there a way you can search a partial plate online - no

Can you apply to the authorities to get the full number plate - also no (well, you can apply, but they will decline)

Your insurance company and the Police will have access to this information - but they probably won't disclose it to you

Do you know their address? If their car was drivable maybe you will find it parked up at the house and can get the regno.

Otherwise sorry, you are left at the mercy of your insurance companies processes and your insurance policy conditions. You have enough information to enable the driver to be located, so I don't see any justification for your insurer to deny a claim based on that alone. They should do the donkey work, that's what you pay them for!

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Goosey

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#3397305 26-Jul-2025 16:09

muppet:

I accidentally typoed my rego online once when renewing it, it was also a VW Golf (different year and colour but I wasn't paying attention)
Thankfully I DID realise when the confirmation email came thru. I rang up Waka Kotahi and they fixed it very quickly - told me it happens _all the time_ and at least I caught it early as it's a lot harder to fix when the label's been printed.

So yea, don't guess.

was that before they specifically tell you to enter the reminder / notice number from the renewal reminder?

(instead of plate)

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