Every vehicle has a unique VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). The VIN number is stamped onto a small metal plate and is attached to the drivers side of the dash where it meets the window. The VIN allows the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of Transportation to keep track of the vehicles registered owner.
Police also use this number to verify that a vehicle has not been stolen and is in the possession of the original owner. However, it takes professional thieves only seconds to replace this plate with one from a legally purchased junk car of the same make and model.
A car's vehicle identification number (VIN) is the automotive equivalent of human "DNA".
It sets the vehicle apart from the millions of other vehicles out there. In recent times it has been reflected in 17 digit characters. It displays a car's uniqueness and heritage and provides a form of "factory to scrap yard" identification. It can be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts and insurance coverage. Each character or digit has a particular purpose.