Factory build sheet · UK registrations
Paint code by reg: find your car’s factory paint code
DVLA holds only a colour name, so a registration lookup alone won't give you a paint code. The manufacturer's build sheet will, on most recent cars — with the trim, gearbox and every factory option alongside it.
Find the paint code by registration
The make, model and the colour DVLA holds are shown free.
The registration is enough. Prefer the VIN? It's on the V5C and at the base of the windscreen.
What you get
2022 Audi A4 40 TDI quattro
Paint
6Y
Daytona grey pearl effect
Also on the same sheet
- Interior trim
- Soul (black) (EI)
- Gearbox
- 7-speed automatic, quattro
- Equipment codes
- 182 items, by code and description
Build sheet available for 32 makes
- Abarth
- Alpine
- Audi
- BMW
- Chrysler
- Citroën
- Cupra
- Dacia
- Dodge
- DS
- Ford
- Hyundai
- Jaguar
- Jeep
- Kia
- Lancia
- Land Rover
- Lexus
- Mercedes-Benz
- MINI
- Peugeot
- Polestar
- RAM
- Saab
- SEAT
- Škoda
- Smart
- Tesla
- Toyota
- Vauxhall
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
No build sheet for these makes
Their manufacturers return nothing, or too little, to be worth selling. The paint code is still on a label on the car; the usual places are below.
- Alfa Romeo
- Fiat
- Honda
- Mazda
- Mitsubishi
- Nissan
- Porsche
- Renault
- Suzuki
How do I find my car's paint code by registration?
Why the registration alone won’t give you a paint code
DVLA records a colour, not a paint. Its record and the V5C say “Grey” or “Silver”, while a manufacturer may offer several greys in one year — solid, metallic and pearl — each with its own code. A bodyshop or paint supplier mixes by the code, not the name, so the name on your logbook isn’t enough to match a scratch.
The manufacturer’s own record is the build sheet: how that one car was built, decoded from its VIN. It names the factory paint and, on most recent cars, gives the code.
What the build sheet shows
A real example, from a 2022 Audi A4 40 TDI quattro:
- Paint
- Daytona grey pearl effect (6Y)
- Interior trim
- Soul (black) (EI)
- Gearbox
- 7-speed automatic, quattro
- Factory options
- 182 items, by code and description
Most recent vehicles have the factory paint code on the sheet; for older ones the manufacturer often recorded only the colour name. Either way we show exactly what was recorded and never fill in a gap with a guess.
Where the paint code usually is on the car
Most manufacturers print the paint code on a label or plate on the car itself. Common places are the driver’s door frame, under the bonnet and in the boot near the spare wheel, and some makes put a copy in the service book. The label often carries other codes too, so look for the one next to the word “paint” or “colour”, or next to a colour name.
Where it is depends on the make, the model and the year, so we don’t list locations by make here — your owner’s handbook says where it is on your car. If the label is missing, painted over or unreadable, a main dealer can usually look the code up from the VIN, and the build sheet is the manufacturer’s record without the label.
Before you buy paint
- Give the supplier the code and the year. One code can have shade variants across production years, and the supplier may ask which.
- Allow for fading. Paint changes with age and sun, so even the right code can look different on an older car. Try it on a test card or a hidden spot first.
- Check the car still wears its factory colour. A car that has been resprayed in a different colour should have the change recorded on its V5C — the free car spec check shows the colour DVLA holds now.
Which makes we can do
The build sheet is offered for Abarth, Alpine, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Citroën, Cupra, Dacia, Dodge, DS, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Opel, Peugeot, Polestar, RAM, Saab, SEAT, Škoda, Smart, Tesla, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo. It isn’t offered for Porsche, Renault, Nissan and Mazda, where the manufacturer returns nothing or too little to be worth paying for — the form tells you before you pay.
Even for a make on the list, a sheet isn’t held for every car. The payment is only taken once a build sheet arrives; if the manufacturer holds none, nothing reaches your statement.
Price
The build sheet is £3.99 on its own, or £2.99 added to a service history check. No subscription and no account.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my car's paint code by registration?
Not from DVLA: its record and the V5C hold only a colour name, such as "Grey". The manufacturer's build sheet for the car names the factory paint, and on most recent cars it includes the paint code. Enter the registration on this page — the make, model and DVLA colour are shown free, and the build sheet is £3.99.
Is the paint code on the V5C logbook?
No. The V5C and DVLA's record give a basic colour name, not the manufacturer's paint code. A manufacturer may offer several greys or silvers in one year, each with its own code.
Will the build sheet definitely show the paint code?
Not definitely. Every build sheet names the factory colour. Most recent vehicles have the paint code on the sheet too; for older ones the manufacturer often recorded only the colour name. We show exactly what was recorded and never fill in a code — a wrong one costs somebody a respray.
Am I charged if the code isn't on the build sheet?
Yes, if a build sheet arrives: you're charged for the sheet, whether or not the manufacturer recorded the code on it. If the manufacturer holds no build sheet for the car, the payment is released and nothing is taken. If the code is all you need and your car is an older one, check the label on the car first.
Which makes can you do?
Abarth, Alpine, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Citroën, Cupra, Dacia, Dodge, DS, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Opel, Peugeot, Polestar, RAM, Saab, SEAT, Škoda, Smart, Tesla, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo. Not Porsche, Renault, Nissan and Mazda: those manufacturers return nothing or too little to be worth paying for, so we don't offer it. Even for a make on the list, a sheet isn't held for every car, and you're only charged when one arrives.
Is a paint code free anywhere else?
Often, yes. The code is usually printed on a label on the car, a main dealer can look it up from the VIN, and several paint suppliers have free lookups because they sell paint. If a code is genuinely all you need, try those. The build sheet adds the manufacturer's own record of the colour, with the trim, the gearbox and every factory option.
Can I use the VIN instead of the registration?
Yes. The form takes either: the 17-character VIN is on the V5C, at the bottom of the windscreen and on a label in a door frame.
How quickly will I get it?
Usually within a few minutes; the first time a car is looked up it can take a little longer. We email you when it arrives, and you can view it online and save it as a PDF.
Does the build sheet show anything besides the paint?
Yes: the interior trim, the gearbox, the wheels and every option fitted at the factory, each with the manufacturer's code. It doesn't show what's happened to the car since — that's the service history check (£9.99).
Related
More free vehicle checks
Find the factory paint code
The manufacturer's build sheet for your car — paint, trim, gearbox and options. £3.99, and nothing to pay if the manufacturer holds no record.
Get the build sheet · £3.99