How to find your car's paint code

Last updated: 5 Nov 2026

A used body panel in your car's colour can save you the cost of a respray, but "silver" can mean a dozen different silvers. The paint code is what tells you a panel will match. Here's where to find it and what to ask the seller.

Where the paint code is

The driver's door pillar (the B-pillar), seen when the door is open. Common on Ford, Vauxhall, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and many others.
Under the bonnet: on the slam panel at the front, the bulkhead or a suspension turret. Common on BMW, Mini, Peugeot and Citroën.
In the boot: under the floor near the spare wheel or on the inside of the boot lid. Common on VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda.
In the service book: many VW group cars have a copy of the build sticker in it.

Most cars have a sticker or metal plate with the paint code on it. Where it sits depends on the maker, so check these places:

What a paint code looks like

It's a short code, usually letters and numbers, often next to the word "paint", "colour", "COL" or "LACK" (German for paint). For example, VW codes look like LA7W, BMW codes are three digits like 475, and Ford often prints a short code next to the full one. A dealer can also tell you the code from your VIN, and many paint suppliers will look it up from your registration.

Why the V5C colour isn't enough

Your V5C logbook only gives a general colour such as "Silver" or "Blue". One maker can have several silvers in the same year, and a panel in the wrong one stands out in daylight. Always match the code, not the name.

Buying a used panel in your colour

Give the seller your paint code and registration, and ask for photos in daylight.
Even with the same code, paint fades and varies a little from batch to batch, so a used panel can be a shade off. Body shops blend the colour into the panels next to it if it needs to be perfect.
Check for dents, filler and stone chips, and that the panel has the same holes and fittings as yours (parking sensors, mouldings and badges change between trim levels and facelifts).
A panel in the wrong colour can still be a bargain if you're having it painted anyway, and is often cheaper.

Find body panels

Search for doors, bumpers, wings and bonnets by make, model and part, or add your registration to see parts listed as fitting your car. Search for a part, browse by make, or read nearside and offside explained before ordering a door or wing.