---
title: "ClearVin Review: What a $17.99 Report Shows and the Fine Print"
description: "ClearVin is on the federal NMVTIS register and sells one-time reports from $17.99. What its refund wording, terms, sample report and AutoBidMaster link show."
url: "https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/clearvin-review/"
type: "article"
published: "2026-10-09"
modified: "2026-10-09"
site: "Baron Auto"
disclaimer: "This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership."
---

# ClearVin Review: What a $17.99 Report Shows and the Fine Print

> ClearVin is on the federal NMVTIS register and sells one-time reports from $17.99. What its refund wording, terms, sample report and AutoBidMaster link show.

*VIN & Vehicle History · 21 min read · 4,718 words*

## The short version

- ClearVin is on the federal register of approved NMVTIS data providers: on 3 October 2026 Clearvin.com was one of 12 entries listed for public customers, which the register shows “with no preference indicated.”
- Reports are sold once, not by subscription: $17.99 for one, $23.98 for 2 and $28.99 for 5 on 9 October 2026. In the page as served, the 2-report package was already selected.
- ClearVin’s pages never mention AutoBidMaster, but Oregon’s registry puts CLEARVIN LLC at AutoBidMaster’s Portland address, and AutoBidMaster’s site sells ClearVin reports as “our reports.” Who owns ClearVin is on no record we read.
- The refund promise depends on the page. The terms make payments non-refundable unless a representative approves an exception; the home page offers “a 100% refund if you’re not completely satisfied.”
- ClearVin’s own sample, a 2021 sedan sold at a salvage auction after a flood and later branded rebuilt, carries a C (“Average”) rating, and its Title History tile says “No Issues Found.”
- Disputes go to binding arbitration in Dover, Delaware, with a one-year deadline. To opt out, you must mail a signed notice postmarked within 30 days of first viewing the website.

Is ClearVin legit? It is a real seller on the Justice Department’s list of approved NMVTIS data providers, it charges per report rather than by subscription, and its own contract says not to rely on what it sells. On 9 October 2026 we read ClearVin’s [Terms and Conditions](https://www.clearvin.com/en/terms-and-conditions/) (no date is printed on them), its Privacy Policy (effective 23 March 2023), its FAQ, its published [sample report](https://www.clearvin.com/en/sample-report/), its package page and its Data Sources, About, Copart VIN Check, Dealer, API and Affiliate pages, plus the AutoBidMaster page that sells ClearVin reports. The NMVTIS register and Oregon’s registry rows come from this site’s own records, with their read dates. ClearVin’s terms bar robots and automated copying, so each page was read once, by hand, and only short passages are quoted. We did not open an account, enter a VIN or buy a report, and we have no commercial relationship with ClearVin or any report seller.

**Figure: Reading ClearVin’s own sample report, section by section**

ClearVin’s published sample report for a 2021 sedan, generated on 2 April 2026 and read on 9 October 2026: what six of its sections show and how to read the same sections in a report you buy.

Source: ClearVin sample report (US Vehicle Report), read 9 October 2026. Photo split and brand count are our arithmetic.

## Is ClearVin legit? What the federal register shows

The test a report seller cannot write for itself is the federal register. The Department of Justice lists the businesses approved to sell reports from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), the federal title database. When this site read it on 3 October 2026, Clearvin.com was one of 12 primary entries in the section headed “Approved NMVTIS Data Provider’s Links for both Commercial & Public Customers.” Our earlier record, from 31 August 2026, also lists ClearVin as selling to consumers.

ClearVin describes the listing in bigger terms. Its home page says “ClearVin is one of few approved NMVTIS providers,” and its FAQ calls it “a first-level approved NMVTIS provider.” The register lists 12 providers in that section, “in alphabetical order with no preference indicated of one provider over another,” and nothing in the register text this site has recorded sorts providers into levels. The listing means ClearVin may sell NMVTIS title data to the public. It says nothing about the rest of the report, the price or refunds; see [our guide to the NMVTIS report](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/nmvtis-report/#what-it-is) for what the federal record holds. Two other providers in the same section have their own reviews here: [GoodCar](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/goodcar-review/#legit) and [EpicVIN](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/epicvin-review/#register).

A Google search for ClearVin LLC with “lawsuit,” “complaint” or “attorney general” returned ClearVin’s own pages, its blog, AutoBidMaster’s ClearVin page, a review site, a forum thread and a video, but no court record and no action by the Federal Trade Commission or a state attorney general. That is not proof of a clean record: we could not search court dockets, and the Better Business Bureau blocked this site’s requests.

## Who runs ClearVin, and how it connects to AutoBidMaster

ClearVin’s documents name one company: ClearVin, LLC, with a mailing address in Dover, Delaware, where its terms send legal notices, arbitration filings and opt-outs. The Privacy Policy defines “ClearVin” as ClearVin, LLC “and its affiliates, related entities, subsidiaries, investors, owners, members,” without naming any of them. None of the ClearVin pages we read mentions AutoBidMaster. The connection shows up in three other places.

- **Oregon’s business registry.** CLEARVIN LLC (registry number 126803691) was registered as a domestic Oregon limited liability company on 18 November 2016. Its registered agent, mailing address and principal place of business are at the Portland building address of AUTOBIDMASTER LLC (49495096, registered 13 May 2008). These rows were read on 9 October 2026 for our [AutoBidMaster review](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/autobidmaster-review/#who-sells). By our arithmetic CLEARVIN LLC had been registered for 9 years and 10 months that day.
- **AutoBidMaster’s website.** Its About page says “ClearVin is a web-based provider of Vehicle History Reports,” beside its shipping brand, EasyHaul. A “Vehicle history” item in AutoBidMaster’s main menu opens a page selling ClearVin reports “By VIN or Lot Number,” which says “our reports can provide vital vehicle information.” AutoBidMaster’s paid memberships include free history reports; its records we hold do not say whose.
- **The contracts.** ClearVin’s class-action waiver is the sentence in AutoBidMaster’s Member Terms, word for word, with the company name changed. It even keeps “DEALERS,” AutoBidMaster’s word for the companies that buy cars at auction and resell them to its members.

The records stop there. Oregon’s rows name a registered agent and addresses, not members or managers, so they do not show who owns either company, and Delaware’s business search uses a CAPTCHA we did not attempt. Matching wording shows shared drafting, not who controls whom. ClearVin’s terms also say: “ClearVin may be recommended to you by other companies, but ClearVin is a third party to those other companies.” If an auction-broker site sent you to ClearVin, the broker is not answerable for the report.

## What a ClearVin report contains, and where the data comes from

The terms describe the product narrowly. ClearVin reports “include Title and Brand data from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) as well as some theft and lien information” that NMVTIS does not supply. They cover “automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles (RV’s) and pre 1981 classic cars,” and are “limited in scope.” The FAQ’s list is longer: title states and registration dates, title brands, junk and salvage records, insurance total losses, liens and impounds, odometer events, sales history and prices, vehicle photos, a stolen summary, recalls and emission tests. The home page names what is missing: “Please note that ClearVin does not include maintenance records.” Ownership history is “an estimate of the number of owners generated from DMV title records,” with no names: the FAQ says owners’ personal information “is protected under federal law,” the [Driver’s Privacy Protection Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2721).

The source lists differ by page. The FAQ says ClearVin uses NMVTIS records (from state DMVs, insurers, auto recyclers and junk and salvage yards) and “Additionally, ClearVin obtains information from salvage auctions, government agencies, and other proprietary sources.” The [Data Sources page](https://www.clearvin.com/en/data-sources/) names six: NMVTIS; the National Vehicle Service (NVS), for impound, export and theft-and-recovery data; NHTSA; “Proprietary data”; MonroneyLabels.com, for window stickers; and Black Book, for values. It does not mention an auction, although the sample report credits “Salvage Auction” in two sections.

The home page says ClearVin’s title check “is powered by NMVTIS data that covers 99% of the U.S. DMV records.” The NMVTIS disclaimer in ClearVin’s own terms adds that NMVTIS “does not contain information on all motor vehicles in the United States,” and that serious damage “may not be included” unless an insurer declared a total loss or a state branded the title. Of liens it says: “Some lien holders and jurisdictions do not report to NVS.” Our [lien guide](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/how-to-check-for-a-lien-on-a-car/#state) covers the state check. One practical point: a PDF copy of each report is emailed to you, and “access to U.S. vehicle history reports ordered more than 60 days ago may be limited,” so save it on the day.

**The sections of ClearVin’s sample report, the source each names, and the badge it showed (read 9 October 2026)**

| Section | Source printed | Sample shows | Badge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ownership History | ClearVin | 2 previous owners | Attention |
| Sale History | ClearVin, Salvage Auction | 4 records | Attention |
| Odometer Information | ClearVin, USDOT | 8,632 mi | No Issues Found |
| Title History | NMVTIS | 6 records | No Issues Found |
| Title Brands | NMVTIS | 3 records | Warning |
| Insurance & Junk/Salvage | NMVTIS | 3 records | Warning |
| Accident & Damage | Salvage Auction | 1 record | Warning |
| Lien & Impound | ClearVin | 3 records | No Issues Found |
| Theft Records | NVS | 0 records | No Issues Found |
| Market Values | Black Book | Trade-in and retail values | none |
| Recalls | NHTSA | 1 record | Attention |

## What ClearVin’s own sample report shows

The best preview of a ClearVin report is the one ClearVin publishes: a 2021 Toyota Corolla sedan, generated on 2 April 2026, with a history worth reading. Here it is as the sample prints it.

- **16 October 2021:** the damage section, sourced to “Salvage Auction,” records “Major Impact: Water/Flood” and a repair cost of $25,137.
- **17 October 2021:** State Farm Insurance lists the car at Copart, document type “NJ Cert Of Title-Salvage Flood,” condition “Run & Drive,” ACV (actual cash value) $25,137.
- **20 October 2021:** New Jersey applies Flood Damage and Salvage brands.
- **3 November 2021:** the Copart record shows a sale price of $11,700 at 2,699 miles, 46.5% of the ACV (our arithmetic).
- **24 July 2022:** Georgia applies a Rebuilt brand, 263 days after the auction (our arithmetic).
- **1 September 2022:** a dealer-classifieds sale at $25,900 with 2,707 miles, 302 days and $14,200 after the Copart sale (our arithmetic).
- **29 August 2025:** it appears again in dealer classifieds at $19,499 with 8,632 miles, 5,933 more than at the auction (our arithmetic).

Over all of it sits the grade: “C,” Average, with the text “The vehicle has some minor defects and needs servicing, but generally, its condition is satisfactory.” ClearVin’s rating page runs from A (Excellent) to F (Irreparable) and builds the grade from 14 criteria (our count), including title brand, past salvage auctions, primary and secondary damage, a repair-cost index and the number of owners. For a flood car with a salvage sale behind its rebuilt title, “minor defects” is not the summary most buyers would write.

**A grade is a formula, not an inspection.** ClearVin’s own sample gives a C to a car a salvage auction sold as a flood car and Georgia later branded Rebuilt. Read the Title Brands and Insurance sections yourself, whatever the letter says. The terms call a report “only to be used as a starting point for further research regarding a vehicle.”

The tiles at the top need the same care. Title History shows 6 records and a green “No Issues Found”; the brands sit in a separate tile, Title Brands, with 3 records and a “Warning.” That section checks 62 brands and marks the 3 it found. The FAQ says a “Warning” badge means “a high-risk issue or a confirmed problem” and orange “Attention” means “a potential risk.” A buyer who skims the green tiles could miss the red one. Three more details matter.

- **The repair cost is the ACV.** The $25,137 repair cost is the same figure as the auction’s ACV. ClearVin’s FAQ says repair cost “is typically calculated by an insurance carrier when evaluating whether a vehicle should be declared a total loss or sent to auction.” It is an estimate, not a repair bill.
- **Most photos are from dealer listings.** The galleries hold 58, 61 and 10 photos; only the 10 come from the Copart sale, about 7.8% of 129 (our arithmetic). This site’s record of the sample from 1 September 2026 found the same split.
- **Values are by condition, not brand.** Black Book trade-in values run from $12,825 (Rough) to $18,465 (Clean) and retail from $16,475 to $21,950, “based on the vehicle’s condition,” with no line on the brands. The warranty note adds that with a salvage title “the manufacturer’s warranty may be voided.”

The sample also shows what an auction record adds to a title record: who sold the car, what it fetched as a write-off, and that a dealer sold it ten months later for more than twice that (our arithmetic). See our guides to [damage title brands](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/what-is-a-branded-title/#damage) and the [two records a flood check needs](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/flood-damage-check-by-vin/#two-records).

**Figure: Annotated photograph**

Three numbered callouts over the photograph mark the dashboard, the door panel and the windscreen, each with one fact from ClearVin’s FAQ, sample report and terms.

ClearVin’s FAQ, sample report and Terms of Use, read on 9 October 2026: Mileage rows come from title and listing records, not the car; rollback is only a flag (callout 1); Read Title Brands, not just Title History: the sample’s history said No Issues Found (callout 2); ClearVin’s terms call a report a starting point and say not to rely on it (callout 3). The photograph is illustrative.

## Auction lot search, sale photos and the rating

ClearVin courts auction buyers. Its home page says you can search “an auction lot number from Copart or IAA,” its Copart VIN Check page opens with “Enter VIN# or Lot#,” and the free preview is partial: “Get more real photos from previous sales in the full paid report version.” Its FAQ contrasts itself with Carfax on this point: Carfax “often includes maintenance records, while ClearVin provides detailed sales history with real auction photos.”

Auction data also feeds the grade: the “Past auctions” criterion checks “whether the vehicle has been ever sold through salvage auctions,” and primary-damage data is “obtained directly from auctions.” For businesses, ClearVin sells an Auction History API that it says “covers all instances of used vehicles going up for sale through the largest American salvage auctions,” a claim we could not test; the example record in its documentation names salvagebid.com as the “vendor” (see our [SalvageBid review](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/salvagebid-review/)).

What each line of an auction record means is covered in our [BidFax guide](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/bidfax-auction-history/#fields), which explains why [“Run and Drive” is no promise](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/bidfax-auction-history/#run-and-drive) and why [primary damage is the auction’s label](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/bidfax-auction-history/#damage). If you want to bid at Copart without a dealer licence, our [AutoBidMaster review](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/autobidmaster-review/#copart-broker) explains brokers, and the [Copart VIN check guide](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/copart-vin-check/#disclaimer) covers what the lot page disclaims.

## How much ClearVin costs: packages, credits and dealer plans

ClearVin’s FAQ says pricing “is shown on the report preview page,” which appears only after you enter a VIN. The package page linked from its About page printed these prices on 9 October 2026, before tax:

**ClearVin report packages as printed on its package page, read 9 October 2026; price per report is our arithmetic**

| Package | Price printed | Per report (our arithmetic) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 report | $17.99 | $17.99 |
| 2 reports | $23.98 | $11.99 |
| 5 reports | $28.99 | $5.80 |

Two settings were made for you. In the page as served, the 2-report package was selected, so the “Total amount” read $23.98, and the “Sign me up for newsletter” box was ticked. Choose one report if one is all you need. The terms add that “An applicable sales tax may be assessed based on the Customer’s billing zip code” and that prices “are subject to change at any time.”

A report purchase does not renew: the home page says “One time fee. No recurring charges.” Extra reports in a package become Report Credits, which the FAQ says “never expire” while your account is active, though “some promo codes may have expiration dates.” One clause limits that promise. Section 6(b) of the terms lets ClearVin close an account “for any reason or no reason” with “no refund or exchange” for fees, data “or for anything else.” Credits are not named, and nothing there protects them, so buy only what you will use soon.

Subscriptions are for dealers. The terms set out monthly and annual dealer plans that renew “at the then-current” rate, with an email before each renewal; you can cancel at any time, but “Past subscription fees will not be refunded.” The Dealer Pricing page’s plan cards printed no figures in the copy we read. Its table of “monthly costs” gives ClearVin’s own figures as $70 for 20 reports, $145 for 50 and $270 for 100, or $3.50, $2.90 and $2.70 a report (our arithmetic). The same table prints two competitors’ prices, which we have not checked and do not repeat.

The FAQ also says the $17.99 report is “60% less than Carfax.” This site does not compare report prices; Carfax’s own figures are in our guide to [what a Carfax report costs](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/how-much-does-carfax-cost/). And ClearVin pays for referrals: its [affiliate page](https://www.clearvin.com/en/affiliates/) offers “up to 45% commissions that start from 5 USD per sale,” with a 60-day cookie. Many ClearVin reviews carry an affiliate link. This one does not.

## Refunds: nine wordings and one contract

We found no separate refund page (its /en/refund-policy/ address returned a 404 error); the Contact page points to the FAQ “including refunds.” We found nine refund statements on seven of its pages (our count), from a full guarantee to almost nothing.

**Every refund statement we found on ClearVin’s pages, read 9 October 2026**

| Where | What it says |
| --- | --- |
| Terms, section 6(e)(iii) | “Payments are non-refundable, except when an exception is approved by a representative of www.ClearVin.com.” |
| Terms, section 6(b) | If ClearVin closes your account, “no refund or exchange” for fees, data “or for anything else” |
| Home page (and Dealer page) | “a 100% refund if you’re not completely satisfied” |
| Copart VIN Check page, badge | “If the report doesn’t meet your expectations, you can ask for a full refund.” |
| Copart VIN Check page, FAQ | A “100% money-back guarantee if we’re unable to provide a report for your VIN or if the report contains any inconsistencies” |
| Package page | A full refund if a report “doesn’t reflect the exact NMVTIS information as of the date you ran it,” “no questions asked” |
| FAQ | Refunds for “internal errors or technical issues” such as “empty reports, duplicate charges, or data discrepancies caused by database errors” |
| FAQ, same answer | None for “accidents not reported to insurance companies, or title events from states that do not participate in the NMVTIS program” |
| Window Sticker page | If no sticker exists, ClearVin will “cancel the operation, refund your payment” |

These are not one policy. The home page covers dissatisfaction of any kind; the FAQ covers errors only and rules out the commonest disappointment, an accident nobody reported. The contract decides: section 16 says the Terms “constitute the entire agreement between you and ClearVin,” and the Terms make every refund an exception. Quote the marketing promise in a request, but do not expect it as of right.

To ask, the FAQ says to email customer service with your email address, name, the VIN and “proof of the issue”; for a data discrepancy, “documentation such as a state title document or other official records.” The package page’s promise is judged against NMVTIS on the day you ran the report, so keep the PDF and the date. A state title history settles a disagreement, though the FAQ notes most states charge for one.

## The terms of use: what you agree to when you click Order Now

The package page says: “By clicking Order Now you agree to ClearVin Terms and Conditions and NMVTIS disclaimer.” The clauses that matter most:

- **Do not rely on the report.** Section 5(b): “The content may be incomplete or inaccurate. The content is only to be used as a starting point for further research regarding a vehicle. You should not rely on the information in the reports.” Section 12(b) adds that it may miss flood, salvage or buyback history. The home page, meanwhile, says “We guarantee accurate vehicle information.”
- **Your remedy is to stop using it.** “YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SITE AND/OR SITE-RELATED SERVICES IS TO STOP USING THE SITE AND/OR THOSE SERVICES.” If that is struck down, liability is capped at $100.
- **The account is yours.** The Services “require an account registration,” one per person or business, and the holder “remains responsible for all charges incurred” even if someone else uses it. You must be 18 or older.
- **Telephone contact.** If you enter “self-reported information,” ClearVin may forward it “to third parties and call centers,” and you consent to contact “BY TELEPHONE.” Give only what the purchase needs.
- **No date.** The Terms print no “last updated” date. Changes to the arbitration clause are announced “by a message when you log into the Website.”

None of this is unusual for an online data seller, and it is why the next step matters. A [pre-purchase inspection](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/used-car-pre-purchase-inspection/#what) looks at the car; a report looks at paperwork about it. ClearVin’s own NMVTIS disclaimer says so: “A vehicle history report is NOT a substitute for an independent vehicle inspection.”

## Disputes: certified mail, arbitration in Dover and a 30-day opt-out

Section 15 of the terms sets the order.

- **Notice first.** Send a completed Notice of Dispute form by Certified Mail to ClearVin’s Dover, Delaware address. If it is not resolved “within thirty (30) days,” either side may start arbitration.
- **Arbitration, not court.** Claims are “resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration, rather than in any court,” with a jury waiver, before the American Arbitration Association, “held in Dover, Delaware.” Claims of $10,000 or less are decided on documents unless the arbitrator calls a hearing; above that, each party must appear in person. The hearing is due within 120 days, ClearVin’s representatives “may attend by telephone,” and an appeal on legal errors is open where $100,000 or more is requested.
- **No small claims, no class action.** You agree not to bring legal action “including arbitration or small claims actions” outside this process, and to pay ClearVin’s costs of getting it dismissed if you do. Claims go “ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.”
- **One year, Delaware law.** “ANY CLAIM MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE YEAR” under Delaware law. Where arbitration does not apply, the courts “located in and or for Dover, Delaware” decide, small claims court excluded. Where ClearVin may recover attorney fees, in-house lawyers count “at a rate no less than Three Hundred Dollars per hour.”

The only way out of arbitration is a signed opt-out notice by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, giving your name, address, account login and email. It “MUST BE POSTMARKED NOT LATER THAN 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH YOU ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT BY VIEWING OUR WEBSITE OR USING OUR SERVICES FOR THE FIRST TIME,” so the window can close before you buy anything. One drafting oddity: section 15 points to “Section 9.4 (Agreement to Arbitrate)” and “all other provisions of Section 9,” but section 9 is about enforcing the terms. AutoBidMaster’s Website Terms of Service send disputes to section 9 of its Member Terms.

Here are the same printed terms beside two contracts this site has read for its [GoodCar](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/goodcar-review/#terms) and [AutoBidMaster](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/autobidmaster-review/#terms-disputes) reviews, terms only, not prices or quality.

**Printed dispute and liability terms: ClearVin (read 9 October 2026), GoodCar’s Terms of Service (read 3 October 2026) and AutoBidMaster’s Member Terms (read 9 October 2026), from this site’s records**

| Term | ClearVin | GoodCar | AutoBidMaster |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Liability limit | Sole remedy is to stop using the site; if that fails, $100 | “ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100.00)” | Fees paid to AutoBidMaster for that car, or $500 if none |
| Arbitration | American Arbitration Association, in Dover, Delaware | “confidential binding arbitration, rather than in court” after a 30-day notice | Remote for membership claims; Portland, Oregon for others |
| Class actions | Individual claims only | Class actions waived | Individual claims only (the same sentence) |
| Opt-out | Mailed within 30 days of first viewing the website | Not in this site’s record | Mailed within 30 days of first accepting the terms |
| In-house attorney time | At least $300 an hour | Not in this site’s record | At least $500 an hour |

## Where ClearVin’s own pages disagree

Besides refunds and accuracy, covered above, ClearVin’s documents contradict each other in seven places. When it matters, the Terms are the document that binds.

- **Accounts.** The Terms “require an account registration”; the FAQ recommends one only for more than one report; How it works says a buyer without one is emailed “a temporary password to access your account.”
- **Report storage.** One FAQ answer says reports are available “without time limits” and, a sentence later, that US reports over 60 days old “may be limited.”
- **Model years.** The Terms cover “pre 1981 classic cars”; the FAQ says “vehicles from 1981 to present”; AutoBidMaster’s ClearVin page excludes “antique vehicles.”
- **Data points.** “40+ data points” in the FAQ; “70+ critical data points” on the Copart VIN Check page.
- **Size.** “Hundreds of people use ClearVin” (About); “Thousands of used cars buyers” (Copart page); “over 500 car dealers and importers” (Dealer page); “over a decade of experience delivering billions of accurate reports” (plate page). Oregon registered CLEARVIN LLC on 18 November 2016.
- **Sources.** The FAQ names “salvage auctions”; the Data Sources page does not.
- **Cross-references.** The dispute section, numbered 15, refers to sections 9 and 9.4, and its waiver mentions “DEALERS,” a word the Terms otherwise use only for dealer subscriptions.

## Before you buy a ClearVin report: a checklist

We do not recommend any paid report seller. ClearVin’s shape suits a buyer who wants NMVTIS title data plus salvage-auction sale records and photos, and does not need service records, which it says it does not carry.

- **Read the sample first,** including its C grade on a flood-branded, rebuilt car.
- **Pick the package you mean to buy.** The 2-report package ($23.98) was preselected and the newsletter box ticked.
- **Read Title Brands and Insurance, not just the tiles.** In the sample, Title History said “No Issues Found” while Title Brands showed a Warning.
- **Save the PDF on the day.** Older US reports “may be limited,” and the NMVTIS refund promise is judged “as of the date you ran it.”
- **Treat an empty section as unknown.** The FAQ refunds nothing for accidents never reported to an insurer.
- **Check liens with the state,** as ClearVin’s own sample advises.
- **Decide on arbitration early:** the opt-out must be mailed within 30 days of your first visit.
- **Have the car inspected** before you pay for it.

## Common questions

### Is ClearVin legit?

It is a real business on the Justice Department’s register of approved NMVTIS data providers, listed for public customers when this site read it on 3 October 2026, and Oregon registered CLEARVIN LLC on 18 November 2016. Being listed is not the same as being accurate: its terms say the content “may be incomplete or inaccurate.” One search found no court or regulator record, but court dockets were not searched.

### How much does ClearVin cost?

On 9 October 2026 its package page printed $17.99 for one report, $23.98 for 2 and $28.99 for 5, paid once, plus any sales tax. Dealers can buy monthly or annual subscriptions under separate terms.

### What is a ClearVin report?

A vehicle history report built on NMVTIS title and brand data, with theft and lien records, sales history and photos, odometer events, Black Book values, recalls and a letter grade. It has no maintenance records or owners’ names, and the terms call it a “starting point for further research.”

### Is ClearVin owned by AutoBidMaster?

No record we read says who owns either company. They show a close link: CLEARVIN LLC is registered at AutoBidMaster’s Portland address, AutoBidMaster’s About page lists ClearVin, and its site sells ClearVin reports as “our reports.” ClearVin’s own pages do not mention AutoBidMaster.

### Does ClearVin give refunds?

Its pages promise more than its contract. The home page offers a full refund if you are not satisfied; the Terms, which say they are the entire agreement, make payments non-refundable unless a representative approves an exception. The FAQ covers errors such as empty reports and duplicate charges. Ask in writing with the VIN and proof.

### ClearVin vs Carfax: what is the difference?

By ClearVin’s account, Carfax “often includes maintenance records” while ClearVin offers sales history with auction photos. The federal register adds that ClearVin sells NMVTIS reports to the public, while consumers “CANNOT receive NMVTIS Vehicle History Reports from Carfax.” Nothing we read shows the two use the same records; our [guide to checking any provider](https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/carfax-alternatives/#check-provider) explains how to compare sources.

## Sources and further reading

- [NMVTIS (US Department of Justice)](https://vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov/)
- [NMVTIS approved data providers](https://vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov/nmvtis_vehiclehistory)
- [Understanding an NMVTIS Vehicle History Report](https://vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov/nmvtis_understandingvhr)
- [18 U.S.C. § 2721, Driver’s Privacy Protection Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2721)
- [FTC used car buying guide](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buying-used-car-dealer)

Recall, complaint and safety-rating figures on this page were retrieved from the federal databases above on August 19, 2026. Federal data changes — re-check any VIN before you rely on it.

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*This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership.*

Canonical source: https://baronauto1.com/vehicle-history/clearvin-review/