What is a VIN? Where do I find mine?
VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires all automobile manufacturers to issue a unique 17 digit VIN to all vehicles produced. The unique 17 digit VIN contains all letters and numbers except the letters i, o, and q which apparently can be confused with the numbers 1, 0, and 9.
The easiest place to find your VIN is your insurance card – you might keep it in your wallet or in your car. If you still cannot find this 17 letter/digit number, the VIN is printed on the vehicle itself. The two most common places are on the driver’s side dashboard (you can see it from the outside) and on the inside of the driver’s side door on the frame of the vehicle (the “door jamb”). Other places include the steering column, radiator, engine block, and so on.
The VIN is also on numerous documents, such as your sales agreement, title, insurance policy, service records, maintenance book, the original window sticker, and many more.