How to Find Your VIN and Decode It with NHTSA’s Official Tool

Where federal rules say a VIN must be readable, how to decode a 17-character VIN on NHTSA’s official decoder, and why that lookup is not a recall check or a vehicle-history report.

Updated November 13, 2026. Checked against NHTSA’s VIN decoder page and 49 CFR Part 565 on that date.

Quick answer

A VIN is a 17-character vehicle identification number required under NHTSA’s VIN rules. You can decode it, free, at NHTSA’s official VIN decoder. The tool shows information the manufacturer reported as encoded in the number, including the plant of manufacture. It does not replace a recall check or a title or insurance record.

How to find the VIN

NHTSA’s VIN decoder page states that, under NHTSA regulations, each motor vehicle must contain a 17-character VIN that encodes specific information about that vehicle.

The physical placement is set out in 49 CFR 565.13. The VIN must appear clearly and indelibly on a part of the vehicle (other than the glazing) that is not designed to be removed except for repair, or on a separate plate or label permanently affixed to such a part. For passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low-speed vehicles, and trucks of 4,536 kg or less GVWR, the VIN must be inside the passenger compartment and readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the vehicle glazing under daylight lighting conditions by an observer with 20/20 vision standing outside adjacent to the left windshield pillar. Each of those characters must be at least 4 mm high.

This guide does not invent other hiding places. If you cannot read the VIN through the windshield as the rule describes, check the vehicle’s manufacturer documentation or the documents that already list the VIN (for example, a title or registration in many states).

How to decode it

Go to vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/decoder/ and enter the full 17-character VIN, then choose Decode VIN. That URL is the one NHTSA publishes on its VIN decoder page.
Review the decoded fields. NHTSA specifically notes that the build plant and country appear in a field at the bottom of the result (a two-step process the agency describes for identifying the plant of manufacture).
Treat the result as manufacturer-reported information. NHTSA says that if you have further questions, contact the vehicle manufacturer, and that more information may be available on a label affixed to the vehicle (see 49 CFR Part 583).

To check open safety recalls for the same vehicle, use NHTSA’s recall search rather than the decoder. See our guide on how to check a car for open recalls by VIN.

What a VIN is required to contain

Under 49 CFR 565.13, each VIN has 17 characters. Position 9 is a check digit (0–9 or X) used to verify that the number was copied accurately. Allowed characters are A through Z except I, O and Q, plus digits 0 through 9, in capital sans-serif type. All 17 positions must be filled.

49 CFR 565.15 describes, at a high level, what the sections identify: positions 1–3 identify the manufacturer and vehicle type (with a longer identifier for some low-volume manufacturers); positions 4–8 identify vehicle attributes the manufacturer reports (for a passenger car, those include make, line, series, body type, engine type, and restraint devices and their location); position 10 represents the model year; position 11 represents the plant of manufacture; and the remaining characters include a sequential production number. This page does not walk through the check-digit math or publish a year-code table; use the official decoder and the regulation if you need those details.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the VIN on the vehicle?

For passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, low-speed vehicles, and trucks of 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) or less GVWR, 49 CFR 565.13 requires the VIN to be inside the passenger compartment and readable, without moving any part of the vehicle, through the glazing in daylight by an observer standing outside adjacent to the left windshield pillar. The VIN must also appear clearly and indelibly on a part that is not designed to be removed except for repair, or on a permanently affixed plate or label. You will also typically find the VIN on documents such as a title or registration; this guide does not inventory those state forms.

Is the VIN decoder a recall check or a history report?

No. NHTSA’s VIN decoder identifies information encoded in the number, as reported by the manufacturer. It is not the official recall lookup. Use NHTSA’s recall search with the same VIN to check for open safety recalls.

How long is a VIN?

Federal VIN requirements in 49 CFR 565.13 say each VIN shall consist of 17 characters. The characters are capital letters and numerals; the letters I, O and Q are not in the allowed set. Position 9 is a check digit.

Who supplies the decoder information?

NHTSA’s VIN decoder page says the information displayed is reported by the manufacturer. If you have questions about it, contact the vehicle manufacturer. NHTSA also notes that more information may be available on a label affixed to the vehicle; see 49 CFR Part 583.

Sources

MotorDeets is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. The official decoder shows manufacturer-reported information. Always confirm open recalls for your own VIN on nhtsa.gov.