More often than not, finding a name and address using a license plate number is not authorized by the DMV or other government agencies, so you may result to an internet search. Simply plugging the license plate number and the state into an online search engine is likely to reveal a number of results.
Are license plates public record?
Although some of this information is deemed private and not released to the public, you can access the name of the license plate owner. It is quite possible that a plate is not on the vehicle in which it was registered, which may happen if the plate is stolen.
Can a civilian run a license plate?
Unfortunately, running a driver's license plate number for any reason or purpose is not only impossible to do for free it is illegal. Only law enforcement officers can run license plate numbers, and they have the tools to do so quickly and easily. Remember to use some discretion with this method.