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License Plate Search

Look up a vehicle by its plate and state, and pull the results straight into your form.

When a Server UI form needs vehicle information, the plate search lets you enter a plate number and its state and run a lookup. The result comes back and fills in the vehicle fields of your form, which saves typing and, more importantly, saves transcription mistakes. You pick the state from a list so the search is matched to the right jurisdiction.

License plate search

Overview​

PartWhat it does
TitleNames the search you are running.
Plate fieldWhere you type the licence plate number. Required.
StateA dropdown of U.S. states. Required; reads Select until you choose one.
Search / save controlRuns the lookup with the plate and state you entered.
CancelCloses the popup without running anything.

The card resizes for your device, taking about half the screen width on a tablet or in landscape and nearly the full width in portrait.

What the search usesWhere it comes from
The plate numberWhat you type in the Plate field.
The stateYour choice from the State list.
Your agencyThe organization you are currently signed in to.

Getting Here​

  1. Open a Server UI form that includes a plate lookup, usually inside a vehicle information section.
  2. Tap the plate search control on the form.
  3. The popup opens. If a plate or state is already on the form, both are pre-filled so you can simply rerun the lookup.
  4. A pre-filled state shows its full name, such as California rather than a code.
  1. Type the licence plate number in the Plate field, exactly as it appears on the plate.
  2. Tap State to open the list of states, then choose the plate's issuing state. The button updates to show your choice.
  3. Tap the search control. A progress indicator appears while the lookup runs.
  4. When a result comes back, the popup closes on its own and the vehicle details are returned into your form's fields.
If you search with...You see
An empty Plate fieldAn alert reading "Enter plate"
State still on SelectAn alert reading "Select state"
Both filled inA progress indicator, then either the filled-in form or the server's message
No result for that plateThe server's own message in an alert; the popup stays open
note

The lookup is run against your current agency and the state you selected, so the same plate can return different records for two agencies with different data sources. If you have switched agencies, confirm you are in the right one.

tip

Enter the plate exactly as it reads, and be careful with characters that look alike: 0 and O, 1 and I, 5 and S, 8 and B. Most searches that come back empty are a misread character rather than a missing record.

caution

A plate lookup queries official vehicle data. Run one only for a legitimate operational reason on a call you are working, and handle what comes back according to your agency's policy.

How This Connects​

  • Where the result comes from. Your agency's own vehicle data source, queried with the plate, the state, and your current agency. The app does not hold any of this data itself.
  • Where it goes. Straight into the vehicle fields of the form you were on, as if you had typed them, and then to your agency's records when you save the form. See Data and Sync.
  • Which other parts of the app use it. Vehicle information sections appear on log and incident forms, and can be collapsed like any other group (see Edit & Collapse Sections). Vehicle details filled in this way travel with a shared form (see Share a Form) and with the call in the Incidents List. The state list behaves like any other picker; see Dropdown Lists.
  • Offline and reconnect. A lookup needs a connection; it cannot be queued for later. With no coverage, type what you can see into the vehicle fields by hand and rerun the lookup when you are back in signal to confirm and complete them. See Offline Mode.

Troubleshooting​

If this happensWhat to do
"Enter plate" appearsThe plate field is required. Type the number and search again.
"Select state" appearsTap State and choose the issuing state; the button must not read Select.
No result comes backRecheck the characters and the state, then try again. Look-alike characters are the usual cause.
A message from the server appearsRead it: it usually says what was wrong with the request. Correct the plate or state and retry.
The lookup spins and nothing happensYou may have lost coverage mid-search. Cancel, confirm your connection, and run it again.
The wrong vehicle came backConfirm the state matches the plate's issuing state, not the state you are standing in.
The form fields did not fill inThe popup closes only on a successful result. If it stayed open, no result was applied; try the search again.
You cannot find the search controlYour agency's form may not include a plate lookup. Type the vehicle details in by hand.

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