Decode a VIN's structure
Decode a VIN's structure: NHTSA vPIC WMI snapshot, vintage 2026_08: 10659 rows cut in ascending WMI order from 12971 candidates, plus the closed-form rules of 49 CFR 565.15 and 565.25. STRUCTURAL decode only: check-digit verdict, manufacturer, make, vehicle type, country, and model year as a CANDIDATE SET narrowed only for passenger cars. No engine, body, trim, plant or weight class; no claim a vehicle exists. Also free from NHTSA. Full bound in the discovery declaration.
Answeringour last check, 2026-09-24
1 of 1checks answered this week
37 msmedian answer time
$0.005listed price per call
$0.005price it asked us
Paid test badge: not yet. The checks above are free: we call the tool without paying and read the payment request it sends back. The Verified badge needs paid calls whose answers match the promised output, and nobody can buy a badge.
Endpoint
GET https://lookups.alienprobe.ai/v1/lookup/vin
| Category | Everything else |
|---|---|
| Provider host | lookups.alienprobe.ai |
| Networks | eip155:8453 |
| Payment schemes | exact |
| Self-reported calls, 30 days | 2 from 1 payers (the provider's figure, not ours) |
Our checks, last 30 days
| Day | Result | HTTP | Asked | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-24 | valid payment request | 402 | $0.005 | 37 ms |
Example input (from the provider)
{
"method": "GET",
"queryParams": {
"vin": "1M8GDM9AXKP042788"
},
"type": "http"
}
Promised output schema (from the provider)
{
"properties": {
"input": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"method": {
"type": "string"
},
"queryParams": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"vin": {
"description": "the 17-character vehicle identification number to decode, ISO 3779 alphabet with no I, O or Q",
"pattern": "^[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9]{17}$",
"type": "string"
}
},
"required": [
"vin"
],
"type": "object"
},
"type": {
"const": "http",
"type": "string"
}
},
"required": [
"type",
"method",
"queryParams"
],
"type": "object"
},
"output": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"example": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"answer": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"check_digit": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"carried": {
"maxLength": 1,
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"computed": {
"maxLength": 1,
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"position": {
"const": 9,
"type": "integer"
},
"valid": {
"const": true,
"type": "boolean"
}
},
"required": [
"position",
"carried",
"computed",
"valid"
],
"type": "object"
},
"model_year": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"basis": {
"enum": [
"position_7_disambiguated",
"gvwr_unevaluable",
"cycle_ambiguous",
"wmi_unknown_scope"
],
"type": "string"
},
"candidates": {
"items": {
"type": "integer"
},
"maxItems": 2,
"minItems": 1,
"type": "array"
},
"code": {
"maxLength": 1,
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
}
},
"required": [
"code",
"candidates",
"basis"
],
"type": "object"
},
"vin": {
"description": "the 17-character vehicle identification number to decode, ISO 3779 alphabet with no I, O or Q",
"pattern": "^[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9]{17}$",
"type": "string"
},
"wmi": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"country": {
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"key": {
"pattern": "^[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9]{3}(?:[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9]{3})?$",
"type": "string"
},
"key_length": {
"enum": [
3,
6
],
"type": "integer"
},
"make": {
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"manufacturer": {
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"vehicle_type": {
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
}
},
"required": [
"key",
"key_length",
"manufacturer",
"make",
"vehicle_type",
"country"
],
"type": "object"
}
},
"required": [
"vin",
"check_digit",
"wmi",
"model_year"
],
"type": "object"
},
"delivered_at": {
"minLength": 1,
"type": "string"
},
"schema_version": {
"const": "vin-lookup.v1",
"type": "string"
},
"source": {
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"coverage": {
"const": "Structural decode only, from a bundled snapshot of the NHTSA vPIC World Manufacturer Identifier table (10,659 WMI records, cut in ascending WMI key order from the 12,971 candidates in the lite 2026_08 publication; 2,312 further candidates were refused by the bundle sanitizer and counted) plus the closed-form rules of 49 CFR 565.15 (Subpart B) and 49 CFR 565.25 (Subpart C). Answers: the position-9 check digit verdict, the WMI's recorded manufacturer, make, vehicle type and registered country, and the position-10 model-year code as a candidate set from 49 CFR 565.15(d)(1) Table VII and 49 CFR 565.25(d)(1) Table XIII, narrowed to a single year only for passe