Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

This page describes information handled through PlateTaken at platetaken.com, including our plate idea tools, availability checks, watchlists, ownership claims, and subscriptions. PlateTaken is an independent service, not a DMV or vehicle registration agency.

2. Who To Contact

Contact PlateTaken through our contact form with questions about your information or a privacy request. Include enough detail for us to identify the relevant account, but do not send passwords or payment card numbers.

3. Information Used By PlateTaken

• Account details: your sign-in identifier, email address, profile information, and preferences provided through Clerk.
• Plate activity: text and states you search, check results and timestamps, favorites, saved watches, and sharing choices.
• Claims and listings: ownership submissions, uploaded photographs, review status, sale details, and deletion requests.
• Billing records: Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, plan, payment status, and scheduled cancellation dates. Card entry is handled by Stripe.
• Support: your submitted name, reply email, subject, and message. Signed-in contact messages also include your Clerk user ID and plan.
• Technical information: connection addresses, request logs, browser information, and usage counters needed to operate and protect the service.

4. Why We Use Information

We use these details to deliver checks and saved-plate features, review claims, apply plan allowances, manage billing, respond to support requests, and send service emails. Usage records help us troubleshoot failures and limit automated abuse.

5. Cookies And Browser Storage

Sign-in services use cookies to maintain sessions. PlateTaken also uses browser storage and identifiers for preferences, favorites, guest watchlists, and usage tracking. You can clear browser data, although doing so may remove locally saved items or sign you out. Guest search and contact limits may additionally use a hashed connection address.

When analytics is enabled, PlateTaken uses PostHog to understand use of the site. Browser settings can restrict storage and tracking, and may affect some features.

6. Service Providers

PlateTaken uses Clerk for authentication, Stripe for checkout and billing, Resend for email delivery, and hosting and storage infrastructure including Netlify. When enabled, PostHog provides analytics. These services receive information needed for their respective functions. Plate checks may send the requested plate text and state to checking services or state systems.

Information may also be disclosed when necessary to respond to a lawful request, investigate misuse, or protect people and the service.

7. Public And Shared Content

Public claims, sale listings, and sharing features can expose selected plate information to other visitors. Review your visibility settings before publishing. Submitted ownership evidence is handled separately from public plate information; avoid including unrelated personal details in photographs or messages.

8. Retention

Different records serve different purposes. Account and plate records support your saved activity; billing records support subscriptions and payment reconciliation; technical records support reliability and abuse prevention. Some records may need to remain for disputes, security investigations, or legal requirements. Contact us to ask about a particular record or request removal.

9. Account And Content Removal

Use available account and claim controls to manage your information, or contact us for help with removal. Deleting a sign-in profile does not necessarily remove every billing, support, or application record. Verified ownership claims may require review before removal. Canceling a subscription and deleting an account are separate actions.

10. Privacy Requests

Depending on the laws that apply to you and to PlateTaken, you may be able to request access, correction, deletion, or a copy of your information, or make other privacy requests. Use our contact form to make a request. We may ask for information to verify your identity and protect another person’s records. Applicable exceptions and retention requirements may affect what we can remove.

11. Protecting Information

The application uses authenticated access, server-side permission checks, payment verification, and submission limits to help protect information. No online service can eliminate every security risk. Tell us if you suspect unauthorized account access.

12. External Services And Processing Locations

Links to state agencies and other websites take you to services with their own privacy practices. Our providers may process information in locations outside your state or country. Contact us with questions about a provider or how your information is handled.

13. Children And Policy Updates

PlateTaken is intended for people researching and managing vehicle plates, rather than services aimed at children. Contact us if you believe a child has submitted personal information so we can review it.

We will revise this page as the service and its data practices change. The date above identifies the latest revision; additional notices may be provided where required.

14. Contact PlateTaken

For privacy questions or requests, send us a message and mention “Privacy” in your message.