The 17-character vehicle identification number structure standardized by ISO 3779.
Overview
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Format
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character alphanumeric code assigned to motor vehicles. Standardized by ISO 3779, it consists of three sections: WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier), VDS (Vehicle Descriptor Section), and VIS (Vehicle Identifier Section). It contains information about the manufacturing country, manufacturer, vehicle specifications, model year, assembly plant, and production sequence number, serving as a unique identifier worldwide.
VIN
Vehicle Identification Number
ISO 3779
automotive
identification code
WMI
chassis number
| code | slug | name | description | position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMI | world-manufacturer-identifier | World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) | Positions 1-3 of the VIN. Identifies the country and manufacturer. | 1-3 |
| VDS | vehicle-descriptor-section | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) | Positions 4-9 of the VIN. Describes vehicle specifications and attributes. | 4-9 |
| VIS | vehicle-identifier-section | Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) | Positions 10-17 of the VIN. Indicates model year, plant, and serial number. | 10-17 |
| CHECK | check-digit | Check Digit | Position 9 of the VIN. A digit used to validate the VIN's authenticity. | 9 |
| YEAR | model-year-code | Model Year Code | Position 10 of the VIN. A code indicating the vehicle's model year. | 10 |
| PLANT | assembly-plant-code | Assembly Plant Code | Position 11 of the VIN. A code indicating the plant where the vehicle was manufactured. | 11 |
| SERIAL | serial-number | Serial Number | Positions 12-17 of the VIN. A unique production number for each vehicle. | 12-17 |
| RESTRICTED | restricted-characters | Restricted Characters | Characters that cannot be used in a VIN (I, O, Q). | all |
| COUNTRY | country-code | Country Code | Position 1 of the VIN. A code indicating the country of manufacture. | 1 |
| MANUFACTURER | manufacturer-code | Manufacturer Code | Position 2 of the VIN. A code identifying the manufacturer. | 2 |