FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?

[Pete.Green]

The Photoshop and Photoshop Elements forums receive many requests for help (for reasons specific to each request) with deblurring of car license plates or improving frame detail that may have been recorded via dash camera or other means.

While Photoshop and Photoshop Elements are able to improve these images, and in rare cases may be able to expose more detail, this kind of request should be directed to local law enforcement officials, and is not something we would normally assist with on these forums.

[jfriedeborn]

Looking for help deblurring any of these images. Looks like there is a website on the back of the bus or possibly the license plate. Bus hit my car and took off this past weekend, any help is appreciated!

[Guest]

Hi

This is the forum policy

FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?

[davescm]

That is not something we do here. See this statement by Adobe staff:

FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?

Dave

[ktna79642915]

Hi there, wondering if any of the folks able to help deblur license plate?? - see the series of photos as attached. This truck had loose gravels and lime stones which pretty much spoiled and made lots of scratch marks on almost new car - windscreen, bonnet, bumper, side door! - I thought its lucky I had dash cam but didn't help much when can't see number plate that clear.. I have extracted photos from the video frames and think these photos are screen grab, via VLC (so assume screen size resolution for photo and think original video was 1080p) - FYI this is UK number plate so usually numbers follow "XX12 XXX" unless its private number plate and in that case could be slightly different.

any help much appreciated..

P.S. - Ignore 2018 year stamp; as that's actually 2019 in case anyone wondering this is year old.

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

Hi

That is something we do not assist with on these forums. You will need to seek help from law enforcement. See this thread from Adobe Staff: FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?

~ Jane

[Dean_Utian]

Hi ktna,

Jane has already pointed you to the Adobe response to this question.

This type of question does get asked a lot in the forum. Generally, it is difficult to get a clear number plate from images that are low res and do don't have the detail you're after. Going to law enforcement would mean they can look at other information to track the driver.

All the best.

[jacqueline92]

Hi everyone, on Monday I was hit by a car. It t-boned me on my bike going about 35-40 mph. he sped off and made a right out of the driveway as shown in the photo.  One of the witnesses managed to get this picture at the last moment.  But the plate is very blurry. There is nothing I can do until we know the exact license plate. and I can't help thinking there must be some way to get a clearer view of this picture, the FBI does it in the blink of an eye, right? There has to be some sort of software I can buy or service I can pay for to see this plate, then not only will I be able to reach the insurance company and get help with these massive medical bills, physical therapy and psychiatric care but we can bring this guy to justice.. I know very little about photoshop, but one of my family members is a graphic designer, that's why I have this program installed on my laptop.  If anyone feels like messing around with this image and helping me out I would be so grateful... I hope someone sees this and is able to give me any kind of good news.. thank you.

PS. Its the car seen far away at the other end of the parking lot about to drive out of the driveway.  I believe it's a Honda CR-V or a very similar Honda SUV- silver

Thanks and much love to all of you, Josie

[Guest]

Hi

I'm afraid it's just not possible, cars to far away and just not enough pixel information

[jacqueline92]

I've seen other license plates just as bad and maybe worse than this on other threads on THIS site that had been deciphered somehow... Like CIA connection type thing.. there has to be some way to make this possible?  Someone please help....

Thank you for your reply, though

[Guest]

Hi

This is the car zoomed in as you can see there's no pixel information to read the plate, if only there was tools like they have on television, alas that's not reality of things

[Trevor.Dennis]

jacqueline92 

It would probably not make enough of a difference, but what kills your request stone dead is the image you have uploaded is only

568 X 757 pixels.  I imagine the person who supplied the image took the photo with a phone, and then either emailed or messaged or whatever it is people do with smart phones, to your phone.   Somewhere in that process, I imagine that person was asked to choose a file or image size, and it looks like they did not choose the full resolution version of the image.   That's the image you need, so get back in touch and ask them to send you the full res image.

We get maybe a dozen license/registration deblur requests in an average year, and I don't remember a single successful outcome, but if your image was taken with something like one of those 40 megapixel Nokia phones, you just might be the first one.

Good luck

[jacqueline92]

Trevor.Dennis,

Thank you for getting back to me.  If I were able to access the original

photo taken by the witness could I somehow convert it to a higher res image

from the device she sent it on? Meaning I would need the original photo and

the device it was taken on? Would it help if she emailed the picture to me

instead of text? and how do you choose full resolution when sending an

image? I'm sorry for the silly questions, but as it is I'm only familiar

with this and I'm going to have to explain it to a basic stranger who's

probably even less informed.  I'll take all the help I can get. Thanks so

much for your time

Josephine Byam

[Personal information removed by moderator.]

On Thu, Mar 28, 2019 at 3:07 PM Trevor.Dennis <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Peru Bob]

Emailed photos are not high enough resolution.

Even with the original file, unless it is a huge pixel size, it will not be possible to read the license plate.

[jacqueline92]

Is there anything I can do here? There has to be a way to determine who the registered owner of that vehicle is. 

[Nancy OShea]

If you live in a small town, a description of the vehicle, color, time and location of the accident might be enough for your community and police to help narrow your search for the driver.   He/she probably lives nearby and has friends who would recognize the car if they saw it. 

Good luck!

[Larhys]

The car on the picture hitted my car yesterday and runned away. Can anybody help me to deblur the license plate? Thanks

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Sorry no. See the official response from Adobe here:

FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail? 

[gener7]

Adobe's response is here: FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?

[craigj2633482]

Hey folks, was almost hit by a car in a cross walk and then harrased by the driver. My partner took this photo of the car from a distance wondering if anyone might be able to assist in helping me figure ou the license plate number. I am working with authorities to locate this dangerous driver. Any help would be greately appreciated. 

[lambiloon]

Hi i think its not possible because of picture low resolution...Regards

[Mylenium]

Nothing there to see. The resolution is insufficient. That aside it's standing policy on this forum to not interfere with legal matters, so there is nothing we can do.

Mylenium

[davescm]

Sorry, that is not something we can help with.
See response from Adobe here: FAQ: Can you help deblur or improve license plate detail?
Dave

[Exciting_Moonbeam5E5A]

I need help getting the license plate number from an image. This is the clearest photo I have of it. The style of the plate (Colorado) is 3 letters on one side and 3 numbers on the other. The left side looks like numbers so the right side must be letters. Can anyone identify what it says? This is urgent!

[99jon]

Almost impossible! There just isn’t the pixel detail even using texture, clarity, sharpening and other tools. Sorry.