General Information - Vehicle Registration Transactions (RQ/RR, RQG, RNQ/RNR)
Vehicle Registration Transactions (RQ/RR, RQG, RNQ/RNR)
This section describes how to access out-of-state vehicle registration information (plate number, license type, license year, VIN, vehicle model, vehicle style, and vehicle color) by sending a query through Nlets to a state or multi-state region by License Plate/Year/Type, VIN, or Name.
Canadian vehicle registration queries are described in "Communicating with Canada".
Mexican vehicle registration queries are described in "Communicating with Mexico".
This section provides an overview and details regarding the Vehicle Registration Query by License Plate/Year/Type, or VIN to a state (RQ), the corresponding Vehicle Registration Response (RR), the Vehicle Registration Query by License Plate/Year/Type, or VIN to a region (RQG), the corresponding Vehicle Registration Response (RR), the Vehicle Registration Query by Name (RNQ), and the corresponding Vehicle Registration Response (RR).
The RQG is a Vehicle Registration Query to a region. It has the same requirements as a standard RQ. When the RQG is sent to Nlets; Nlets will take that RQG message and change the message type to RQ. States will not receive a RQG message type. Since the message type is changed to a RQ, the requesting state will receive a RR message back. The RQG can also be used for the Multi-state query.
Multi-State Query Functionality
Nlets supports the Multi-State Query functionality for the RQ message format. This functionality allows the inquiry to be automatically sent to all states that participate in the message type and returns a single merged response.
In order to send a Vehicle Registration using the Multi-State Query, the inquiry should be sent in its typical format to the destination NL. Nlets will take this query and send it to ALL states that support the RQ message key. Nlets then collects all relevant responses to this query, merges them together while suppressing the NO HIT responses, and sends them onto the querying user as a single response. These responses will also contain summary data indicating which states this query was sent to, which states responded with hits, which responded with no hits, and which states did not respond at all.
States receiving legacy text or GJXDM formats will see the summary data and state responses in a flattened text format (wrapped in XML for GJXDM), whereas states receiving responses in NIEM will receive the summary and state responses in a standardized XML structure detailed below.
An important detail to note is that if a response is received after Nlets has forwarded on the merged Multi-State response, the late response will be sent individually to the original user. This would be most likely to occur if a participating state happened to be 'down' at the time of the inquiry but came back up at a later time and responded.
Overview
To send a Vehicle Registration Query (RQ/RQG), a user must enter the License Plate, License Year, and License Type (See "Query by License Plate/Year/Type" below), or VIN, Vehicle Make (optional), and Vehicle Manufacture Year (optional) (See "Query by VIN" below).
Positive Vehicle Registration Responses (RR) may contain information including the license number, license type, license year, VIN, vehicle model, vehicle style, and vehicle color (See "Vehicle Registration Response" below).
Other possible responses to a query include:
- NOT ON FILE
- FILE NOT AVAILABLE
- TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
Query Requirements
- Each Registration Query (RQ/RQG) can be sent to up to five state or regional codes.
- A destination code of "Z1" will result in the inquiry being directed to all states (sends a separate response for each state).
- A destination code of "NL" will result in the inquiry being directed to all states (sends a single response for all states).
- Any indicators or flags from a state DMV file that depict a vehicle record as stolen must be suppressed from interstate transmission over Nlets.
- To access information on diplomatic plates use the 2-character code "US".
- To access information on GSA plates use the 2-character code "GS".
- When query by VIN with optional "Make" field the "Date" field is required.
Query Help
- Utilize the states help file for additional DMV ORI information.
- To obtain explanatory or supplementary information on a state's vehicle registration files, a user may send an Administrative Message to xxLICHELP (where xx = 2 character state code).
- A user also may determine who is providing automated responses to registration queries and who has a HELP file by sending an Administrative Message to "NLLICHELP".
- If a complete date of birth is unknown some states support inquiries on age. Consult state vehicle registration HELP file for details. The address is xxLICHELP (where xx=2 character state code).
- A Help file about GSA can be obtained by sending an Administrative message to GSADMHELP.
- A Help file about data returned from GSA can be obtained by sending an Administrative message to GSLICHELP.
More information on help files can be located in Help File Transactions.
Data Codes
- Codes used as input and/or output in the vehicle registration query/response generally match NCIC formats and content. Please refer to Part II of your NCIC Manual for code translation and instruction.
- If a state cannot conform to the NCIC codes with regard to vehicle make and vehicle model, an easily understandable notation may be substituted.
Reason Code (New)
- Registration Transactions now support an optional Reason Code element. When included in the query, it will be forwarded to users that have opted in to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions.
- For users that have not opted to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions, the Reason Code will be removed by Nlets prior to sending the transaction.
- Contact the Nlets Service Center for more information about configuring your state to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions.
Vehicle Registration Query Field Requirements (RQ/RQG)
The table that follows describes requirements for Vehicle Registration Queries (RQ/RQG).
XML Tag:
Legacy
Prefix:
Field
Size:
Data
Requirements:
Translation:
RSN/
1
N, F, V, T, S, H or I
Reason Code (Optional).
Must be one of the following:
N - Narcotics
F - Fraud
V - Violent crimes
T - Traffic Violations
S - Theft
H - Humanitarian
I - Immigration
LIC/
1-10
String
License
number
nc:IdentificationCategoryText
Manual
License type
LIY/
10
ccyy or yy
ccyy or yy, License
year or NX,
Non-expiring
VIN/
1-20
Alphanumeric
only
Vehicle
identification
number
VMA/
2-4
See NCIC
Manual
Vehicle make
VYR/
2-4
See NCIC
Manual
Vehicle model
year date
Registration Name Query/Registration Name Response (RNQ/RNR)
This section provides an overview and details regarding the RNQ/RNR (query by name and its response).
Overview
To send a Vehicle Registration Query (RNQ), a user must enter the Name, Date of Birth (optional), and Age (optional) (See "Name Query" below).
Positive Vehicle Registration Reponses (RNR) may contain information including the License Number, License Type, License Year, VIN, Vehicle Model, Vehicle Style, and Vehicle Color (See Response below).
The other possible vehicle registration responses include:
- FILE NOT AVAILABLE
- NOT ON FILE
- TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
Query Requirements
- Registration Query (RNQ) can not be sent to a region code.
- To access information on diplomatic plates use the 2-character code "US".
Data Codes
- Codes used as input and/or output in the vehicle registration query/response generally match NCIC formats and content. Please refer to Part II of your NCIC Manual for code translation and instruction.
- If a state cannot conform to the NCIC codes with regard to vehicle make and vehicle model, an easily understandable notation may be substituted.
Reason Code (New)
- Registration Transactions now support an optional Reason Code element. When included in the query, it will be forwarded to users that have opted in to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions.
- For users that have not opted to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions, the Reason Code will be removed by Nlets prior to sending the transaction.
- Contact the Nlets Service Center for more information about configuring your state to receive Reason Codes in their Registration Transactions.
Vehicle Registration by Name Field Requirements (RNQ)
The table below describes requirements for Registration by Name Queries.
XML Tag:
Legacy
Prefix:
Field
Size:
Data
Requirements:
Translation:
RSN/
1
N, F, V, T, S, H or I
Reason Code (Optional).
Must be one of the following:
N - Narcotics
F - Fraud
V - Violent crimes
T - Traffic Violations
S - Theft
H - Humanitarian
I - Immigration
NAM/
1-30
Alpha Characters
Person Name: This field
must include at least a
first and last name in the
standard name format
(surname, first name).
Some states allow a
question mark "?" in the
surname if the full
surname is not known.
Consult state help files to
determine if a state can
support this capability.
(E.g., NAM/PUBL?,JOHN Q.)
DOB/
8
ccyy-mm-dd
See NCIC
Manual
Date of Birth. This field,
if used, must include the
complete date of birth.
nc:PersonAgeDescriptionText
Numeric
Age. If a complete
date of birth is unknown,
some states support
inquiries on age. Consult
state vehicle registration
HELP file for details. The
address is xxLICHELP where
xx=2 character state code.
Vehicle Registration Name Field Requirements (RNR)
The RNR Field Requirements are identical to the RR Field Requirements.