Any limits on the autocheck.com api?

wrybread

Pulling my weight
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
251
Reaction score
115
Location
San Francisco
I learned about the autocheck.com api from another thread:


It's been really accurate (and fast!) for every vehicle I've looked up.

I can't find much info about it on their website. Does anyone know if there are any limits to the number of lookups we can perform?

Are other people using it?
 
Last edited:

nhs128

Young grasshopper
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
91
Reaction score
21
I'm not finding much about using that API. I wish it had color, but the rest of it is nice.
 

wpiman

Pulling my weight
Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
332
Reaction score
246
Location
massachusetts
I learned about the autocheck.com api from another thread:


It's been really accurate (and fast!) for every vehicle I've looked up.

I can't find much info about it on their website. Does anyone know if there are any limits to the number of lookups we can perform?

Are other people using it?
Interesting-- I am looking at using the open ALPR on GITHUB that has not been maintained-- this might be a good double check to see if the plate is valid...
 

nucklesgr

n3wb
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I learned about the autocheck.com api from another thread:


It's been really accurate (and fast!) for every vehicle I've looked up.

I can't find much info about it on their website. Does anyone know if there are any limits to the number of lookups we can perform?

Are other people using it?
That is impressive and something I can use. I wonder if there is a limit to how many if using a program to collect the information?
 

Gymratz

Pulling my weight
Joined
Jun 24, 2017
Messages
114
Reaction score
130
That is impressive and something I can use. I wonder if there is a limit to how many if using a program to collect the information?
If there is a limit, it's quite high. I'm running a backlog of 10k distinct plates through it right now. Hit nearly 2k and it's still going at a few per second.
 

tech101

Known around here
Joined
Mar 30, 2015
Messages
1,472
Reaction score
2,125
Location
SF BayArea, USA
Also I had similar load probably around 20-30k plates.. So far so good :) Thanks to Gymratz with new viewer/downloader :) All tagged.. now :)
 

th182

BIT Beta Team
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
689
Reaction score
1,204
Location
Minnesota
First I’ve heard of this service. I don’t see an API key in your example so I imagine it’s free to use?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Gymratz

Pulling my weight
Joined
Jun 24, 2017
Messages
114
Reaction score
130
First I’ve heard of this service. I don’t see an API key in your example so I imagine it’s free to use?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Currently - hopefully it stays that way!
 

th182

BIT Beta Team
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
689
Reaction score
1,204
Location
Minnesota
Currently - hopefully it stays that way!
I run the open source version of OpenALPR and my vision would be for each new plate capture to query this service and add the make/model/etc to my database. If it already has the data there is no need to query the service again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Gymratz

Pulling my weight
Joined
Jun 24, 2017
Messages
114
Reaction score
130
I run the open source version of OpenALPR and my vision would be for each new plate capture to query this service and add the make/model/etc to my database. If it already has the data there is no need to query the service again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is exactly what the updated version if my app does. Well, slight tweak on the timing - but same effect. Just released it this weekend.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 

wrybread

Pulling my weight
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
251
Reaction score
115
Location
San Francisco
Looks like the autocheck api is now down:


Querying it returns an error that I'm not authenticated.

I can't find on their website how to authenticate or pay for the service. Oh well, was really useful and accurate for translating license plates into car makes, models and years.

Has anyone found another API for plate lookup? Or have any idea how to purchase the autocheck.com api use?
 

wittaj

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
24,436
Reaction score
47,561
Location
USA
Yep, several of us did an exhaustive search when this went down and could not find another free one. We checked with autocheck and it is actually through Experian now and they would not provide a reasonable quote to obtain that info.

Many of us are now using this one that is $15/month. He plans to add color soon to the system and fingers crossed owner information down the line.

 

wittaj

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
24,436
Reaction score
47,561
Location
USA
We have found it to similar or slightly more accurate. When I switched to it I had like 1500 plates autocheck didn't have and this site had almost all of them. YMMV.
 

wrybread

Pulling my weight
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
251
Reaction score
115
Location
San Francisco
Thank you! Working beautifully. And as you say it's getting plates that autocheck.com missed. And the wording on some known plates is a bit different, so it's definitely a different database.

For example autocheck called a specific truck a "2017 GMC Sierra 3500 W" and licenseplatedata calls it a "2017 GMC Sierra 3500HD". Both right, but interesting that there's a difference.

Some other differences:

"2014 Ram 1500 SLT" versus "2014 Ram 1500" on licenseplatedata.

"2001 Toyota Tundra Limited" versus "2001 Toyota Tundra"

"2017 Honda Accord Sport" versus "2017 Honda Accord"

And so far there hasn't been a single time where the autocheck api knew the plate but licenseplatedata didn't, although I haven't fed it a list of plates yet, just going by regular traffic as it comes.

I wonder where this data is coming from?
 
Last edited:

DLONG2

Known around here
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
763
Reaction score
454
I wonder, too, where the source data is. Many of these look up sites are reseller partners to wherever the data comes from. I suspect one of the sources is Esperian; they offer products to consumers, dealers, and to reseller partners. But their bulk data is very expensive, and includes a lot of data which LPR hobbyists don't need. Hence it's good to locate a reseller who can trickle out basic VIN data to us for a small recurring fee.
 

DLONG2

Known around here
Joined
May 17, 2017
Messages
763
Reaction score
454
For color, for here in California, and for the "7xxxxxx" plates, I'm getting 78% success. The other 22% are "unknown".
 

wrybread

Pulling my weight
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
251
Reaction score
115
Location
San Francisco
Yup I'm getting a lot of "unknown" as well, but a lot of correct colors too. So far I haven't gotten any wrong colors.
 
Top