Tracking a car by the license plate!

I was driving an armored truck while attending college. Obviously, I could not get out and speak to the girl I saw in an ARCO. I was looking for someone to pose for the cover of a book I was writing (never got published). She had a huge smile and it was just what I had been looking for.

I went to the California DMV and paid a fee to have a message sent to the registered owner of the license plate of the car she was driving. Kind of a third party thing, where I was not given the address directly. Never heard back from the girl with the big smile (or the owner of the car, if it was someone else). At least I gave it the old college try.

This was a few years ago and I don't know if California DMV still offers this "service".