How to Find Your Car's Paint Code (Every Major Brand)

If you want a touch-up paint that actually matches your car, you need the factory paint code. Guessing by eye is a losing game — even two "black" cars from the same brand can be three different shades.

The good news: every car made in the last 30 years has its paint code printed on a sticker somewhere on the vehicle. This guide shows you where.

The 3 most common locations

  1. Driver's door jamb — Open the driver's door. Look on the door itself or the B-pillar (the metal frame). 80% of cars have it here.
  2. Engine bay — Under the hood, usually on the firewall, strut tower, or radiator support.
  3. Glove box / boot (trunk) — Inside the glove compartment door, or on the underside of the boot lid, or inside the spare-wheel well.

What to look for on the label

The sticker will have multiple codes. The paint code is usually labelled with one of these:

  • PAINT, COLOR, COLOUR
  • C/TR (used by Italian and French brands)
  • LACK or FARBCODE (German brands)
  • EXT.COL or EXTERIOR

Paint codes are typically 2 to 6 alphanumeric characters — for example LC9Z, PW7, NH-578, 1F7.

Brand-specific guides

For exact locations on your car, pick your brand:

What if the label is missing or unreadable?

Older cars or vehicles from salvage history sometimes lose the sticker. Your options:

  • Registration documents — Some countries list paint code on the V5C / title.
  • Dealer lookup — The main dealer can pull your paint code from your VIN.
  • Photograph the panel — Send us a photo; we'll match to the nearest factory code.

Common paint code mistakes

  • Confusing trim code with paint code. Trim codes describe the interior, not the paint.
  • Using the VIN instead. The VIN is unique to your car, but a dealer or online lookup needs it — it's not the paint code itself.
  • Assuming colour name = colour code. "Brilliant Black" exists in 10+ variations across brands.

Found your code? Next step

Enter it on our touch-up paint finder to get a hand-mixed bottle shipped to your door — guaranteed exact match.