A Go library and CLI tool for decoding Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) based on the ISO 3779 standard.

• VIN Validation: Validates VIN format, character set, and check digit
• Complete Decoding: Extracts all standardized VIN components:
  • World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) - manufacturer, country, geographic area
  • Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) - manufacturer-specific codes and check digit
  • Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) - model year, plant code, serial number
• Extensive Database: Includes 8000+ manufacturer codes (WMI)
• CLI Tool: Command-line interface for easy VIN decoding

go get github.com/way-platform/vin-go

go install github.com/way-platform/vin-go/cmd/vin@latest

Or download prebuilt binaries from the Releases page.

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "log"

    "github.com/way-platform/vin-go"
)

func main() {
    vinStr := "1HGBH41JXMN109186"

    decoded, err := vin.Decode(&vinStr)
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Failed to decode VIN: %v", err)
    }

    fmt.Printf("Manufacturer: %s\n", decoded.WMI.Manufacturer)
    fmt.Printf("Country: %s\n", decoded.WMI.Country)
    fmt.Printf("Model Year: %s\n", decoded.VIS.ModelYear)
    fmt.Printf("Serial Number: %s\n", decoded.VIS.SerialNumber)
}

Decode a VIN and display the results as JSON:

vin decode 1HGBH41JXMN109186

Output:

{
  "vin": "1HGBH41JXMN109186",
  "wmi": {
    "code": "1HG",
    "manufacturer": "Honda",
    "country": "United States",
    "geographic_area": "North America"
  },
  "vds": {
    "manufacturerSpecific": "BH41J",
    "checkDigit": "X",
    "checkDigitValid": true
  },
  "vis": {
    "modelYear": "2021",
    "plantCode": "M",
    "serialNumber": "109186"
  }
}

A VIN consists of 17 characters divided into three sections:

1. World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) - Characters 1-3

   • Identifies the manufacturer and country of origin
   • First character indicates geographic area

2. Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) - Characters 4-9

   • Characters 4-8: Manufacturer-specific vehicle attributes
   • Character 9: Check digit for VIN validation

3. Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) - Characters 10-17

   • Character 10: Model year
   • Character 11: Manufacturing plant code
   • Characters 12-17: Sequential serial number

• Go 1.24 or later
• buf (automatically installed via go install when needed)
• Mage (optional, for build automation)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/way-platform/vin-go.git
cd vin-go

# Generate code and build (run from project root with -d tools)
go tool mage build

# The binary will be in bin/vin
./bin/vin decode 1HGBH41JXMN109186

go tool mage -l

• ISO 3779: International standard for VIN structure
• WMI Database: Comprehensive database of World Manufacturer Identifiers
• Model Year Codes: Standard 30-year cycle of model year codes

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Contributions are welcome!