VIN Validator
Check a 17-character VIN’s format and ninth-position check digit. See the expected digit when it does not match. This tool does not decode vehicle details or look up vehicle history.
Updated
Enter a value above to validate it instantly.
Checks the ninth-position checksum used by the US VIN rule. Vehicle details and history are not queried; conventions can differ by market.
VIN validation versus VIN decoding
This validator accepts 17 letters or digits, excluding I, O and Q. Lowercase letters are accepted and leading or trailing whitespace is ignored. The check uses transliteration values and position weights to calculate a remainder modulo 11; a remainder of 10 gives the check digit X.
The US VIN rule in 49 CFR 565.15 requires the check digit at position nine. VIN conventions outside that scope can differ, so the tool reports the character format and checksum separately. A mismatch should prompt a check of the original VIN and the applicable market convention, rather than an assumption that the vehicle does not exist.
Passing both checks does not verify a manufacturer assignment, model year, vehicle ownership, accident record or theft status. Other VIN content requirements are not checked here. For manufacturer-reported vehicle attributes, use NHTSA’s VIN decoder linked in Sources; it is a separate service, and this page does not send it your input.
Older identifiers that do not use the 17-character format are outside this tool’s scope. For software tests, keep a passing example and deliberately altered variants so the form can distinguish an invalid character from a check-digit mismatch.
VIN format and check-digit examples
| Example VIN | Format | Check digit |
|---|---|---|
| 1G4AH59H45G118341 | 17 permitted characters | Pass: position 9 is 4 |
| 1G4AH59H55G118341 | 17 permitted characters | Mismatch: expected 4, entered 5 |
| 1G4AH59I45G118341 | Fail: I is not permitted | Not calculated |
The first VIN is the worked calculation in 49 CFR 565.15. The next rows deliberately alter it; none is a vehicle-history result.
Frequently asked questions
Does this VIN validator provide a free vehicle history report?
No. It checks the character format and check digit only. It does not query registration, accident, mileage or ownership records.
Why can a correctly copied VIN fail the check-digit test?
The VIN may follow a market convention that does not use this ninth-position checksum. Check the applicable rules and the original identifier; the format result and checksum result answer different questions.
Can it validate a VIN from before the 17-character system?
No. An identifier with fewer or more than 17 characters fails this tool’s format check. It needs a reference appropriate to the vehicle and its market.