How to look up a window sticker by VIN

To look up a window sticker by VIN, you use the car’s 17-character VIN to find a copy of its original Monroney label, or to build a new sticker from the VIN’s factory data. The VIN is the key, because each original sticker was printed for one VIN.

This guide shows where to find the VIN, where a copy can come from, and what to do when no original exists.

Step 1: Find the VIN

The VIN is printed in several places on the car and on its papers.

• On the dashboard, at the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.
• On a label in the driver’s door jamb.
• On the title, the registration card and the insurance card.

A modern VIN has exactly 17 characters. It never uses the letters I, O or Q, because they are easy to confuse with 1 and 0.

Copy it carefully. One wrong character points to a different car, or to no car at all. In North America the 9th character is a check digit, so a single mistyped character usually makes the VIN fail the check. To learn what each character means, read what a VIN tells you.

Step 2: Decide between an original and a rebuilt sticker

An original sticker is a copy of the Monroney label the factory printed for that VIN. It shows the factory option list and the original prices exactly as they were.

A rebuilt sticker is made from the VIN’s decoded data. It shows the year, make, model, trim, engine and other decoded details, and you can add what the decode cannot see.

Buyers who want to check a car’s factory options should look for the original first. Dealers who need a clean sticker for the lot can use either.

Step 3: Get the sticker

For dealers: VinAssessment Window Sticker

Enter the VIN in Window Sticker. When we hold the OEM record for that VIN, you get the original Monroney as a print-ready PDF.

OEM coverage spans 18 brands: Jeep, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Ram, Subaru, Ford, GMC, Dodge, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Buick, Cadillac, Genesis, Lincoln, Infiniti, Alfa Romeo and FIAT.

For any other VIN, the Custom Builder decodes the VIN and fills in a Monroney-style sticker. You edit the fields you need and print it.

Busy lots can paste a list of VINs and download the stickers as a ZIP of PDFs. Stickers you save in the Custom Builder get a share link and a printed QR code, so a buyer can scan the window and read the sticker on a phone.

You can try the Custom Builder for free in the window sticker builder demo. The demo adds a watermark and does not download PDFs.

For car buyers and owners

Our sister site VehiLeaks.com looks up the original window sticker by VIN for shoppers and owners.

You can also ask a franchised dealer for the brand. Some manufacturers make copies of original stickers available to their dealers or to owners.

Step 4: Check the sticker against the car

Before you rely on a sticker, compare it with the car in front of you.

• The VIN on the sticker matches the VIN on the dashboard and the door jamb.
• The trim, engine and drivetrain match the car.
• The exterior and interior colors match.
• The listed packages match the features you can see, such as a sunroof or a towing hitch.

If something does not match, the car may have been changed after it was built. It is also possible that the listing or the paperwork is wrong.

When there is no original sticker

Some VINs have no original sticker that can be found. This is more common for older model years and for brands that do not share sticker records.

In that case, a sticker built from the VIN decode is the practical option. It covers the identity of the car and its main specs. Factory options that the VIN does not encode have to be checked on the car itself.

For more factory detail, look the VIN up in our factory build sheets by VIN.

Remember that the prices on any sticker are the original MSRP, not today’s value. For today’s market, see car prices by model.

To understand every block on the label, read how to read a window sticker.