Your VIN does not contain your paint code, but it unlocks it. Any dealership parts counter can read the factory code from your VIN in about a minute, free of charge. Faster still, the code is printed on a sticker that is already on the car. Genuine OEM Painted Parts, in Eaton, Colorado, confirms both the code and the fitment with the manufacturer before painting any part.
Updated October 2026. Covers every make we paint parts for.
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What a paint code actually is
A paint code is the manufacturer’s short ID for the exact color formula your car was sprayed with at the factory. It is not the marketing name. “Deep Crystal Blue” might look like three other blues in the parking lot, but only one code, something like Toyota’s 8X8 or GM’s WA636R, maps to the precise formula a paint mixer needs. Two cars in “the same blue” can carry different codes, and ordering by the name instead of the code is how color mismatches happen.
Can the VIN itself tell you the color?
Not directly, and this is the part most articles get wrong. Your 17-character VIN does not encode the paint color. What it does is identify your exact build in the manufacturer’s records, and those records include the paint code applied on the line. That is why a dealer can tell you your code from the VIN in seconds, and it is why we verify every order against the VIN with the vehicle manufacturer before anything gets sprayed. The VIN is the key to the answer, not the answer itself.
Free online VIN decoders usually stop at year, engine, plant and trim. A few show color, most do not, and some show the wrong one. Trust the dealer lookup or the sticker on the car.
Where the paint code is on the car, make by make
Reading the sticker is faster than any lookup. The exact spot and the shape of the code vary by manufacturer, so find yours below. Each section links to the painted parts we carry for that make.
Where is the paint code on a Toyota, Lexus or Scion?
Open the driver’s door and look at the label on the door jamb or the pillar it closes against. The line marked C/TR carries two codes: the first is the exterior color, the second is the trim. Toyota and Lexus color codes are three characters, such as 202 for Black, 040 for Super White or 1F7 for Classic Silver Metallic. Scion used the same system. See our painted Toyota parts, painted Lexus parts and painted Scion parts.
Where is the paint code on a Honda or Acura?
The label is on the driver’s door jamb. Honda and Acura codes are easy to spot because they carry a letter prefix, a dash and a number, sometimes with a letter suffix: NH-731P is Crystal Black Pearl, NH-883P is Platinum White Pearl. Write down the whole thing, suffix included, because the suffix changes the formula. Browse painted Honda parts and painted Acura parts.
Where is the paint code on a Ford or Lincoln?
Ford prints it on the safety compliance certification label on the driver’s door jamb, in the box marked EXT PNT. The code is two characters, letters or a letter and a digit: UX is Ingot Silver, YZ is Oxford White, UM is Agate Black. Lincoln uses the same label and the same code style. Browse painted Ford parts and painted Lincoln parts.
Where is the paint code on a Chevrolet, GMC, Buick or Cadillac?
General Motors puts it on the Service Parts Identification label, usually inside the glove box. On older vehicles check the trunk, under the spare tire cover or the center console lid. Find the line that starts BC/CC (base coat, clear coat) and the code follows it. Older codes start with WA, such as WA8555 for Black; newer vehicles use a three-character code such as GBA, also Black, often printed alongside the WA number. Our Chevy and GM paint code guide shows how to read the whole label. Browse painted Chevrolet parts, painted GMC parts, painted Buick parts and painted Cadillac parts.
Where is the paint code on a Jeep, Ram, Dodge or Chrysler?
Look at the label on the driver’s door jamb for the field marked PNT. The code is three characters starting with P: PX8 is Pitch Black, PW7 is Bright White, PSC is Billet Silver Metallic. If you only see a long string of characters, the paint code is the three that follow PNT. Browse painted Jeep parts, painted Dodge and Ram parts and painted Chrysler parts.
Where is the paint code on a Nissan or Infiniti?
The label sits on the driver’s door jamb or the pillar beside it. Nissan and Infiniti codes are three characters, a letter followed by two more letters or digits: KH3 is Super Black, QAB is Pearl White, K23 is Brilliant Silver. The same code appears on the label as COLOR. Browse painted Nissan parts and painted Infiniti parts.
Where is the paint code on a Hyundai, Kia or Genesis?
Open the driver’s door and check the label on the door jamb or the lower pillar. Codes are two or three characters: Kia’s ABP is Aurora Black Pearl and SWP is Snow White Pearl, Hyundai’s NKA is Phantom Black. Genesis follows the Hyundai pattern. Browse painted Hyundai parts and painted Kia parts.
Where is the paint code on a Subaru?
On most recent Subarus the label is on the driver’s door jamb. On older models it is under the hood, on the firewall or the strut tower. The color code is three characters mixing letters and digits and sits next to the trim code on the same label. Browse painted Subaru parts.
Where is the paint code on a Mazda?
Check the driver’s door jamb label first; on older models the plate is on the firewall under the hood. Mazda codes are three characters: 41W is Jet Black Mica, 46V is Soul Red Crystal, 25D is Snowflake White Pearl. Browse painted Mazda parts.
Where is the paint code on a Mitsubishi?
Mitsubishi uses a vehicle information code plate, usually on the firewall under the hood, with newer models adding a label on the driver’s door jamb. The color code is a letter followed by two digits. Browse painted Mitsubishi parts.
Where is the paint code on a Volkswagen, Audi or Porsche?
Volkswagen and Audi put a vehicle data sticker in the trunk, under the floor panel or in the spare wheel well, and a duplicate in the service booklet. Codes are four characters starting with L: LC9X is Deep Black Pearl and LB9A is Pure White on Volkswagen, LY9B is Brilliant Black on Audi. Porsche’s sticker is in the front luggage compartment and the maintenance booklet. Browse painted Volkswagen parts, painted Audi parts and painted Porsche parts.
Where is the paint code on a BMW or MINI?
The label is on the driver’s door pillar on most models; some put it under the hood on the strut tower or inner fender. BMW codes are three digits, sometimes with a letter: 475 is Black Sapphire Metallic, 300 is Alpine White, 668 is Jet Black. MINI shares the system. Browse painted BMW parts and painted MINI parts.
Where is the paint code on a Mercedes-Benz?
Newer models carry the label on the driver’s door pillar. Older ones have a plate on the radiator support under the hood. The code is three digits: 040 is Black, 197 is Obsidian Black Metallic, 149 is Polar White, 775 is Iridium Silver Metallic. Browse painted Mercedes-Benz parts.
Where is the paint code on a Volvo or Polestar?
Open the driver’s door and read the label on the door jamb or pillar. Volvo codes are three digits: 019 is Black Stone, 614 is Ice White, 707 is Crystal White Pearl. Polestar follows the Volvo numbering. Browse painted Volvo parts.
Where is the paint code on a Tesla?
Tesla lists the paint code on the driver’s door jamb label on most cars, and it is also on your original order and window sticker. Codes are four letters starting with P: PBSB is Solid Black, PPSW is Pearl White Multi-Coat, PMNG is Midnight Silver Metallic, PPMR is Red Multi-Coat. Browse painted Tesla parts.
Where is the paint code on a Jaguar or Land Rover?
The label is in the driver’s door opening, on the jamb or the pillar. Codes are three characters, a digit then two letters: 1AG is Santorini Black and 1AA is Fuji White, shared across both brands. Browse painted Jaguar parts and painted Land Rover parts.
Where is the paint code on an Alfa Romeo or Fiat?
Both carry a label on the driver’s door jamb and repeat the code in the service booklet. The color code is three digits, listed as the vernice or paint line on the label. Browse painted Alfa Romeo parts and painted Fiat parts.
Sticker missing, repainted, or unreadable?
It happens on older cars, after bodywork, or when a jamb sticker has been peeled. You still have two good options. A dealership parts counter can pull the code from your VIN at no charge. Or order your part from us and skip the homework: we take your VIN, confirm the original paint code with the vehicle manufacturer, and paint to that formula.
How we use your VIN and paint code
When you order a painted part from us, the VIN does double duty. We confirm the part fits your exact build, including sub-model and trim differences, and we confirm the factory color code with the manufacturer before painting. The part is sprayed in PPG Envirobase waterborne paint, the same class of system OEM factories use, then shipped flat and protected, never folded, with a lifetime warranty on the paint. Turnaround is 5 days once the part arrives at our shop.
Paint code questions we hear a lot
Can I get a paint code from a VIN number?
Yes, through anyone with access to the manufacturer’s build records. A dealership parts department can do it in a minute at no cost, and we do it on every order. The VIN itself does not spell out the color, so a plain VIN decoder will usually not show it.
Can I find my paint code by VIN for free?
Yes. Any dealership parts department for your brand can look up the paint code by VIN at no cost. Online VIN decoders are hit and miss for color, so trust the dealer lookup or the sticker on the car.
Is the color name on the window sticker enough?
No. Names get reused and revised across years, and several formulas can share one name. Always order paint work by the code, not the name.
Where is the paint code on a Honda?
On the label inside the driver’s door jamb. It reads as a letter prefix, a dash and a number, such as NH-731P for Crystal Black Pearl. Copy the suffix letter too.
My car was repainted. Does the code still apply?
The code tells you the factory color, not what is on the car today. If your car wears a non-factory color, a painted-to-code part will not match. In that case send us a part inquiry and we will talk through options before you order.
Find your part, painted to your code
Browse your make and model in our catalog, send us the VIN and paint code at checkout, and we handle the rest. Can’t find your vehicle or part? Send a part inquiry and we will source it. More answers on ordering, shipping, and the lifetime paint warranty are on our FAQ page.
Ready to order with your paint code
Once you have the code, you can go straight to the part you need. Every panel is painted to that exact factory code and checked against your VIN before it ships, so the finish matches the car it is going on.
- Painted front bumpers
- Painted rear bumpers
- Painted fenders
- Painted side mirror covers
- Painted fuel doors
- Painted tailgates
You can also browse all 72 part types, find parts by make and model, or read how to replace a front bumper cover yourself once your painted part arrives.