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Where Is the VIN, and How Do You Read It?
Every modern car has a 17-character VIN. You can usually read it without leaving your driveway. This page shows the easiest places to find it and what the characters mean.
Easiest places to find it
- Dashboard, driver's side. Look through the windshield at the lower corner. The VIN is on a small plate.
- Driver's door jamb. A label on the door frame lists the VIN along with tire pressure and manufacture date.
- Paperwork. Registration, title, insurance card and insurance app.
- Elsewhere on the car. Some vehicles also have the VIN stamped under the hood or on the frame.
Tip: take a photo of the VIN plate and keep it in your phone. You will need it for keys, parts and insurance.
Reading the 17 characters
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier: country and maker |
| 4 to 8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body style, engine and other details (manufacturer-specific) |
| 9 | Check digit used in North American VINs to detect typing errors |
| 10 | Model year code |
| 11 | Assembly plant |
| 12 to 17 | Production serial number |
Why I, O and Q are never used
They look too much like 1, 0 and 0. If you typed one, you misread a digit. The VIN Key Finder converts them for you, but double-check by looking at the plate again.
Check for typing mistakes
The ninth character is calculated from all the others for North American vehicles. If your VIN fails that check, one character is probably wrong. The VIN Key Finder warns you when this happens.
What you can do with the VIN next
- Find the right key fob for your car.
- Understand what a VIN can and cannot do for key codes.
- Find who can cut a key from a VIN.
Privacy note
A VIN is not a secret, since it is visible through the windshield, but treat it with the same care as your registration. This site decodes the VIN to show matching keys. See the privacy page for what is stored.
Keys and tools matching this topic at UrbanX
Popular in-stock picks. Enter your VIN above to see keys matched to your car.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the VIN on a car?
Most commonly at the base of the windshield on the driver's side (visible from outside), on a sticker inside the driver's door jamb, and on your registration, title and insurance card.
How many characters does a VIN have?
Seventeen letters and digits for vehicles from 1981 onward. The letters I, O and Q are not used, to avoid confusion with 1 and 0.
Can the VIN tell me my key's FCC ID?
No. It tells you the vehicle. See how to find the FCC ID in our guide.
What does the 10th character mean?
It is a code for the model year. The same code repeats every 30 years, so it is read together with other details.