Paint Code by VIN: Where to Find Your Car's Color Code

You cannot read a paint code from the VIN itself, but you can find it on the label in the driver door jamb on most cars, or on GM's Service Parts Identification label in the glove box or trunk. If the label is missing, a dealer parts counter can look up the factory paint code from the VIN.

You need that code, not just "dark blue", for touch-up paint, a body shop quote or a matching replacement panel.

This guide shows where each major brand prints the code on the car, and how to get it by VIN when the label is missing or unreadable.

Is the paint code in the VIN?

No. Under 49 CFR Part 565, the 17 VIN characters encode the manufacturer, vehicle type, model line, body, engine, restraint system, model year, plant and serial number. Color is not on that list, and no manufacturer we know of puts it there.

What a VIN decoder can do is confirm the exact model, year and plant, which matters because the same color can have a different code on a different model year. Run the VIN through our free VIN decoder first, then find the code using the steps below.

Where to find the paint code on your car

Check these places, in this order:

1. Driver door jamb. Open the driver door and look at the labels on the door edge and the B-pillar. On many brands the certification label or a separate tire-and-loading or service label shows the paint code.
2. Glove box or center console. GM's Service Parts Identification label is usually here.
3. Under the hood. Some vehicles have a body or color plate on the radiator support or a strut tower.
4. Trunk or spare tire well. Some models put the option label here.
5. Owner's manual or original window sticker. The sticker shows the color name, which narrows the code down. See how to get a window sticker by VIN.

Paint code location by brand

For other brands, start at the driver door jamb and then check under the hood. If you cannot find a label, use the VIN method below.

GM tip: the Service Parts Identification label lists dozens of three-character codes. The paint code sits among them, often near the bottom of the grid. If you are not sure which code is the paint, a GM dealer can read it from the VIN. Our Chevy VIN decoder page explains the label in more detail.

Ford tip: the same door-jamb label also shows the build month and year and, on trucks, the axle code. See our Ford VIN decoder.

How to get the paint code by VIN

If the label is gone (replaced door, faded sticker, repainted jamb), the VIN still identifies the original color:

1. Call a franchised dealer's parts department. Give them the VIN and ask for the factory paint code. They read it from the manufacturer's build record. This is routine and usually free.
2. Ask an automotive paint supplier. Paint shops that mix touch-up paint can often find the code from the VIN, year, make and model.
3. Check the window sticker or build sheet. For many Fords you can download the original sticker by VIN for free. It shows the color name, which the dealer can convert to a code.

Be wary of websites promising "paint code by VIN" that only ask for an email address. A legitimate lookup needs access to the manufacturer's build data.

Paint code vs color name

Manufacturers use color names for marketing and paint codes for production. Two things follow:

• The same name can have different codes. A brand may reformulate "Black" or "Silver" across model years or plants.
• The code is what the paint mixer needs. Touch-up pens, aerosol cans and body shop formulas are all made to a code.

Pearl, metallic and tri-coat finishes are harder to match. Tri-coat colors use a base coat, a mid-coat and a clear coat, so a single touch-up pen will not look identical. A body shop may need to blend into adjacent panels.

Using the paint code when buying a used car

The paint code can also flag repairs. On a used car:

• Compare the label to the car. If the label says white and the car is gray, the car has been repainted. That is not illegal, but it changes the value and may hide damage.
• Look for overspray. Paint on rubber seals, labels or the jamb itself suggests panel repainting.
• Check every panel in daylight. A slight color shift between a door and a fender often means body work.
• Then check history. A salvage or theft record will not show on the paint. Use the free NICB VIN check, and our guide to where the VIN is to make sure the door and dash VINs match.