Paint Code Location by Make: Where Each Brand Hides It
Paint code location by make: where Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, GM, BMW and VW usually put the color code, and what to do when the sticker is not there.
Paint code location by make follows a loose pattern: most Japanese and Korean brands, and Ford, print the code on a label in the driver's door jamb, while GM has long used a separate parts label that is often in the glove box, and several European makers put it under the hood or in the trunk. The label's name and the code's format differ by brand too. Treat any "by make" guide, including this one, as a place to start. Locations change between models and model years, so if the usual spot is empty, work through the others below. Once you have the code, a model-year chart such as our 2023 Jeep Wrangler color chart lets you check it against the colors the maker actually offered.
The reason you checked the door jamb and found nothing is usually not a missing sticker. It is that your brand, or your particular model, puts the code somewhere else.
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Before you start: what you are looking for
A paint code is a short string of letters and numbers, printed next to a label word such as PNT, EXT PNT, C/TR, COLOR, or a paint symbol. It is rarely the color's marketing name, and it is not the VIN.
Two things make it easy to miss:
- It is often the shortest line on a busy label. Door jamb labels also carry tire pressures, weights, the build date and the VIN. Our line-by-line guide to door jamb sticker meaning explains what everything else on that label is, so you can rule it out.
- Some brands print trim and paint side by side. The interior code sits right next to the exterior code, and people copy down the wrong half.
The usual first stop: the driver's door jamb
Open the driver's door and look at the body pillar the door latches against, and at the edge of the door itself. Many manufacturers put a label here. On many vehicles it is the same label that carries the federal safety certification statement.
Ford
Ford is the clearest case because it says so itself. Ford's support page, What is the paint code for my vehicle? (read 27 September 2026), states that the paint code is on the door jamb label and that the exterior paint code is labeled EXT PNT followed by two characters. The same page notes that older vehicles may have more than two characters.
Because the Ford code is only two characters, it is easy to overlook on a crowded label. Look for the EXT PNT heading, not for something that looks like a color name.
Toyota and Lexus
Touch-up paint retailer AutomotiveTouchup's Toyota code guide (read 27 September 2026) places the code in the driver's side door jamb and says the exterior color code starts after "C/TR", with the code three characters long, mixing letters and numbers. The field also carries a trim code, which is about the interior, not the paint, so copy only the color part.
Honda and Acura
The same retailer's Honda guide (read 27 September 2026) also points to the driver's side door jamb, and notes that the code can mix letters, numbers and dashes. It adds that on some Hondas the code appears on the firewall under the hood instead. Honda codes can run longer than other brands' codes, so copy every character.
Nissan and Infiniti
Nissan is less consistent. AutomotiveTouchup's Nissan guide (read 27 September 2026) says Nissan codes are three characters and lists several possible spots: the engine compartment firewall, the driver's door edge, the door jamb and the door pillar. It gives model examples where the code sits on the center of the firewall rather than the door. If the jamb is empty on a Nissan, open the hood next.
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GM: the parts identification label
General Motors brands (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac) have long used a separate label for option and paint codes, often called the Service Parts Identification label. It is not always in the door jamb.
AutomotiveTouchup's Chevrolet guide (read 27 September 2026) says the paint code is on that service parts sticker, that the sticker moves around from year to year depending on the model, and that on most trucks it is in the glove box. It lists other spots by model, including the driver's door jamb, under the trunk lid and the rear of the center console. According to that guide, codes typically begin with "WA" or "BC/CC U" followed by a four-digit color code, where BC/CC means basecoat/clearcoat and U means the upper or body color. On a two-tone vehicle, an "L" code gives the lower color.
That label also carries the three-character option codes GM uses for equipment. Our guide to GM RPO codes, where to find and how to read them covers the label in more detail, including how to tell the paint entry apart from the equipment codes.
European brands: under the hood and in the trunk
Several European makers traditionally put the paint label away from the doors.
BMW
AutomotiveTouchup's BMW guide (read 27 September 2026) says BMW paint code tags are normally under the hood, on one of the strut towers or near the fender edges, and can also be on the engine bay wall. It describes BMW codes as normally three characters, sometimes with a slash and an extra character, and notes the color name often appears on the same tag.
Volkswagen
For Volkswagen, the retailer's VW guide (read 27 September 2026) directs readers to the trunk: under the trunk lid, on the fuse box cover, inside the rear compartment, under the mat or in the spare wheel well. It describes VW codes as typically two to four characters, sometimes a letter and number combination. A VW label in the spare wheel well is easy to miss if the well is full.
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Why a "by make" guide can still be wrong for your car
A single brand rarely uses one location for every model and every year. The retailer guides above show this plainly: the same brand's sedan, coupe and truck can each put the label somewhere different. A few reasons it varies:
- Platform changes. A redesign can move labels to a new position on the body.
- Shared platforms. A vehicle built on another brand's platform, or in another brand's factory, may follow that factory's practice.
- Market differences. A vehicle built for a different country may carry a different label layout.
- Model year vs build date. Changes do not always line up with the model year on the title, so two cars of the "same year" can differ.
So use the brand pattern to decide where to look first, not to conclude the label does not exist. Once you have the code, a maker's chart such as the one in our Dupli-Color paint chart PDF guide turns it into a touch-up part number.
A search order that works for most cars
If you do not know where your brand keeps it, check in this order:
- Driver's door jamb and door edge. Both the pillar and the door itself.
- Passenger door jamb. Occasionally used.
- Glove box. Especially on GM vehicles; check the inside of the lid and the walls.
- Under the hood. Firewall, strut towers, the radiator support and the underside of the hood.
- Trunk or cargo area. Under the lid, under the floor mat, in the spare wheel well, near the fuse or tool panels.
- Owner's manual and service booklet. Some carry a label or a printed color entry.
Use a flashlight and wipe the label gently if it is dirty. Many are faded, and some are printed in small type.
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When there is no label at all
Labels get painted over during repairs, removed with body panels, or simply wear away. If you have checked every location and found nothing:
- Ask a dealer parts department. With the VIN, a franchised dealer can usually look up the factory color. The VIN itself does not spell out the paint code, but the maker's build records hold it.
- Get the original window sticker or build sheet. These often list the factory color, sometimes by name only. See our guides on how to get the original window sticker by VIN and on what to do if your door jamb sticker is missing.
- Be wary of free VIN paint lookups. Some are accurate, some guess from the model's color list for that year. If a site gives you a code, confirm it with the dealer before you buy paint.
Found it? Check you copied the right characters
A few mistakes cost people the wrong bottle of paint:
- Copying the trim code instead of the paint code on a combined field.
- Confusing 0 and O, 1 and I, or 8 and B in small print.
- Recording only one code on a two-tone vehicle.
- Copying the color name and assuming it identifies one paint. A marketing name is not a formula.
Also bear in mind that the code identifies the factory formula, not the color your car is today. Age, sunlight and earlier repairs all change a finish, which is why a correctly coded touch-up can still look different on the panel.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most common paint code location by make?
The driver's door jamb, for many brands including Ford, Toyota and Honda. GM often uses a separate parts label that may be in the glove box, and brands such as BMW and Volkswagen often put it under the hood or in the trunk.
Why can't I find the paint code in my door jamb?
Your brand or model may use another location, such as the glove box, the firewall, a strut tower or the trunk. The label may also have been removed during a repair.
Is the paint code part of the VIN?
No. The VIN identifies the vehicle, not its color. A dealer can use the VIN to look up the factory color in the maker's build records.
How do I recognize the paint code on the label?
Look for a heading such as EXT PNT, PNT, C/TR or COLOR. On Ford, it is EXT PNT followed by two characters on most recent vehicles. On Toyota, the exterior code starts after C/TR.
Can the paint code location change between model years?
Yes. Retailer guides show different locations for different models of the same brand, and a redesign can move the label. Always check your specific vehicle.
