The National Motor Vehicle Traffic Information System (NMVTIS) is a federally coordinated database that acts as a clearinghouse for state motor vehicle titling information, including reports of total losses, flood damaged vehicles, etc.  NMVTIS doesn’t sell its reports directly to the public though, it authorizes multiple third party venders to handle inquiries and print reports.  The NMVTIS website link is here.  Some of these third parties charge up to $35.00 per vehicle checked.  Fortunately, a colleague tipped me off that one vender is significantly cheaper than the rest.  Dmvdesk.com will run a search on a vehicle identification number for $2.00 per vehicle.  If you are buying a used car, spend the $2.00, it’s worth it.  Here’s a link to the dmvdesk.com site.