VIN barcodes
Since 1981 every road vehicle has a 17-character VIN. Many manufacturers print it as a barcode on the door-pillar label, and dealers, fleets, auctions and service departments put VIN barcodes on stock cards, key tags and paperwork so the vehicle can be scanned instead of typed. Code 39 is the long-standing format for this, and most VIN scanners and dealer systems read it. Some newer vehicles also carry a 2D code.
How to make one
- Type the 17-character VIN. It uses capitals and digits only, and never the letters I, O or Q (to avoid confusion with 1 and 0).
- Leave the type on Code 39 unless your system asks for Code 128, which makes a narrower barcode.
- Choose a bar width that fits your label. A 17-character Code 39 is wide, so use the Narrow setting on small labels.
- Download, or print a batch of VIN labels with the label maker.
Checking a VIN is real
For vehicles made for North America, the 9th character is a check digit calculated from the others. Each letter is given a number, multiplied by a weight for its position, and the remainder after dividing the total by 11 is the check digit (10 is written as X). A VIN that fails this test has probably been mistyped. Check the VIN against the vehicle's documents before printing.
| Positions | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier (country and maker) |
| 4–8 | Vehicle description: model, body, engine |
| 9 | Check digit (North America) |
| 10 | Model year |
| 11 | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | Serial number |
The sample above, 1HGCM82633A004352, is a widely used example VIN with a valid check digit. Replace it with yours.
