WMI Lookup
Three characters name a company. Never a badge.
The opening characters of every VIN are a code the federal registry issues to the company that certifies the vehicle. Type them and see the registrant of record — and the badge it sells under, which is often a different name entirely.
- The federal registry itself
- Registrant and badge, side by side
- Six-character small makers accepted
Before you buy
Check any VIN — free, instant, no sign-up
Decode the year, model, trim, plant and engine, then check NMVTIS for title brands and NHTSA for open recalls. The repair does not show on the paint. It shows in the record.
Companies, not marques
The registry issues codes to the legal entity that certifies the vehicle. No code anywhere in it says Chevrolet, and every Lexus resolves to Toyota — the badge is recorded elsewhere in the number.
A fraud check for free
A listing whose VIN opens with a code its claimed maker never registered is not a paperwork quirk. The registry is short, public and exact — a forged prefix has nowhere to hide.
Three characters, three facts
Company, country of issue, broad vehicle class — that is the code’s whole cargo. The model, engine, plant and year live further along, and the full decode reads them all.
