Vehicle Identification Number

Source of Definition: SAE; NHTSA; D20/79; 49 CFR 565; 49 CFR 567; 33 CFR 181.25

A federal regulation covering the vehicle manufacturer requirements. For details see 33 CFR 181 on eCFR.

A federal regulation covering Certification of vehicles. For details see 49 CFR 567 on eCFR.

A federal regulation covering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Requirements. For details see 49 CFR 565 on eCFR.

Source of Data: Vehicle (component) manufacturer; Commercial vehicle cab card; Labels on vehicle.

Synonyms: Serial Number, Motor Number, Chassis Number, VIN.

A unique combination of alphanumeric characters that identifies a specific vehicle or component. The VIN is affixed to the vehicle in specific locations and formulated by the manufacturer. State agencies under some controlled instances may assign a VIN to a vehicle. This field is left justified and represents the format for VINs created subject to the 1982 17-character format.

Usage Note: Before adopting the 1982 standard, some truck manufacturers used VINs longer than 17 characters. If the VINs of older vehicles need to be supported, AAMVA recommends allowing for VINs up to 30 characters long.

Logical Format (Type/Max Length): AN/17

VVHVIN

vin type: string