Guide

Where to find your car's paint code, brand by brand

Where each car brand puts its paint code, and how the code looks on the label: Renault, Fiat, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and more.

3 min readUpdated October 2026

Touch-up paint only disappears into the surrounding paint when you order by the right color code. The color name is not enough: the same name can belong to different codes, and the same code can be a different shade in different years. The code is printed on a label or plate on the car. Where it sits depends on the brand and the model; below are the most common places and how the code looks on the label.

Can't find it? Send us a photo of the label, or your make, model and year, and we will find the code with you before you order. A dealer can also look up the color code from your VIN. The code is not part of the VIN itself, but it is in the dealer's records.

Look here first

  • Open the driver's door: the door pillar (B-pillar) or the edge of the door
  • Under the hood: the strut tower, the front panel or the firewall
  • The trunk: under the carpet, in the spare wheel well
  • The first pages of the service book

Where to find the paint code, brand by brand

Brand Where What it looks like
Renault, Dacia The manufacturer's ID plate, on the door pillar on most models. The position varies by model. 5 characters on the paint reference line: a 2-letter paint type plus the 3-character color code. Example: OV369 means code 369, TEGNE means code GNE.
Fiat A separate paint identification plate. On the 500 and some Pandas it is on the tailgate pillar; on other models inside the hood or on the door pillar. The 3-digit code next to the letter C on the plate. Example: 268.
Toyota The label on the driver's door pillar. The first 3 characters after "C/TR". Example: C/TR 3P1/FA09 means code 3P1.
Volkswagen, Skoda The vehicle data sticker next to the spare wheel well in the trunk; a copy is in the service book. A 4-character code among the production codes, usually starting with L. Example: LC9A, LA7W.
Ford The VIN plate on the B-pillar; on older models on the front crossmember under the hood. The body paint color line on the plate.
Hyundai, Kia The label on the driver's door pillar. 2-3 characters next to "PAINT", "PNT" or "EXT COLOR". Example: SAW, SWP.
Peugeot, Citroën A label on the door pillar or door edge; under the hood on some models. 3 characters. Example: KTV, EXY.
Opel The VIN plate or sticker on the B-pillar, or on top of the radiator panel on some models. 3-4 characters; older labels may start with Z or Y. Example: GAZ, Z163 (code 163).
Honda The label on the driver's door pillar; under the hood on some models. Letters and digits ending in P (pearl) or M (metallic). Example: NH-731P (also written NH731P), B568M.
BMW The label on the driver's door pillar on newer models; the strut tower under the hood on older ones. 3 characters. Example: 475, 300, A96. Code 490 means an individual color; the real code is under the hood.
Mercedes-Benz A label on the driver-side B-pillar from the 2000s; a plate in front of the radiator on older models. A 3-digit number. Example: 197, 040, 748. Some lists write it with an extra leading digit (9197 for 197).
Nissan The driver's door pillar or under the hood. 3 characters. Example: KH3, QAB.
Togg We have not found a verified source for the label position. An authorized service can give you the code from your VIN, and we can help if you send a photo.

Once you have the code

Type your brand and code into the color code finder to see your color. Your paint is mixed to order to that code. For the steps, see the application guide.

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