VIN checksum validator

Check 17-character VINs and their ninth-position digit, and inspect fields

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)

Check a VIN’s length, allowed characters, and check digit.

Valid VIN

Length, allowed characters, and check digit all pass.

Validation result

Status: Valid VIN / Check digit: Pass

Status
Valid VIN
Length
17 / 17Pass
Length check
Pass
Character check
PassA-H, J-N, P, R-Z, 0-9
Check digit
PassExpected: X · Actual: X
Normalized VIN
1M8GDM9AXKP042788

What is a VIN?

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a 17-character code that uniquely identifies a vehicle.

  • 1M8GDM9AXKP042788
  • Letters I, O, Q are not used
  • The 9th character is a check digit

VIN structure

  1. WMI (positions 1-3): World Manufacturer Identifier
  2. VDS (positions 4-8): Vehicle Descriptor Section
  3. Check digit (position 9): computed from all other characters
  4. VIS (positions 10-17): Vehicle Identifier Section

Check digit

Each letter is transliterated to a number (A=1, B=2, and so on, skipping I, O, Q). Each position has a weight. The weighted sum mod 11 gives the check digit; 10 is represented by X.

(w1×v1 + w2×v2 + ... + w17×v17) mod 11

This tool validates format and check digit rules only. It does not verify real-world registration.

How to use

Enter or paste a VIN to check its 17-character length, allowed characters, and check digit immediately. Copy the normalized VIN from the validation result when available.