BMW Paint Code
by VIN

Where is the paint code on a BMW?

It depends on the age of the car:

• Modern BMWs: on the vehicle label in the driver’s door jamb or B-pillar, the same sticker that carries the VIN. The paint code is usually near the lower right of the label.
• Classic BMWs: on a narrow rectangular plate on the driver-side strut tower. Open the hood and stand facing the rear of the car. The plate shows the color name, often in German, with the code under it.

Some sources report the label on the passenger-side door jamb on certain 3 Series generations, such as the E46 and E90. If the driver’s side is blank, check the other side before you give up.

Still nothing? A BMW dealer’s parts department can look up the factory color from your VIN.

What BMW paint codes look like

BMW codes are short:

• Three digits, like 300 or 475.
• A letter followed by digits, like A96.

Older classic-era codes can run to four digits. Whatever the length, copy it exactly as printed.

Real BMW colors and codes, as listed by touch-up paint suppliers:

Color name	Code
Alpine White III	300
Black Sapphire Metallic	475
Jet Black	668
Mineral White Metallic (tricoat)	A96

These are examples. Confirm your own code on the label before ordering.

Is Alpine White III the same as Alpine White?

• Numbered versions. The “III” in Alpine White III marks a later version of a long-running color name. Someone who says “Alpine White” hasn’t told you which version, but the code 300 on the label does.
• German and English names. BMW colors often have a German name (Alpinweiss, for example) and an English one. Labels and catalogs can use either.
• Black isn’t one color. Jet Black (668) is a solid black and Black Sapphire Metallic (475) is a metallic. They look close in a photo and don’t match on the car.
• BMW Individual paints. Cars ordered in special BMW Individual colors are outside the regular color list. If your code doesn’t turn up in a touch-up catalog, ask a BMW dealer to confirm it.

Can a site really give a BMW color from the VIN?

Only by reading a separate BMW build record linked to the VIN, because the 17 characters don’t encode color (why the VIN doesn’t contain the paint code).

What StickerByVIN can and can’t do for a BMW

We name factory colors by reading them off original window stickers, and we don’t have an original-sticker source for BMW. So we can’t give you the color from your VIN alone, and we won’t guess one.

Free for every BMW VIN:

• The NHTSA decode: year, model, trim, body, engine, drivetrain and plant where reported.
• How many NHTSA recall campaigns cover that BMW model and year, plus a link to check open recalls on your exact VIN.
• The location guide above, so you can read the code off the label.

For original sticker and option details, ask the selling dealer, check your purchase paperwork or contact BMW customer relations with the VIN. See BMW window sticker and BMW build sheet for more.

How do I touch up Mineral White (A96) or Black Sapphire on a BMW?

• Match the code, not the name. Order by the three-character code on the label.
• Tricoats need a kit. Mineral White Metallic (A96) is sold as a tricoat, with a base, a pearl mid-coat and a clear. A single bottle won’t match it.
• Metallics need clear. Black Sapphire Metallic looks flat without clearcoat over the color.
• Test on a hidden spot, like the lower door edge or inside the trunk lid, and let it dry before judging.
• Check for repaints. Compare the door jamb with the outer panels. A respray won’t match the label.

For other brands, start at the paint code lookup.

Sources

• NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder, the free federal database behind our decode
• NHTSA recall lookup, to check open recalls on your exact VIN