Coverage: Door-label location applies to most Ford and Lincoln model years; sticker color in the Full Report where Ford has released the sticker
Where the Ford paint code is
Ford puts the paint code on the Safety Compliance Certification Label, the white sticker on the driver’s front door edge or on the door latch pillar (the B-pillar you see when the door is open). The same label carries the VIN, the build month and year, the axle code and the weight ratings.
Find the field marked EXT PNT. The characters right after it are your exterior paint code. Ford’s own support page says the code is normally two characters and that older vehicles may show more than two.
A quick tip at the lot: the label holds several short codes in a row, so read the one labeled EXT PNT, not the axle or transmission entry next to it.
What Ford paint codes look like
Current Ford codes are two letters or a letter and a digit. Touch-up suppliers often show them with a longer Ford paint number after a slash, like UM/M7414. The two-character part is what’s printed on your door label, and it’s the part to give a paint supplier.
A few real Ford colors and their codes, as listed by touch-up paint suppliers:
| Color name | Code |
|---|---|
| Oxford White | YZ |
| Race Red | PQ |
| Agate Black Metallic | UM |
| Carbonized Gray | M7 |
Treat these as examples, not a lookup table. Always confirm the code on your own car before buying paint.
Is Oxford White YZ or Z1?
Oxford White is the clearest Ford example. Touch-up suppliers list both YZ and Z1 under the name Oxford White, and owners who have used both report that they don’t look identical side by side. Ford reuses popular names across decades, while the paint underneath gets reformulated or sourced differently.
Other reasons a name doesn’t settle the color:
- Similar names, different paints. Ford’s catalog has Agate Black Metallic, Shadow Black and plain Black at various times. Someone who says “it’s black” hasn’t told you which one.
- Tinted and metallic finishes. Ford sells tinted-clearcoat and metallic colors that have their own codes, separate from any solid color with a similar name.
- Suppliers list the same paint under alternate numbers. Agate Black Metallic, for example, also appears under a separate paint number in some catalogs.
The code on the label is tied to the actual formula. The name isn’t, so order by code.
Does a Ford VIN contain the paint code?
No, the color comes from the door label, the original window sticker or Ford’s build record, never from the 17 characters (why the VIN doesn’t contain the paint code).
How StickerByVIN helps with a Ford paint code
Ford is one of the few brands where we get the original sticker straight from Ford’s own window-sticker system, when Ford has released it for that VIN. The check is free; the sticker, its color name and the matched paint code are part of the $9.99 Full Report. Coverage is best for recent model years. In our testing, 2025 vehicles returned the real sticker, while several 2021–2022 VINs returned Ford’s “not yet released” notice, and older vehicles are often unavailable.
When we do get the sticker:
- We read the exterior color name exactly as Ford printed it.
- We map it to a factory paint code only when our dataset has a confident match for that color, model and year.
- If there’s no confident match, we show the color name and tell you to read EXT PNT on the door label, rather than guess.
When Ford hasn’t released the sticker, you still get the free NHTSA decode (year, model, trim, engine, plant) and the recall count, but no color, because the decode doesn’t contain one. See the Ford window sticker page for how the sticker lookup works, or the Ford build sheet page for equipment groups like 302A.
How do I match Ford touch-up paint to the EXT PNT code?
- Match the code, not the name. Give the supplier the EXT PNT code. If they offer two versions under one name, pick the one with your code.
- Check your trim and model year. Some suppliers list a color across many years. Make sure your year is on their list for that code.
- Test on a hidden spot first. Try a dab inside the door jamb or under the rear bumper lip and let it dry. Fresh paint looks different wet.
- Expect some fade. Sun-faded paint on an older truck may not match fresh paint mixed to the original formula, even with the correct code.
- Use primer and clear where needed. Most modern Ford colors are basecoat/clearcoat. The color coat alone won’t have the factory gloss.
- If the car was repainted, the label shows what left the factory, not what’s on the car now.
For other makes, start at the general paint code lookup page.
Sources
- Ford: What is the paint code for my vehicle?, Ford’s owner support page on EXT PNT
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder, the free federal database behind our decode
- NHTSA recall lookup, to check open recalls on your exact VIN
Last updated November 5, 2026.
