NHTSA VIN check

Client

NHTSA publishes the mod-11 check-digit method for US-market VINs. This page applies that arithmetic in your browser—it does not call NHTSA recall or decode APIs.

Check digit vs NHTSA decode

NHTSA also hosts manufacturer decode tables and safety databases. This tool covers checksum validation only—use official NHTSA tools for recalls and detailed decode.

Privacy: parsing runs only in your browser. This page does not query DMV, insurance, or manufacturer databases—only the published mod-11 rule for the ninth character.
?

After removing spaces and hyphens, the frame must be exactly 17 characters. Letters I, O, and Q are forbidden everywhere. Position 9 (index 8) is the check symbol: decimal 0–9 or X for remainder ten. Each symbol maps to a numeric value, is multiplied by a fixed weight for its position, products are summed, and sum mod 11 must equal the check symbol’s value (X → 10).

Result

Passes check digit — weighted sum mod 11 is 10; expected X.

  • WMI (positions 1–3): 1HG
  • Attributes (4–8): BH41J
  • Check (9): X
  • Model year code (10): M
  • Plant (11): N
  • Sequential (12–17): 109186

Common use cases

  • Sanity-check digits before using external NHTSA portals.
  • Document the public algorithm for engineering trainees.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Expecting NHTSA recall data from check-digit pass

    Recalls and complaints require separate NHTSA searches.

FAQ

Does this query NHTSA?

No—only the published check-digit math runs locally.

Common search terms

Phrases people search for that match this tool. See the full long-tail keyword index.

  • vin check digit verifier online
  • validate vin number mod 11 free
  • ninth position vin checksum browser
  • iso 3779 vin check digit calculator
  • vehicle identification number check digit locally

More tools

Related utilities you can open in another tab—mostly client-side.