Find a chassis number from a reg
The chassis number of a modern vehicle is its VIN. Enter the number plate and get it.
Chassis number, VIN, frame number: one number
Parts catalogues, insurers and garages use three names for the same thing. The logbook prints all of them on one line: “VIN/Chassis/Frame No.”. If someone has asked you for a chassis number and your vehicle was built after about 1981, they are asking for the 17-character VIN.
Why a parts supplier asks for it
A make, model and year narrow a part down; they often do not settle it. Manufacturers change brakes, sensors and trim part-way through a model year, and fit different parts to cars built in different factories. The chassis number says which car came off which line and when, so the supplier can match the part to that exact build. There is more on this in VIN for car parts.
What you get from the lookup
The full chassis number, ready to copy, with the make, model, year of registration, body type and fuel type where they are recorded. It appears on screen and is emailed to you.
If you have the vehicle or its paperwork
You may not need to pay anyone. The number is on the V5C logbook and stamped on the vehicle itself. See where to find a VIN for the places to look.
FAQ
Chassis number questions
- Is the chassis number the same as the VIN?
- On any vehicle built since the early 1980s, yes. The 17-character VIN replaced the manufacturer’s own chassis numbering, and the two terms now mean the same number.
- Can I find a chassis number from a number plate?
- Yes. Enter the registration and we return the VIN recorded for that vehicle, which is its chassis number. It costs £2.50 and you are not charged if we cannot find it.
- What about a classic car with a short chassis number?
- Vehicles built before 17-character VINs have shorter chassis numbers in the maker’s own format. This lookup only charges for a full 17-character VIN, so for an older vehicle the logbook (V5C) or the plate on the car is the place to look.
- Where is the chassis number on the logbook?
- On a V5C it is in the vehicle details section, on the line marked "VIN/Chassis/Frame No.".
More guides
- Find a VIN without the V5CLost the logbook and need the VIN to replace it.
- VIN for car partsWhy parts suppliers ask for it and how to give it to them.
- Where to find a VINOn the vehicle, on the paperwork, and from the plate.
- What is a VIN?What the 17 characters mean, with the prefixes of common makes.
- VIN year chartThe 10th character and the year it stands for.
- VIN check UKWhat you can check once you have the VIN, and what is free.
Need the chassis number now?
£2.50 for one lookup, no account, and nothing to pay if we cannot find the VIN.
Find a VIN from a reg