What to do if your car is stolen

Why the first steps matter

Vehicle theft is common, and it is one of the few property crimes that victims reliably report. According to NICB figures reported by Insurance Journal, 659,880 vehicles were stolen in the United States in 2025, down 23% from 2024. California led with 136,988 thefts, followed by Texas with 75,269 and Illinois with 28,327. The most stolen models were the Hyundai Elantra (21,732), Honda Accord (17,797) and Hyundai Sonata (17,687).

Reporting matters because almost everything that follows depends on it. The Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2024 found that 75.0% of motor vehicle thefts were reported to police, compared with 30.5% of property crimes overall. The difference has a practical reason: insurers, lenders and motor vehicle agencies generally expect a police report before they act. A report also places the VIN in law enforcement databases, which is how most stolen cars are identified and returned.

The order of the steps matters too. Confirming the car was not towed avoids a false report. Reporting quickly puts the vehicle on record before it can be moved far, resold or stripped for parts.

Confirm it was not towed or repossessed

A missing car is not always a stolen car. Before you report a theft, rule out the two most common innocent explanations.

• Towing. Private lots, apartment complexes and cities tow vehicles for expired permits, street cleaning or parking violations. Call the local police non-emergency line and ask whether a tow was logged. Some cities publish an online tow search; the Chicago Police Find My Car search is one example.
• Repossession. If you are behind on a loan or lease, the lender may have repossessed the vehicle. Call the lender directly. Repossession agents typically notify local police, so the non-emergency line may also know.
• A family member or coworker. It sounds obvious, but confirm that no one else with a key moved the car.

If none of these explains it, treat the car as stolen and report it without delay.

Report the theft to police

Report the theft to the police agency where the car was taken, not necessarily where you live. Some agencies take vehicle theft reports by phone or online; others send an officer. Either way, ask for the report number and the officer's name, because your insurer and lender will ask for both.

What to have ready

• The VIN (vehicle identification number), found on the title, registration, insurance card and loan paperwork.
• The license plate number and issuing state.
• Year, make, model, color and body style.
• Distinguishing features: damage, decals, aftermarket parts, tinted windows.
• The time and place you last saw the car, and whether all keys are accounted for.

If a connected-car service or tracker shows the vehicle's location, tell the officer at the time of the report. Location data can turn a routine report into a same-day recovery.

Notify your insurer, lender and state DMV

Insurance

Theft of the vehicle itself is generally covered under comprehensive coverage (the part of an auto policy that pays for loss not caused by a collision, such as theft, fire or hail). A policy with liability coverage only generally does not pay for a stolen car. Policies differ, so read your declarations page and ask the claims representative what applies, including deductibles, rental coverage and coverage for personal items left in the car, which may fall under a homeowners or renters policy instead.

Lender or leasing company

If the car is financed or leased, the lender or lessor is a lienholder (a party with a legal interest in the vehicle until the loan is paid). Notify them promptly. Any insurance settlement on a financed car is usually paid with the lienholder in mind, and you generally remain responsible for the loan while the claim is open.

State motor vehicle agency

Tell your state DMV that the vehicle and its plates are stolen, following that agency's current instructions. Flagging the plates helps protect you from tolls, tickets and crimes committed with the vehicle after the theft.

Use trackers, but let police recover the car

Many newer vehicles include a connected-car app from the manufacturer, and many owners add a GPS tracker or a Bluetooth tag. These tools can show where the car is. They are valuable evidence. They are not an invitation to go get it.

Do not try to recover the car yourself. The people who took it may still be with it, may be armed, or may be using it in other crimes. Share the location with police, refresh it as it changes, and let officers decide how to respond. Colorado's Lockdown Your Car theft-victim page offers state guidance for victims along the same lines.

A common mistake is assuming that a visible location means the car can simply be driven home. Until police clear the stolen record, driving the vehicle can itself lead to a high-risk traffic stop.

What happens when a stolen car is recovered

Many stolen vehicles are found, though recovery rates vary widely by state. The California Highway Patrol, 2024 Vehicle Theft Fact Sheet reports that California recorded 176,230 vehicle thefts in 2024, valued at an estimated $1.56 billion, and recovered 149,080 of them, an 84.59% recovery rate. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Selected Findings: Property Loss and Recovered 2024 put the recovery rate for vehicles and accessories at 53.5%.

State programs focus resources on recovery. The Texas DMV Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, MVCPA FY 2025 Activities Report states that Texas recorded 78,677 motor vehicle thefts in calendar 2025, down from 126,241 in 2023, and that grant-funded task forces recovered 9,895 stolen vehicles in fiscal 2025. In Michigan, the Michigan State Police Automobile Theft Prevention Authority, 2025 ATPA Annual Report reports 23,649 vehicle thefts in 2024, down 6.3% from 2023, and $80,882,078 in vehicles recovered by ATPA-funded teams in fiscal 2025 (the report is labeled a final draft).

After recovery

• Storage and release. Recovered cars are often towed to an impound or storage lot. Storage and towing fees may apply and vary by location; ask the holding agency and your insurer who pays them.
• Inspection. Inspect the vehicle, or have the insurer's adjuster do so, before driving it. Look for ignition damage, missing parts and items that do not belong to you.
• Total loss. If repairs would cost more than the insurer's threshold, the insurer may declare the vehicle a total loss (a decision to pay the vehicle's value rather than repair it). If the car is not recovered within the waiting period stated in your policy, the claim is generally settled on a similar basis. Ask your insurer how its process works.

Catalytic converter theft and stolen license plates

Catalytic converters

A catalytic converter (the exhaust part that reduces emissions and contains valuable metals) can be cut from under a car in minutes. The usual sign is a sudden, loud roar on startup. According to the NICB, Catalytic Converter Thefts Model Law Update (NCOIL presentation), insurers paid $41.7 million on 14,500 catalytic converter theft claims in the first half of 2023, down from $50 million on 23,570 claims in the first half of 2022; these are dated, claims-level figures. Parts theft remains significant at the state level: the Texas DMV MVCPA, Plan of Operation FY26 to FY27 counted 41,349 stolen vehicle parts incidents in Texas in 2023, with catalytic converters and tailgates the most common. Report converter theft to police and your insurer, which generally handles it under comprehensive coverage.

Stolen license plates

Plates are stolen to disguise other stolen cars or to avoid tolls and cameras. Report stolen plates to police first, then follow your state DMV's instructions for replacement plates. Keep the report number to dispute any violations issued after the theft.

Trailers and motorcycles

Trailers and motorcycles are recovered less often than cars. The California Highway Patrol, 2024 Vehicle Theft Fact Sheet reports 8,751 trailers stolen in California in 2024 with 58.07% recovered, 8,338 motorcycles with 57.34% recovered, and 1,898 commercial trucks with 75.45% recovered.

The steps are the same as for a car, with two additions. First, trailers often have no plate visible from behind a tow vehicle, so record the trailer VIN and photographs in advance. Second, motorcycles can be lifted into a van in seconds, so a disc lock, a chain anchored to a fixed point and a hidden tracker add meaningful protection.

Buying a used car: check it is not stolen

A buyer who purchases a stolen vehicle can lose both the car and the money paid for it. Check the VIN before any money changes hands.

• NICB VINCheck. Free. It shows whether a vehicle has an unrecovered insurance theft claim or was reported as salvage by participating NICB member insurers. It allows a maximum of five searches per IP address in 24 hours, is not a full vehicle history, and does not search law enforcement records.
• NMVTIS. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, run by the U.S. Department of Justice, provides title and brand history, such as salvage or flood brands.
• State lookups. Florida's FDLE Public Access System searches stolen vehicles, parts and plates and is updated every 24 hours; Arizona's TheftAZ searches vehicles by plate or VIN and is updated twice daily. Both agencies caution that results are not definitive proof and should be verified with the reporting agency.

No single database is complete. Compare the VIN on the dashboard, door jamb and title, and if anything is inconsistent, walk away and contact police. For a full walkthrough, see how to check if something is stolen.