VIN lookup and decoder
Free VIN Check Australia
Enter a VIN number to decode the car's make, where it was built, and its likely model and year. Free, with no sign-up.
How an Australian VIN Is Decoded
Every car built for Australia since 1989 has a 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), without the letters I, O or Q. Each position means something, though outside North America makers can code most of them their own way, which is why a free car VIN check can always name the maker but not always the model.
| Characters | What they are | What they tell you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier (WMI) | The maker and the country it built the car in, e.g. KNA is Kia, built in South Korea. |
| 4–9 | Vehicle descriptor (VDS) | The model, body, engine and other details, in the maker's own code. |
| 9 | Check digit | The VDS's last character, calculated from the other 16 to catch a mistyped VIN. Only North American VINs must use it that way, so most cars sold here don't. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the year, e.g. P for 2023. Many cars built for Japan's market use this position for something else. |
| 11 | Plant | The factory that built the car, in the maker's own code. |
| 12–17 | Serial number | This one car's number in the maker's production. |
VIN and Rego Checks in Each State
Your state's own registration check confirms the car is registered and that its details match the VIN. Some take the VIN; others only the number plate. Our free rego check takes you straight to the right one.
| State | Official check | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Check a vehicle registration (Service NSW), by NSW number plate. | Registration expiry, whether it's suspended or cancelled, the CTP insurer, and the last three recorded odometer readings. |
| Victoria | Registration check (VicRoads), by number plate, VIN or chassis number. | The VIN and engine number, make, colour, body type, year of manufacture, and registration status and expiry. |
| Queensland | Check registration status (Transport and Main Roads), by number plate, or by VIN for cars built since 1989. | Registration status and expiry, make, model, body shape and purpose of use. Not the owner. |
| WA | Check your vehicle licence (rego) (Transport WA), by number plate. | Whether the vehicle licence is current, and when it expires. |
| SA | Check a vehicle registration (Service SA), by number plate. | Registration expiry, make, body type, colour, the CTP insurer and the last four characters of the VIN, to match against the car. |
None of them shows money owing on the car, and only NSW's paid vehicle history report shows write-offs. For those, run a PPSR check, part of a full used car check before you buy.
Questions Answered
Can I do a VIN check for free in Australia?
Yes. Enter the VIN above for the car's make, where it was built, and its likely model and year, with no sign-up. Then, to inspect the car, Shufti's free General inspection guide for its make and model takes you through the checks that matter, one at a time on your phone.
What should I check after a VIN check?
Run a PPSR check for money owing, theft and write-offs, check its recalls on the Vehicle Recalls site, then inspect the car in person. Shufti's free General inspection guide for its make and model takes you through the checks at the car, on your phone. See the full used car check for what each check shows.
How do I look up a car by its VIN number?
Copy the 17-character VIN from the registration papers, the listing or the car itself, and enter it above. The first three characters give the maker and the country it was built in, and the rest are decoded into the likely model and year. Check the result matches the car and its papers.
Where do I find a car's VIN?
On the registration papers, often in the listing, and on the car itself: usually on a plate at the base of the windscreen, in the driver's door frame or in the engine bay. Check the VIN on the car matches the papers before you buy.
Is a VIN check the same as a PPSR check?
No. A VIN check tells you what the car is. A PPSR check on ppsr.gov.au tells you whether there's money owing on it, and whether it's been reported stolen or written off.
How do I do a VIN check in SA?
Decode the VIN above, then use Service SA's registration check with the number plate: it shows the last four characters of the VIN, so you can match them to the car. Victoria and Queensland's checks take the VIN itself; NSW and WA's take the plate. See the table above for each state.
Why doesn't the check always show the model?
Australian-market VINs don't follow one standard: outside North America, makers code the model their own way. We only show a model when our decode agrees on it, and say so when it can't tell, rather than guess.
What if the result is wrong?
Tell us with the "No, this looks wrong" button and, if you know it, what the car really is. We use every report to fix the check.
Found a Car You Like? Inspect It Free
Pick its make and model in Shufti for a free General inspection guide that takes you through the checks at the car, on your phone. When you're serious about it, upgrade to a Tailored check: checks built for that exact car from its listing, repair costs, an offer and a coach to get it, with PPSR and recalls included. $24.99 a check.
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