What is a VIN number?
The VIN (vehicle identification number) is a 17-character code unique to one car. It is on the log book and stamped into the car itself. Checking that the two match is the single best defence against buying a cloned or stolen car.
Updated 14 October 2026
Where to find it
On the V5C log book.
Through the bottom of the windscreen, on most cars.
On a plate or label on the door pillar when you open a front door.
Stamped into the body, often under the bonnet or under a flap in the floor by the front seat. The handbook says where.
What the 17 characters mean
The first three identify the manufacturer and where it was built. The next six describe the model and body. The last eight identify the individual car, including its model year and the factory.
The letters I, O and Q are never used, so they cannot be confused with 1 and 0. A VIN containing them is not genuine.
Why it matters when you buy
Clones are stolen cars wearing the registration of a legitimate identical car. The plates and even the paperwork can look right. The VIN stamped into the car is much harder to fake.
Check the VIN in at least two places on the car and make sure both match the V5C exactly. If a plate looks tampered with, a label has been replaced or the seller hurries you, stop.
The VIN never changes, the registration can
A car can change registration many times, for a private plate or after being imported, but it keeps the same VIN from the factory to the scrapyard. That is why it is the identity everything else is checked against.
If the V5C shows a recent change of registration, that is usually innocent. It is still worth making sure the VIN on the car matches the one on the document.
If the VIN does not match
Do not buy the car and do not hand over a deposit. A mismatch means the paperwork belongs to a different vehicle, which is how clones are sold. Make a note of the advert and the registration and report it to the police.
An innocent explanation is very rare. A seller who has one will not mind you checking with the DVLA before you go any further.
Common questions
Is a VIN the same as a chassis number?
Yes. Chassis number is the older name for the same thing.
Can I look up a car from its VIN?
Most UK checks use the registration. The VIN is what you compare against the log book to make sure the registration belongs to the car in front of you.
Is it safe to share a VIN?
It is visible through the windscreen, so it is not secret. Sharing the V5C document reference number is a different matter; keep that private.
Check any car before you buy it
MOT history, every advisory and the full mileage record are free for any UK registration. An Odomint Check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers and salvage history, with a £10,000 data guarantee.