At a glance
- Off-road makers in vPIC
- 27, from Arctic Cat and Can-Am to Polaris and Yamaha
- First three characters
- The maker and the vehicle type it registered
- Model year
- Position 10; confirm it against your paperwork
- Where to look
- On the frame
On this page
Can you decode an ATV VIN?
Yes, when the maker has filed its codes with NHTSA. The federal VIN rules in 49 CFR Part 565 list the road vehicle types they cover: passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, trailers, incomplete vehicles, low speed vehicles and motorcycles (49 CFR 565.11). NHTSA's vPIC database files off-road machines under a separate type, Off-Road Vehicle, and lists 27 makes under it:
Altis; Aodes; ARO SA; Arctic Cat; Axis; Bad Boy; BRP; Can-Am; Caterpillar; Cushman; Embuggy; Evangel; Hisun; Hisun Motors Corp. USA; JLG; Kayo; Massimo Motor Sports; Nanchang Freedom Technology; Polaris; Superior Industries; Taizhou Nebula Power; Tracker; TUT; USA Motortoys; Vector; White Label - Other; Yamaha.
If your machine's maker is on the list, the decoder returns what that maker filed. If it isn't, the decoder can still confirm the check digit in position 9, and position 10 still gives the year code.
How to read an ATV or side-by-side VIN
vPIC reads a 17-character VIN in the same order whatever the vehicle. On an off-road machine, the codes in the middle are the maker's own, so the filed key matters more than any general rule:
| Position | What it holds | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Maker and vehicle type | Whether vPIC lists the code as an off-road vehicle, a motorcycle or a low speed vehicle |
| 4 to 8 | The maker's description of the model | Model, engine and body as the maker filed them |
| 9 | Check digit | The decoder checks it before anything else |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number that repeats every 30 years |
| 11 | Plant | The maker's factory code |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number | Should match the frame, the title and any bill of sale |
A VIN never uses the letters I, O or Q, so read a round character as the number 0.
Example: one maker, three kinds of VIN
The first three characters of a VIN identify the maker and the type of vehicle (49 CFR 565.15(a)). Polaris shows how that works: vPIC lists it under Motorcycle, Low Speed Vehicle and Off-Road Vehicle, each with its own codes.
| Code | vPIC vehicle type | Country in vPIC |
|---|---|---|
| SN1 | Off-Road Vehicle (added July 2022) | United States |
| S21 | Off-Road Vehicle (added January 2023) | United States |
| 52C | Low Speed Vehicle | Not listed |
| 5AS | Low Speed Vehicle | Not listed |
| 4XA | Motorcycle | Not listed |
| 5VP | Motorcycle | Not listed |
| 57X | Motorcycle | Not listed |
| 3NE | Motorcycle | Mexico |
| 3NS | Motorcycle | Mexico |
| TAP | Motorcycle | Poland |
From vPIC's manufacturer code list for Polaris Industries Inc., as of October 2026.
Is a low speed vehicle VIN different?
Yes. Low speed vehicles are one of the road vehicle types federal VIN rules cover, so their VINs must encode the make, engine type, brake system, restraint system type, body type and gross vehicle weight rating in positions 4 to 8 (49 CFR 565.15, Table I). The maker must file the key to those codes with NHTSA (49 CFR 565.16(c)). Polaris registers its low speed vehicles under 52C and 5AS.
Why might an ATV VIN decode to the wrong year?
Position 10 cycles through the same letters and numbers every 30 years. Cars and trucks rated at 10,000 lb or less must put a letter in position 7 to show they're from 2010 or later, but that rule isn't written for off-road machines. If vPIC warns that the model year may be wrong, enter the year from your title or bill of sale and the decoder will decode again with it.
Where is the VIN on an ATV?
Look on the frame: that's where the VIN goes on ATVs and side-by-sides, not behind a windshield as on a car. Copy it character by character, then check it against the title or registration if your state issues one.
Maker codes and model lists are on the Polaris VIN decoder, the Can-Am VIN decoder and the Arctic Cat VIN decoder. Dirt bikes are covered in the motorcycle VIN decoder.