VIN check digit calculator
Enter a 17-character VIN to see whether its 9th character is right. The calculator shows every step: the value of each character, its weight, the sum and the remainder of 11.
| Pos. | Char. | Value | Weight | Product |
|---|
How the check digit is calculated
- 1Turn letters into numbers
Digits keep their value. Letters get the values in the table below (A = 1, B = 2 … H = 8, J = 1 … R = 9, S = 2 … Z = 9).
- 2Multiply by the weight
Each position has a fixed weight: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Position 9 weighs 0, so the check digit does not count itself.
- 3Add up and divide by 11
The remainder of the sum divided by 11 is the check digit. A remainder of 10 is written as X.
- 4Compare with position 9
If the result equals the 9th character, the VIN passes. If not, there is a typo, or the VIN was altered.
Letter valuesI, O and Q have no value: they are not allowed in a VIN.
| Letter | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Letter | N | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 5 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Worked example: 1HGCM82633A004352A 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 coupe built in Marysville, Ohio.
| Pos. | Char. | Value | Weight | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | H | 8 | 7 | 56 |
| 3 | G | 7 | 6 | 42 |
| 4 | C | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 5 | M | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| 6 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 24 |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 60 |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 27 |
| 11 | A | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 14 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20 |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 |
| 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Sum: 311. 311 ÷ 11 leaves a remainder of 3, so the check digit is 3, the same as the 9th character of the VIN.
North America vs. Europe
Every vehicle built for the US or Canada since the 1981 model year has a valid check digit. In Europe the 9th character is often a filler such as Z or 0, so a failed check is normal for many European-market VINs.
What a failed check means
On a US-market vehicle it means a typo or a VIN that was changed. Cloned VINs, copied from a legal car onto a stolen one, often fail the check because the thief changed one character.
What it does not prove
A valid check digit only shows that the 17 characters are consistent. It says nothing about the history: a stolen or salvaged car keeps a valid VIN.
Decode the VIN: make, model, year, engine · Model year from the 10th character
Check digit questions
What is the VIN check digit?
The 9th character of a 17-character VIN. It is computed from the other 16 characters with a fixed formula, so that a mistyped or altered VIN can be detected. It is a digit from 0 to 9 or the letter X, which stands for 10.
Is the check digit used on every car?
It is mandatory on vehicles made for the US and Canadian markets (49 CFR Part 565 in the US). Makers outside North America may use it, and many do, but European rules do not require it, so a European-market VIN can fail the test and still be genuine.
My VIN fails the check. What now?
First compare it character by character with the VIN on the dashboard and on the door jamb label: a 0 typed for a D, or an 8 for a B, is the usual cause. If a US-market vehicle really carries a VIN that fails, treat it as a red flag (a cloned or altered VIN) and check the history before you buy.
Why are I, O and Q not allowed in a VIN?
They are too easy to confuse with 1 and 0. Because of that rule, the letter values used for the check digit skip I, O and Q.
More VIN guides
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Car, truck, motorcycle, trailer and the papers: every place the 17 characters are printed.
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The model year from the 10th character, 1980 to 2039, and how to tell 1990 from 2020.
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Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk titles: what they mean and how to find them by VIN.