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VinWhere

VIN Reference

VIN Country Codes

The first character of a VIN marks a broad region of manufacture, but the first one to three characters — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — are needed for a precise country. For example, VINs starting with 1, 4, or 5 indicate the United States, J indicates Japan, W indicates Germany, and KL–KR indicates South Korea.
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Last reviewed July 2026 · Data source: NHTSA vPIC, 49 CFR Part 565 & ISO 3780

The first 1–3 characters of a VIN form the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). The first character often identifies a broad country or region, but the first two or three characters are needed for a precise country or manufacturer lookup. The first character marks the region, and the second character separates countries within that region.

First character: region of manufacture

The first VIN character places the vehicle in a broad geographic region:

First characterRegion
1–5North America
6–7Oceania
8–9South America
A–HAfrica
J–RAsia
S–ZEurope

Common VIN WMI country and region prefixes

Common WMI prefixes and the countries they represent. These are the most frequently seen ranges — a full country lookup uses the first two or three VIN characters.

WMI prefixCountry
1, 4, 5United States
2Canada
3A–3WMexico
8A–8EArgentina
9A–9E, 93–99Brazil
6A–6WAustralia
JJapan
KL–KRSouth Korea
LChina
MA–MEIndia
ML–MRThailand
SA–SMUnited Kingdom
TA–THSwitzerland
TR–TVHungary
VF–VRFrance
VS–VWSpain
WGermany
YS–YWSweden
ZA–ZUItaly
AA–AHSouth Africa

Sources

VIN WMI ranges are defined under 49 CFR Part 565 (NHTSA Vehicle Identification Number requirements) and the ISO 3780 world manufacturer identifier standard, and are reported through the NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder. WMI ranges may require the first two or three characters for precise identification.

Frequently asked questions

Which VIN characters show the country?+

The first character of a 17-character VIN identifies a broad region, but the first two or three characters — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — are needed to pin down the country. For example, a VIN starting with W is Germany, and one starting with KL–KR is South Korea.

What country is a VIN starting with 1, 4, or 5?+

A VIN that starts with 1, 4, or 5 was manufactured in the United States. A 2 indicates Canada, and a 3 (3A–3W) indicates Mexico.

What country is a VIN starting with J or W?+

A VIN starting with J was built in Japan, and a VIN starting with W was built in Germany.

Is the first VIN character enough to identify the country?+

Not always. The first character marks a region (for example, S–Z is Europe). Countries within a region are separated by the second character, so a precise country lookup uses the first two or three characters (the WMI).

What is the source for VIN country codes?+

VIN WMI ranges are defined under 49 CFR Part 565 (NHTSA) and the ISO 3780 world manufacturer identifier standard, and are reported through the NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder.