The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires every car to have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). It’s a unique identifying serial number with 17 characters. Wondering what hidden VIN locations are and where to find them in your car?
Hidden VIN locations are places to find the VIN that encodes detailed information about your car only known by the manufacturer or law enforcement. You can find the hidden VIN on the hood, bumper, under the carpet, or left side of the instrument panel.
By approximately 1955, auto manufacturers in the US started giving all the cars they produced VINs. The inspiration behind this was to assist law enforcement and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) across the country in preventing fraud and trafficking of stolen vehicles.
Before that, vehicles were identified by:
- Engine number
- Chassis number
- Body number
- Serial number
Decoding your car’s VIN reveals when the car was built, the assembly plant, the car model, and the original engine replacement. The VIN is your vehicle’s DNA for registering and titling your car.
What Are Hidden VIN Locations?
Hidden VIN locations are places to find your vehicle’s confidential VIN. Vehicles had been produced for many years with a VIN on the frame. By 1968, all car models started having a VIN but without uniformity. Some issued a VIN with 13, 11, or nine digits.
The hidden VIN is stamped on various metal components in the car. However, it’s not complete but derivative. A hidden VIN must have a sequential production matching the last five or six digits of the public VIN’s sequential production number.
For cars produced after August 31, 1969, the hidden VIN must match the car’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards(FMVSS)) certification sticker. The VIN on the transmission and the engine is a derivative of the hidden VIN. It must match the public VIN if the vehicle has its original engine and transmission.
Where Are The Hidden VIN Locations On A Car?
A hidden VIN is usually stamped on the vehicle’s frame, where it’s tough to destroy. This may be inside a tube section accessible using a mirror. It’s reversed, so the eye only sees gibberish. The location of the hidden VIN is known by the car manufacturer and law enforcement.
Hidden VIN locations allow revealing the VIN where it’s necessary for law enforcers or the manufacturer. Some hidden locations where the VIN may be stamped or affixed include
Dashboard On The Driver’s Side
You can find your car’s VIN by looking through the dashboard on the driver’s side. Check for a spot on the dashboard’s bottom corner. Look for a tiny plate with letters and numbers through the glass. The VIN plate has characters about a quarter of an inch in size.
Below The Hood
Popping under the hood may also help you find your car’s VIN. You can find the VIN stickers in the engine bay in front of the engine block, a firewall on the driver’s side, or atop the radiator. Depending on the car manufacturer, the VIN may be on silver, black, or white sticker.
Door Jamb On The Driver’s Side
You can also locate your car VIN on the door jamb on the driver’s side. This is usually on the B-pillar’s inner side. The VIN is likely on a sticker with other essential details about your vehicle. These details may include weights, codes, tire size, rim size, and date of manufacture.
Side Quarter Panel
There’s also a chance of locating your vehicle’s VIN on the side quarter panel. This is the exterior surface between your car’s rear door and trunk or between the door and the hood. The side quarter panel usually wraps around the wheel well.
Older cars, especially those from the 1960s and 1970s, may have the VIN plate riveted on the side quarter panel.
Other non-obvious locations where you may find the hidden VIN include:
- On the ashtray
- Stamped on the wheel arch liner
- On the floor below the spare tire
- Spraying in on the underbody but only visible in ultraviolet light
- On top of the driver’s frame rail below the door
What Are Other Vehicle Identification Requirements?
Besides the hidden VIN, your car will have other identification numbers in a particular location.
Public VIN
By January 1, 1968, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 mandated all cars sold in the US to have particular safety standards, including
- VIN is visible on the dashboard through the windshield,
- Safety belts,
- Marker lights
The position of the VIN inspired the name Public VIN which you may be familiar with.
FMVSS Certification
All cars manufactured after August 31, 1969, had to have an FMVSS sticker apart from the VIN. The certification identified that the vehicle meets mandatory minimum performance requirements.
By January 1, 1972, this sticker had information about the gross vehicle weight on the certification label. The sticker also includes the following:
- Date of manufacture
- Vehicle VIN
- Type of car
- Car manufacturer
Does The Hidden VIN And Public VIN Match?
The hidden VIN must match the public VIN. If they don’t match, you have a big problem that needs professional and legal assistance. Unmatching hidden and public VINs reveals a problem with the car title, such as having two identities.
The first reason why the VINs may not match is when the car was stolen or salvaged. A clean VIN may have been affixed to make the vehicle appear clean. The second reason is the vehicle being built using various parts. Having two VINs may disguise a problem with the title or a theft.
Another issue why the VINs don’t match is the body. This is when a car has had its body replaced, and the new body is given the original VIN. Possessing or buying a car with an altered or mismatched VIN is a criminal offense. You may be charged with a felony or misdemeanor.
What Scenarios Require The Use Of A Hidden VIN?
Only the car manufacturer and law enforcement usually know about the locations of a hidden VIN. The VIN may come in handy during scenarios including
- Tracking a stolen car
- Filing insurance claims
- When manufacturers are making product recalls
- Investigating crime
A hidden VIN is a unique 17-character serial number that identifies your vehicle. The number is usually in non-obvious places only known by law enforcement and car manufacturer. This number is significant in various scenarios like vehicle recalls, investigating crimes, or car theft.
