Canadian · Validation
VIN check-digit validator.
Verify a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number against its real position-9 check digit — the same algorithm used for Canadian and U.S. vehicles. Everything runs in your browser: no VIN ever leaves your device.
Inputs
Result
Enter a 17-character VIN and press Validate.
How the VIN check digit works
Position 9 of a 17-character VIN is a check digit computed from the other 16 characters. Every letter is first transliterated to a number (A=1, B=2 … and so on, skipping I, O and Q, which are never used in a VIN), each of the 17 positions is multiplied by a fixed weight (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 — position 9 itself carries weight 0), the products are summed, and the sum is taken modulo 11. A remainder of 0–9 is the check digit as written; a remainder of 10 is written as the letter X.
This is defined in the United States by 49 CFR Part 565, consistent with the VIN structure in ISO 3779. Canadian-market vehicles use the same 17-character VIN and the same position-9 check digit under Transport Canada’s Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 115 — there is one North American VIN system, not separate Canadian and U.S. checksums.
What this tool also reads
- Position 1 (region): a broad manufacturing region for the World Manufacturer Identifier — for example 1/4/5 for the United States, 2 for Canada, 3 for Mexico. This is not a manufacturer database.
- Position 10 (model year): the model-year code cycles every 30 years, so a letter code can validly mean two different calendar years that are both on the road today. Where that ambiguity is real, both years are shown rather than guessed.
Worked example: 1M8GDM9AXKP042788
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character | 1 | M | 8 | G | D | M | 9 | A | X | K | P | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Value | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Weight | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Product | 8 | 28 | 48 | 35 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 56 | 0 | 24 | 10 | 28 | 24 | 16 |
The products add to 351. 351 mod 11 is 10, which is written as the letter X, and position 9 of this VIN is X, so the check digit matches. Change that X to a 7 and the tool reports that the check digit should be X.
Sources and as-of date
The weights and transliteration are in 49 CFR Part 565. As of 26 October 2026 the example above was re-run through this tool and agrees with the result shown. The same position-9 check is used for Canadian-market vehicles under Transport Canada's CMVSS 115.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the VIN check digit?
Position 9 of the 17-character VIN. It is calculated from the other 16 characters and written as 0 to 9 or the letter X.
Why do VINs never contain I, O or Q?
Those letters are excluded because they are easily confused with 1 and 0. The check-digit transliteration skips them.
Does a valid check digit mean the vehicle history is clean?
No. It shows only that the 17 characters are consistent. Use a vehicle history report for liens, salvage or odometer issues.
What a passing checksum does and doesn’t tell you
A valid check digit only proves the 17 characters are internally consistent — it does not confirm the VIN was ever assigned to a real vehicle, is not a duplicate, or is free of a lien, salvage brand or odometer rollback. For that, use Transport Canada’s vehicle recall/registration checks or a paid history report (CARFAX Canada, CarProof). This tool runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type is transmitted, stored, or logged.