Find Your Paint Code On Your Car Fast

Download ArticleDownload Article

You can easily cover scratches or spots on your vehicle by touching them up with your car’s original paint color. Finding an exact match for your paint color is the only way to ensure your touch-ups blend in seamlessly—but how do you find the color code for your paint? In this article, we’ll tell you exactly where to look on your car to find your color code for the perfect match. And, if you can’t find your color code anywhere, we’ll give you some alternative solutions you can try instead.

Things You Should Know

  • Look for your vehicle information sticker to find your color code. Usually, it’s located on your dash, inside your door jamb, or in the trunk.
  • If you can’t find your vehicle information sticker, try looking up your VIN on your car title or insurance. Then, you can contact your dealership.
  • Look up your car’s make and model on a color code database for an easy way to find your color code.
Section 1 of 4:

Where do I find the paint color code on my car?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Check the driver’s side dashboard or the inside door jamb.
    Most vehicles have a vehicle information sticker that lists the VIN and the paint color code.[1] Check the dashboard on the driver’s side or the inside of the driver’s side door jamb to find this sticker and check the color code. Other possible locations for this sticker include:
    • On the passenger side door jamb
    • In the trunk under the spare tire
    • Underneath the engine block
    • To save yourself time and effort, read your car’s manual to see where the vehicle information sticker is.
  2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

What does a paint color code look like?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: A paint color code is usually labeled with “EXT PT.”
    When you’re looking at the vehicle information sticker, check near the bottom to find the paint color code. The color code is usually a mixture of numbers and letters (or it might just be letters).[2] In some cars, the code may be labeled with “C” instead.
    • These codes may be separated into the body color and trim color, which are sometimes different.
Section 3 of 4:

Can you use the VIN to find the paint color code?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Yes, you can use your VIN to look up your paint color code if needed.
    Maybe you can’t locate your paint color code on the car, but you have the VIN written down somewhere. If that’s the case, you can simply call up your car dealership and read them the VIN, and they’ll look up the paint color code for you.[3]
  2. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

How to Find Your VIN

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Look for the 17-character VIN on your vehicle title.
    Your vehicle title is the legal document you receive when purchasing a car that lists you as its owner. This document will feature important information about your car, such as the make, year of manufacture, and current license plate number.[4] Locate your vehicle title and look for a code with a combination of 17 letters and numbers.[5]
    • There may be fewer characters in your VIN if your vehicle was manufactured before 1981.
  2. How.com.vn English: Step 2 Get the VIN from your vehicle registration certificate.
    Your registration certificate is proof that your vehicle is owned by you and registered to you. This document features information about the driver and the car, including the make and model of the vehicle and the year it was manufactured. Look for the VIN right after these other car details.[6]
    • A car must be registered before it can be driven on public roads.
  3. How.com.vn English: Step 3 Check your insurance papers to see if your VIN is listed.
    When you insure your vehicle, you have to provide information about it to the insurance company. As such, your VIN should be listed on your insurance policy and may appear on insurance documents that you receive by mail. Check your automobile insurance papers to look for the 17 character VIN.[7]
    • Contact your insurance company for assistance if you can’t find your paperwork.
  4. How.com.vn English: Step 4 Search your car repair records if you have had work done.
    Knowing your car’s VIN allows mechanics to find out precise details about how it was manufactured and what parts were used to build it. Check any repair receipts and records you may have to look for the VIN. The number may be written on these documents for reference.[8]
    • You should keep copies of your car repair records to prove that you have done your part to keep your vehicle in good shape if you eventually want to sell it.
  5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I match the paint color on my car?
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    How.com.vn Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Once you find the color code, visit your auto body shop. They can use the code to pick out a paint that matches the color of your car, and can make adjustments if the match isn’t exact.
  • Question
    What color is my Ford?
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    How.com.vn Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    To find the color code for your Ford, look at the door jamb on the driver’s side. You should find an information label there. The color code should look like 2 characters (letters or numbers) followed by a / and a longer string of letters and numbers.
  • Question
    What is the hardest color to match on a car?
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff Editor
    How.com.vn Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Silver and metallic paints are the most difficult to match, since it’s hard to achieve the same level of metallic shine when mixing up new paint.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • Consider storing your VIN somewhere outside of your vehicle to have quick access to it in emergency situations.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      About This Article

      How.com.vn English: Audra Fordin
      Co-authored by:
      Certified Automotive Technician
      This article was co-authored by Audra Fordin and by How.com.vn staff writer, Hannah Madden. Audra Fordin is a Certified Automotive Technician, the Founder of Women Auto Know, and the Owner of Great Bear Auto Repair in Flushing, New York. With more than 38 years of experience, she has intensive knowledge about foreign and domestic auto repairs. Audra has been featured on numerous news and talk shows such as The Today Show, Inside Edition, and Anderson Cooper. This article has been viewed 543,433 times.
      26 votes - 39%
      Co-authors: 6
      Updated: July 29, 2023
      Views: 543,433
      Article SummaryX

      You can find a car color code by reading the vehicle information sticker inside the car. If the car requires touch-ups or repair work, you'll need the color code to determine the exact paint color. To locate the vehicle information sticker, try looking on the inside of the door jamb, on the inside of the car door, or on the driver’s side interior dash. Once you have found the sticker, find the label “VIN” to get the color code for the car. Sometimes the codes will be separated into the body color and the trim color. If you can’t find the “VIN” label, look for a “C” code instead. This indicates color and will state the car color code. To decode the car color code, contact your car dealership or manufacturer. For more information about finding a car color code, like how to find your car’s vehicle identification number, read on!

      Did this summary help you?

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 543,433 times.

      Did this article help you?

      ⚠️ Disclaimer:

      Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
      Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.

      Notices:
      • - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
      • - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
      • - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
      • - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.

      Advertisement