What’s a vehicle registration number (VIN)?

If you’re filling out a form, and have been asked what your car’s VIN, or vehicle registration number, is, and you have no idea where to find it, or what it even is for that matter, don’t panic.

The VIN, simply put, is your car’s 17-character version of a fingerprint. You know, no two cars have the same VIN and all that.

A VIN can tell you a car’s unique features, specifications and the manufacturer. It can also be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts and insurance coverage. Here’s a breakdown of those 17 all-important characters:

Is the VIN always 17 characters long?

Short answer: yes. If you’ve noted down a VIN that’s not 17 characters, chances are you’ve copied it down wrong, or you own a pre-1981 car.

Not judging, we all like to collect classics, but you see before 1981, VINs were even more unique than they are today. They could be anywhere from 11 to 17 characters in length.

Worth mentioning here that if you do have a golden oldie, some online VIN checkers may not be able to pull up a report on them. The downside of having a beaut from the heyday.

Where is the VIN number?

Automakers have made it incredibly easy for you to find your VIN. If you climb out of your car at the driver’s side and look at the corner of the dashboard where it meets the windshield, chances are you’ll see the 17 characters in all their glory.

If you can’t see it there, open the driver’s side door and look where the door latches when it’s closed (the door post). You’ll probably find the VIN there too. In fact, on some models, they’ve printed the VIN in several locations, for your convenience:

If you’re UAE-based, you can also find your VIN number on the vehicle registration card. See where it says Chassis number? That’s what you’re looking for:

Why does Mikaniki ask for the VIN?

For the same reason someone would ask you for your ID number. Once entered, it’ll allow garages to pull up all the information about your car, which would help them give you a more tailored service.

Vehicle registration number: a VIN-VIN situation #dadjokes.

Mikaniki can help you with your registration needs. Just head on over to our testing and registration page for more information.