API · sold on RapidAPI · BASIC $0 / month

VIN Decoder API

Q: Which decode endpoint should I use?

/v2.0/decode_vin. It has the most fields, including the features list. /v1.1/decode_vin and /decode_vin still work and return subsets.

Q: What does "not found" look like?

Decode and salvage return {"success":false}. Plate lookups return a 404 with "code": "plate_not_found".

Three lookups behind one RapidAPI key: decode a VIN into 22 fields, check it against our salvage records, or turn a US plate into a VIN. Two headers in, JSON out.

Get API key on RapidAPI Quickstart

Spec plate

VINFREECHECK · V2.0

Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com
Auth: X-RapidAPI-Key
X-RapidAPI-Host
Format: JSON over HTTPS
Lookups: VIN decode · salvage · US plate
VIN input: 17 charactersNorth American check digit, position 9
Plans: BASIC $0 · PRO $69 · ULTRA $99per month, billed by RapidAPI

Sold through RapidAPI

01Endpoints

Endpoints

Base URL https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com. Build on /v2.0/decode_vin; the older decode paths are still served for existing integrations.

Endpoint	Input	Returns
GET`/v2.0/decode_vin`VIN decode · current	`vin` · 17 characters	Year, make, model, trim, engine, style, country of manufacture, steering, ABS, tank size, height, length, width, seating, city and highway mpg, fuel type, transmission, drive type, features list. 22 fields.
GET`/v1.1/decode_vin` GET`/decode_vin`Older versions · still served	`vin`	Subsets of the v2.0 fields.
GET`/salvage_check`Salvage check	`vin`	Whether the VIN is in our salvage records, plus title, mileage, primary and secondary damage, and loss type.
POST`/api/v4/decode_plate`US plate lookup	`plate`, `state` · 2-letter	The VIN for that plate.

Parameters and headers

Name	Where	Used by	Rules
`vin`	Query string	`decode_vin`, `salvage_check`	Required. A 17-character VIN; case doesn't matter. Decoding also needs a valid North American check digit (position 9) and no I, O or Q.
`plate`	Form body	`decode_plate`	Required. The plate as issued, at least 3 characters.
`state`	Form body	`decode_plate`	Required. Two-letter code of the issuing state, e.g. `TX`.
`X-RapidAPI-Key`	Header	Every request	Your key from RapidAPI. Keep it on your server.
`X-RapidAPI-Host`	Header	Every request	`vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com`

02Quickstart

Quickstart

Nothing to sign up for on this site. Keys, plans and billing all live on RapidAPI.

Subscribe
Open the VinFreeCheck listing on RapidAPI and pick a plan. BASIC is $0 a month.
Copy your key
RapidAPI puts your X-RapidAPI-Key in the listing's code snippets.
Call the API
Send the key and X-RapidAPI-Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com with every request, from your server.

Decode a VIN

curl -G "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/v2.0/decode_vin" \
  --data "vin=1VWBT7A33GC006401" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: $RAPIDAPI_KEY" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com"

const url = new URL("https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/v2.0/decode_vin");
url.searchParams.set("vin", "1VWBT7A33GC006401");

const res = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
    "X-RapidAPI-Key": process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
    "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
  },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (data.success) {
  const { year, make, model } = data.specification;
  console.log(year, make, model); // 2016 Volkswagen Passat SE
}

import os, requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/v2.0/decode_vin",
    params={"vin": "1VWBT7A33GC006401"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
data = r.json()
if data["success"]:
    spec = data["specification"]
    print(spec["year"], spec["make"], spec["model"])
    # 2016 Volkswagen Passat SE

Check salvage records

curl -G "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/salvage_check" \
  --data "vin=JHMES96655S007133" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: $RAPIDAPI_KEY" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com"

const url = new URL("https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/salvage_check");
url.searchParams.set("vin", "JHMES96655S007133");

const res = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
    "X-RapidAPI-Key": process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
    "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
  },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (data.success) console.log(data.info);

import os, requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/salvage_check",
    params={"vin": "JHMES96655S007133"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
data = r.json()
if data["success"]:
    print(data["info"]["loss_type"])

Look up a US plate

curl -X POST "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/api/v4/decode_plate" \
  --data-urlencode "plate=<plate>" \
  --data "state=TX" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: $RAPIDAPI_KEY" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com"

const res = await fetch("https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/api/v4/decode_plate", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "X-RapidAPI-Key": process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
    "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
  },
  body: new URLSearchParams({ plate: "<plate>", state: "TX" }),
});
const data = await res.json();
if (data.success) console.log(data.data.vin);

import os, requests

r = requests.post(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/api/v4/decode_plate",
    data={"plate": "<plate>", "state": "TX"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
vin = r.json()["data"]["vin"]

03Samples

Real responses

Captured from the API and pretty-printed. The plate response is shown with placeholders.

GET/v2.0/decode_vin?vin=1VWBT7A33GC006401

{
  "success": true,
  "vin": "1VWBT7A33GC006401",
  "specification": {
    "vin": "1VWBT7A33GC006401",
    "year": "2016",
    "make": "Volkswagen",
    "model": "Passat SE",
    "trim_level": "SE PZEV",
    "engine": "1.8L I4 DI",
    "style": "Sedan 4D",
    "made_in": "United States",
    "steering_type": "R&P",
    "anti_brake_system": "4-Wheel ABS",
    "tank_size": null,
    "overall_height": "58.50 inches",
    "overall_length": "191.90 inches",
    "overall_width": "72.20 inches",
    "standard_seating": "5",
    "optional_seating": null,
    "highway_mileage": "38 miles/gallon",
    "city_mileage": "25 miles/gallon",
    "fuel_type": "Gasoline",
    "transmission": "Automatic",
    "drive_type": "FWD",
    "features": [
      "Heated Seats",
      "Keyless Entry",
      "Leatherette Seats",
      "Rear-View Camera",
      "Sun/Moonroof",
      "Handsfree/Bluetooth Integration",
      "MP3",
      "Satellite Radio",
      "High Performance Tires",
      "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle"
    ]
  }
}

{
  "success": true,
  "vin": "2FMGK5BC9CBD21837",
  "specification": {
    "vin": "2FMGK5BC9CBD21837",
    "year": "2012",
    "make": "Ford",
    "model": "Flex SE",
    "trim_level": "SE",
    "engine": "3.5L V6 24V / SFI",
    "style": "SUV 4D",
    "made_in": "Canada",
    "steering_type": "Rack & Pinion",
    "anti_brake_system": "4-Wheel ABS",
    "tank_size": "18.60 gallons",
    "overall_height": "68.00 inches",
    "overall_length": "201.80 inches",
    "overall_width": "75.90 inches",
    "standard_seating": "7",
    "optional_seating": null,
    "highway_mileage": "24 miles/gallon",
    "city_mileage": "17 miles/gallon",
    "fuel_type": "Regular Unleaded",
    "transmission": "Automatic",
    "drive_type": "Front-Wheel Drive"
  }
}

GET/salvage_check?vin=JHMES96655S007133200

{
  "success": true,
  "is_salvage": true,
  "info": {
    "images": [],
    "vehicle_title": "WA-VEHICLE CERT OF OWNERSHIP-TITL",
    "mileage": "123483 ACTUAL",
    "primary_damage": "FRONT END",
    "secondary_damage": "-",
    "loss_type": "COLLISION"
  }
}

POST/api/v4/decode_plate200

{
  "status": 200,
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "plate": "<plate>",
    "state": "TX",
    "vin": "<17-char VIN>"
  }
}

04Fields

22 fields per decode

Every value is a string, a list, or null when the decoder has nothing for that field. Sample values from the 2016 Passat above.

Field	Sample value
vin	1VWBT7A33GC006401
year	2016
make	Volkswagen
model	Passat SE
trim_level	SE PZEV
engine	1.8L I4 DI
style	Sedan 4D
made_in	United States
steering_type	R&P
anti_brake_system	4-Wheel ABS
tank_size	null

Field	Sample value
overall_height	58.50 inches
overall_length	191.90 inches
overall_width	72.20 inches
standard_seating	5
optional_seating	null
highway_mileage	38 miles/gallon
city_mileage	25 miles/gallon
fuel_type	Gasoline
transmission	Automatic
drive_type	FWD
features	10 items, e.g. Heated Seats

Salvage check fields
salvage_check	Meaning
is_salvage	`true` when the VIN is in our salvage records
info.vehicle_title	Title on record
info.mileage	Odometer reading on record
info.primary_damage	Main damage
info.secondary_damage	Other damage, or `-`
info.loss_type	Cause of the loss, e.g. COLLISION
info.images	List of images (may be empty)

Plate lookup fields
decode_plate	Meaning
status	HTTP status, repeated
success	`true` when a VIN was found
data.plate	The plate you sent
data.state	Two-letter state
data.vin	The 17-character VIN; decode it with `decode_vin`

05Errors

Errors and not found

A lookup that finds nothing is not an error: decode and salvage answer 200 with "success": false, so check that flag before reading the body.

Status	When	Body
`200`	Decode: the VIN fails the North American rules, or there is no data for it. Salvage: the VIN isn't in our records.	`{"success":false}`
`404`	Plate lookup found no VIN for that plate and state.	`plate_not_found`
`422`	A required parameter is missing or too short: `vin` under 15 characters, `plate` under 3, or `state` not a two-letter US code.	`{"message":"The given data was invalid.","errors":{…}}`
`401` `403` `429`	Answered by RapidAPI before the request reaches us: a missing or wrong key, no subscription to this API, or a plan quota or rate limit reached.	RapidAPI's message

Not found

# decode_vin, salvage_check (HTTP 200)
{"success":false}

# decode_plate (HTTP 404)
{
  "status": 404,
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "plate_not_found",
    "message": null
  }
}

422 · invalid input

{
  "message": "The given data was invalid.",
  "errors": {
    "vin": [
      "The vin must be at least 15 characters."
    ]
  }
}

06Plans

Plans and quotas

Every plan includes all three lookups. BASIC counts per month; PRO and ULTRA count decodes and salvage checks per day. Plate lookups past the allowance cost $0.10 each. Subscribe, upgrade or cancel on RapidAPI. How billing works →

Plan capacity

As listed on RapidAPI

API plans and their monthly or daily quotas
Plan	BASIC$0 / MO	PRO$69 / MO	ULTRA$99 / MO
VIN decodes	50 / month	3,000 / day	20,000 / day
Salvage checks	10 / month	1,000 / day	10,000 / day
US plate lookups	10 / monththen $0.10 each	50 / monththen $0.10 each	100 / monththen $0.10 each
	Start free	Choose PRO	Choose ULTRA

Keys, billing and usage: handled by RapidAPIWe never see your card

07FAQ

Questions

Q01How do I get an API key?

Subscribe to a plan on the VinFreeCheck listing on RapidAPI; BASIC is $0 a month. RapidAPI issues your X-RapidAPI-Key. Send it with X-RapidAPI-Host: vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com on every request. We don't issue keys ourselves.

Q02Which decode endpoint should I use?

/v2.0/decode_vin. It has the most fields, including the features list. /v1.1/decode_vin and /decode_vin still work and return subsets.

Q03What happens when I hit my quota?

US plate lookups beyond your plan's monthly allowance cost $0.10 each. RapidAPI tracks usage on every endpoint; for higher limits, move to PRO or ULTRA there.

Q04Does it decode VINs from outside North America?

The decoder validates the North American check digit (position 9), so it is built for 17-character VINs on vehicles sold in the US and Canada.

Q05What does "not found" look like?

Decode and salvage return {"success":false}. Plate lookups return a 404 with "code": "plate_not_found".

Q06Can I call the API from a web page?

Call it from your server. A request from the browser would expose your RapidAPI key to anyone who opens the page.

Q07How do I change or cancel my plan?

On RapidAPI, where you subscribed. There is no VinFreeCheck account to manage.

Q08Is the free VIN check on this site the same decoder?

Yes. The free check answers from VINs we have already decoded and is rate-limited; the API decodes live.

Start on BASIC. $0 a month.

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