What Is a VIN Number and Where Do You Find It on Your Car?
VIN. Three letters that become very important very quickly when you've lost your car keys. Your locksmith asks for it. The insurance company asks for it. VicRoads has it on file. But most people have never actually looked at theirs.
Here's what a VIN is, where to find it, and why it matters, especially if you need a car key replacement.
What Does VIN Stand For?
Vehicle Identification Number. It's a 17-character code that's unique to your specific car. Not your car model. Your actual individual car. No two vehicles in the world share a VIN. Think of it as your car's fingerprint. Or its passport number, if passports had 17 digits and were stamped into sheet metal.
What a VIN Looks Like
A VIN is exactly 17 characters long and uses a combination of numbers and capital letters. It looks something like this:
JTDKN3DU5A0123456
No spaces. No special characters. And it never includes the letters I, O, or Q, because they look too similar to 1, 0, and 9 and would cause confusion.
What the Characters Mean
Each section of the VIN tells you something different about the car:
Characters 1–3: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)
Where the car was made and by whom.
- 1 = United States
- J = Japan
- W = Germany
- 6 = Australia
- Example: JTD = Toyota, manufactured in Japan
Characters 4–8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
The model, body type, engine type, and transmission. This is where the technical specs live.
Character 9: Check Digit
A mathematical verification digit that confirms the VIN hasn't been tampered with. It's calculated from all the other characters.
Characters 10–17: Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS)
The year of manufacture, the assembly plant, and the unique serial number for your individual vehicle.
You don't need to memorise any of this. But it's why the VIN is so useful. It encodes the complete identity of your car in 17 characters.
Where to Find Your VIN
This is the practical bit. Your VIN is physically located in several places on the car, plus recorded in paperwork.
On the Car
1. Base of the windscreen (driver's side)
The most common location. Look at the bottom of the windscreen on the driver's side, where the glass meets the dashboard. There's a small metal plate visible from outside the car. This is the one locksmiths look for first because you can read it without unlocking the car. Handy when, you know, you've lost the key.
2. Driver's door jamb
Open the driver's door and look at the area where the door meets the body of the car. There's usually a sticker with the VIN, along with tyre pressure information and paint codes.
3. Engine bay
On some vehicles, the VIN is stamped into the firewall or the inner guard in the engine bay. Location varies by manufacturer.
4. Under the spare tyre
Some cars have the VIN stamped into the floor of the boot, under the spare tyre or boot floor panel.
5. Inside the driver's side front wheel arch
Less common, but some manufacturers stamp it here.
VIN Location Diagram
┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │ WINDSCREEN │ │ [1] VIN plate ← bottom left │ ├─────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ [2] Door jamb ← driver's door │ │ │ │ CABIN │ │ │ ├─────────────────────────────────┤ │ BOOT │ │ [4] Under spare tyre │ └─────────────────────────────────┘ [3] Engine bay, firewall or inner guard [5] Inside front wheel arch (some models)
Pro tip: If you can't find the physical VIN on the car, every VIN location is also documented in your owner's manual. Check the index for "VIN" or "Vehicle Identification Number."
On Paperwork
Registration certificate. Your VicRoads registration papers list the VIN. This is the easiest place to find it if you're at home and the car is somewhere else.
VicRoads app / myVic app. Your digital registration record includes the VIN.
Insurance documents. Your car insurance policy should list the VIN.
Service records. Any dealer service receipt will have the VIN printed on it.
Finance documents. If you're still paying the car off, the finance contract includes the VIN.
Why We Need Your VIN for Key Replacement
When you've lost all your car keys and there's no original to copy, the VIN is how we generate a new key from scratch.
Here's what the VIN tells our equipment:
Key blade profile. The specific cut pattern for the physical key. Your car's locks were manufactured to match a specific key code, and the VIN lets us look up that code.
Transponder type. What kind of transponder chip your car uses. Different manufacturers and even different model years use different chip types and encryption protocols.
Programming protocol. The specific procedure needed to pair a new transponder with your car's immobiliser. This varies by brand and era.
Without the VIN, we'd be guessing. With it, we know exactly what key to cut and exactly how to program it. The VIN turns an all-keys-lost situation from "big problem" into "45-minute job."
VIN vs Registration Number
People sometimes confuse these. They're different things.
Registration number (rego). The plates on your car. Issued by VicRoads. Changes if you get new plates. Different in each state.
VIN. Assigned by the manufacturer at the factory. Permanent. International. Never changes for the life of the vehicle.
Your rego identifies your car within Victoria. Your VIN identifies your car globally, permanently, and with much more detail.
Can Someone Misuse My VIN?
Not really. Your VIN is visible through the windscreen to anyone who walks past. It's not a secret number. It's more like a car's birth certificate than a PIN code.
That said, don't share it randomly online or with people you don't trust. In rare cases, VINs have been used in vehicle rebirthing scams (cloning a stolen car's identity onto a legitimate VIN). But this is a law enforcement issue, not something that affects you getting a key cut.
When we ask for your VIN, it's purely for key generation and programming. We also verify proof of ownership to make sure the car belongs to you.
Need Your VIN for a Key Replacement?
If you can read the VIN through the windscreen and have proof of ownership (rego papers on your phone is fine), you've got everything we need to get started.
Call Buzz on 0456 013 246 with your VIN, make, model, and year. We'll give you a quote in under a minute and can usually be there the same day.
All keys come with a 3-year warranty on parts and labour.