Where Do I Find the VIN on a Car?

You might be asking ‘where do I find the VIN on a car’ for various reasons. You might need to register it, you might need to deal with insurance, or you might be looking to do a vehicle check.

If you are planning on purchasing a used vehicle, being able to find the VIN on a car and doing a VIN decode or chassis number lookup for a vehicle history check is essential. 

This will ensure that you know exactly what you are purchasing, that you aren’t buying a lemon, and that you are buying a car that is safe, roadworthy, and has no financial strings tied to it.

That said, before you can do a VIN decode and vehicle history check, you will first need to find that number. So, where can you find the VIN on a car?

Where do I Find the VIN on a Car?

Finding the VIN on your car shouldn’t be very difficult. However, the key thing to understand is that different makes, models and ages of vehicles have resulted in the VIN location being different on vehicles. 

The good thing is that the number of locations across this range of variables isn’t huge, so we’ll give you all of these below.

On the vast majority of cars, you can find the VIN on a car located on the front of the dashboard on the driver’s side, right under the bottom corner of the windshield.

If the VIN on your vehicle is hard to read from the inside, it might help to stand on the outside of the vehicle and look in through the windshield on the driver’s side.

If you are unable to locate the VIN in this location, there are a few other spots where you may find it. One such spot is on the driver’s side door.

You should be able to find the VIN on a car door jamb or the pillar of the door. Some vehicles may also display their VINs on the passenger’s side door post.

Other Locations of the VIN

There are also some other locations which you can check the VIN for if all else fails. If you cannot find the VIN on the dash or the doors, check the following locations.

• The engine frame or chassis
• The radiator support bracket
• The trunk
• The front end of the frame or chassis, with the door open (for older vehicles)
• Stamped number on the front of the engine block

What if I can’t See the VIN on My Car?

If you are having trouble finding the VIN on a car, there are a few other places you can check. Although not actually on the car itself, these ways of finding the VIN are sure to provide results.

• The vehicle’s title
• Vehicle registration documents
• Insurance documents
• The owner’s manual

If all else fails, and you can’t find the VIN anywhere, you can also call the dealership where the vehicle was originally purchased.

You may also attempt to contact the manufacturer themselves, as they should have detailed records of all vehicles they produced. 

Whilst they may not be able to give you the exact VIN of the vehicle you’re looking at, they maybe able to help you find the VIN on a car by stating where they normally install the VIN plate on their models of vehicles.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has answered the question of ‘where do I find the VIN on a car’. There are several places to look for the vehicle’s VIN. 

Between the various locations on the car, the documents which should contain the VIN, the manufacturer, and the dealership, you should be able to find the VIN on a car without too much problem.

Remember that once you find the VIN on a car, you can then use our free VIN decode tool below to enter the 17 digit VIN number in and get a vehicle history report emailed to you which will provide you with useful information about the vehicle’s history.