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Paint Code by VIN

The VIN does not encode the paint code. Federal rule 49 CFR 565.15 fixes what the 17 characters carry (manufacturer, line, body, engine, restraints, check digit, model year, plant, serial) and paint is not on the list, so no decoder, including this one, can read it out. The code is on a label on the car, and the table below says where for 15 makes. The VIN is still the key: decode it to confirm the year and make, then read the right label, or have a dealer or the build record look up the color that VIN was built in.

Facts and links on this page were checked on September 15, 2026.

Free, no account, no card. Data from the NHTSA vPIC database.

Why a VIN cannot hold a paint code

49 CFR 565.15 sets the content of every section of the VIN: positions 1 to 3 identify the manufacturer, make and type; 4 to 8 must make decipherable the line, series, body type, engine type and restraint system for a passenger car (with GVWR, cab type and brake system for other types); 9 is the check digit; 10 the model year; 11 the plant; 12 to 17 the serial number. Paint is not an attribute in that list, and no manufacturer encodes it. What the VIN does is identify the individual vehicle, and the manufacturer's own build record for that vehicle includes the color, which is why a dealer can tell you the paint from the VIN while a public decoder cannot.

Where the paint code label is, by make

The locations below are what the two largest US touch-up paint retailers, PaintScratch and AutomotiveTouchup, publish on their per-make locator pages; both were fetched and read on September 15, 2026, and the source links for each row are in the list at the end of the page. They are retailer guidance, not manufacturer statements: no manufacturer support page served a paint-code article to our requests that day. Where the two retailers differ, both locations are given.

MakeWhere the label isCode format
FordDriver-side door jamb or door edge, on the certification label. Read the code next to EXT PNT, above the wheelbase (WB) entry.Two characters, letters and/or numbers (for example PM, FL, SH).
Chevrolet and GMCService Parts Identification label, which GM moves around: usually inside the glove box, on the spare tire cover or in the spare tire well; some Camaro and Corvette models put it in the center console or under the trunk lid.Preceded by BC/CC; U marks the upper (body) color and L the lower color on two-tone vehicles (for example 51/WA316N, shown on the label as BC/CC U316N; two-tone vehicles add BC/CC L316N).
Toyota and LexusDriver-side door jamb, on the color ID plate.Three characters after C/TR (for example C/TR 3P1 FA09, where 3P1 is the paint and FA09 the interior trim).
HondaDriver-side door jamb, on the color ID tag; a few models carry it on the firewall instead.Two letters, three digits and a suffix (for example NH731P, B92P, YR525M).
NissanDriver-side door jamb on most models, sometimes low on the jamb; older models used the passenger-side firewall, the center of the firewall or the radiator support.Three characters, sometimes followed by a space and a fourth (for example AX6).
Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and RamDriver-side door jamb on modern vehicles (2007 and newer), on the safety certification label after PNT; older vehicles used the top of the radiator support, the firewall or, on some Wranglers, under the driver seat.Three characters starting with P (for example PX8, PRV, PS2); the older BS/GBS style carries a year letter before the two-letter code.
BMWUnder the hood on a strut tower, fender edge or the engine-side firewall; newer models also carry it in the driver-side door jamb or B-pillar area.Three digits, sometimes with a slash and a fourth (for example 300, 475, A52, 354/7).
Audi and VolkswagenPaper tag in the trunk: under the trunk lid, in the spare tire well, under the floor mat or on the fuse box cover; some models also have a plate in the driver-side door jamb.Two to four characters, often paired with a second short code (for example LY9H / P1, LD7X / 2R).
SubaruStrut tower sticker (driver side on 1990 and newer, passenger side on many 2007 and newer), or the door edge or door jamb.Three characters (for example 37J, 3M6); two-tone cars list both codes.
HyundaiDriver-side door jamb or door edge on most 1997 and newer models; a few (Excel, Scoupe, some Sonata) used the firewall center or the front of the radiator support.Two characters on most (for example 3E, W1), three on some newer models (S3B).
KiaDriver-side door jamb on every model both retailers list.Two characters (for example B3, 6Y).
MazdaDriver-side door jamb or door frame; otherwise an under-hood label on the firewall near the windshield.Two or three characters (for example 41V, 46G, A4A).
Mercedes-BenzDriver-side door jamb on recent models; older cars used the radiator support bar or a label on the underside of the hood.Three digits (for example 040, 197, 723), older codes prefixed DB.
TeslaDriver-side door jamb label.Three or four characters (for example PPSW, 19E, PPMR).
Harley-DavidsonUsually no code on the bike; the color name is what is listed, and the paint formula has to come from Harley-Davidson or a PPG / Axalta formula number.Color name rather than a code.

Reading the label

  • Look for the abbreviation.PaintScratch's guide says to look for a sticker or plate marked PAINT, PNT, COLOR, C or EXT. On a Ford label the code sits next to EXT PNT; on a Toyota it follows C/TR; on a GM service-parts label it follows BC/CC.
  • Do not use the VIN, the trim code or the barcode. The same label carries the VIN, interior trim, tire and emissions codes; only the paint code mixes paint.
  • Two-tone vehicles have two codes. GM labels use U for the upper (body) color and L for the lower; Subaru lists both codes for two-tone cars.
  • Paper tags fall off. Audi, Volkswagen and some GM labels are paper stickers in the trunk or spare-tire area; if it is gone, the dealer or build record is the route.

What free sources can show

  • Confirm the year, make, model and plant behind the VIN, so you read the right label for the right car.
  • Find the paint code label on the car: the locations by make are below, with sources.
  • For Ford, Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler, retrieve the original window sticker, which names the exterior color.
  • A dealer parts desk can read the color from the VIN in the manufacturer's system, free.

What they cannot

  • Read the paint code out of the VIN: it is not encoded there, on any make.
  • Tell you whether the car has been repainted or color-changed since it was built.
  • Give a manufacturer statement of label location: no manufacturer site served one to us on September 15, 2026, so the table is retailer guidance.
  • Match paint by eye from a photo: both retailers say order by the code.
  • Get the paint code from the CarWorthIt report: its build-record feed carries MSRP, options and warranty, not paint.

Common questions

Can I find my paint code from the VIN?

Not from the VIN itself. The 17 characters encode the manufacturer, the line, body, engine and restraint system, the check digit, the model year, the plant and a serial number (49 CFR 565.15); paint is not one of the attributes. PaintScratch, one of the two largest US touch-up paint retailers, says the same: "The VIN identifies the vehicle, but it does not include the paint code." What the VIN does is point a dealer, or the manufacturer's build record, at the color that car was built in.

So where is the paint code?

On a label on the car. For most makes it is the certification or color ID label in the driver door jamb; GM uses a service-parts label in the glove box or spare tire well; Audi and Volkswagen use a paper tag in the trunk; BMW and Subaru often use the strut tower or under-hood area; older Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles used the radiator support or firewall. The table on this page lists each make with the two retailer sources that describe it.

How do I get the paint code by VIN if the label is gone?

Two routes. A dealer's parts desk can read the color from the VIN in the manufacturer's system, which holds the build record for every car it made. And for Ford, Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler the window sticker lookup on this site returns the original Monroney label, which names the exterior paint. The CarWorthIt Full Report reproduces the build record's MSRP, options, standard equipment and warranty terms, but its data feed does not carry the paint color, so it is not a paint-code source and we do not sell it as one.

What does a paint code look like?

It varies by make. Ford uses two characters (PM, FL, SH), Toyota three after C/TR (3P1), Honda a letter-number string with a suffix (NH731P), GM a WA number shown on the label as BC/CC U316N, Chrysler-family makes three characters starting with P (PX8), BMW three digits (475), Audi and VW an L-prefixed code (LY9H). Examples are from the two retailers' locator pages.

Why does the same code have different color names?

Because manufacturers reuse a paint across models and give it a marketing name per model. Both retailers make the same point: order by the code, not the name, because the code is what the paint is mixed from.

Does the window sticker show the paint code?

It shows the exterior color by name; whether the code appears as well depends on the make. The Jeep and Ram stickers we retrieved on September 15, 2026 listed "Exterior Color: Baltic Gray Metallic Clear-Coat Exterior Paint" and "Bright White Clear-Coat" by name; the Ford sticker listed "MAGMA RED". Where the manufacturer publishes stickers (Ford, Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler) that is a free route to at least the color name.

The build record route, and what ours does not include

If the label is missing or painted over, the manufacturer's build record for the VIN is the source a dealer uses, and the dealer is the free route to it. To be clear about our own product: the CarWorthIt Full Report ( $6.99) reproduces the build record's sticker price when new, installed options, standard equipment, engine, transmission and factory warranty terms, alongside a local-market valuation, but the feed behind it does not include paint color. Buy it for the price and the options, not for the paint code. See a sample.

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Sources checked for this page

CarWorthIt is not an NMVTIS-approved data provider, does not sell vehicle history reports, and is not affiliated with Carfax, AutoCheck, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds or NADA.

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