VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) CHECK   

What is a VIN and why is it important?

Since 1954, each vehicle offered for sale in the United States is required to have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) permanently assigned and affixed.  Here are a few facts about the VIN:

• Since 1981, each vehicle is assigned a unique set of seventeen (17) alphanumeric characters. Prior to that time, there was no standardization of VIN length or composition.
• No two vehicles have the same VIN.
• The public VIN is most often located on the driver’s side dashboard near the base of the windshield. It must be visible from outside the vehicle.
• The VIN can be used to determine a specific vehicle’s make, model, date and location of manufacture, engine, fuel type, and color.
• VINs are used by law enforcement to identify a vehicle but they are also useful to owners. You can often use your VIN to determine vehicle specifications, check for manufacturer recalls, register with a locality, make warranty claims, obtain insurance coverage or obtain purchase quotes.

Click the button below for a free, online VIN check with the National Insurance Crime Bureau.