What colour is my car?

Paint code by reg or VIN: find your car's colour code

"Blue" won't match your paint. Enter your registration and we list the exact factory colours for your car: pick yours and get its colour code for touch-up paint or a repair.

  • The exact colour code, not just the basic colour on the V5C
  • Your car's factory colours by make, model and year, with colour dots or a camera scan
  • £3.99: on screen straight away and by email, with where the label is
How it works

Your car's colour code in three steps

  1. Enter the registration or VINThe registration on the number plate or the V5C, or the 17-character VIN for a car from any country.
  2. Pick your exact colourWe show the colour on the DVLA record and every factory shade we hold for your car. Not sure which? Scan the paint with your camera.
  3. Get the colour codeThe factory colour code for that shade, with where the label is on your car: £3.99, on screen and by email.
Example result
AB18 CDE2018 Ford Fiesta
Blue on the DVLA record
Blazer BlueDeep Impact BluePerformance Blue
Paint code forDeep Impact BlueDCWE
Make
Ford (Fiesta, 2012 to 2018)
Where the label is
Driver's door pillar, in the box marked EXT PNT
Use it for
Touch-up pens, aerosols and body shop paint
The DVLA's colours

Why "grey" isn't a colour code

The DVLA and the V5C record only one of these basic colours, never the maker's shade, so dozens of factory colours share each one. The colour code tells them apart:

  • BlackObsidian, Sapphire, Shadow, Panther
  • WhiteAlpine, Glacier, Frozen, Pearl
  • SilverMoonstone, Reflex, Platinum, Tungsten
  • GreyMagnetic, Graphite, Gunmetal, Nardo
  • BlueDeep Impact, Phytonic, Lapiz, Atlantis
  • RedSoul Red, Race Red, Flame, Tornado
  • GreenBritish Racing, Emerald, Jungle, Sage
  • YellowSunburst, Dakar, Solar, Giallo
  • OrangeVolcanic, Sunset, Copper, Tangerine
  • BrownMocha, Havana, Chestnut, Java
  • BeigeSandstone, Cashmere, Champagne, Desert
  • GoldTopaz, Sahara, Amber
  • PurpleAmethyst, Plum, Velvet
  • BronzeCopper, Kalahari, Cognac
  • MaroonBurgundy, Merlot, Ruby
  • TurquoiseTeal, Lagoon, Petrol
  • PinkCandy, Rose, Fuchsia
  • CreamIvory, Old English White
  • Multi-ColourTwo-tone, contrast roof

Ordering touch-up paint? Paint shops mix by colour code, not by "blue": a blue car can be one of a dozen blues.

Colour code

Get your car's colour code

Each make and model is painted in several shades of the same colour. We list the factory colours we hold for your car, with colour dots and a camera scan to help you pick, and give you the colour code (also called the paint code) with where its label is on your car.

Find my colour code Colour code £3.99, sold on its own · About the paint code finder
Good to know

Buying, respraying or wrapping a car

Buying used? Check the colour matches

If the car isn't the colour on its DVLA record or V5C, ask why. A respray can hide accident damage, and a car that doesn't match its record can be a clone on another car's plates. A free car check shows the recorded colour; the full report shows colour changes, write-offs and stolen records.

Changed the colour? Tell the DVLA

If you respray or wrap your car in a different colour, update the colour on the V5C log book and send it to the DVLA, as GOV.UK explains. Its record then shows the new colour.

FAQs

What colour is my car: your questions

How do I find out what colour my car is?

Enter the registration above: we find the car, show the colour on its DVLA record and list the exact factory colours we hold for it, so you can pick yours and get its colour code. The V5C log book shows only the basic colour.

What is a car colour code?

The maker's code for the exact shade of paint, such as Ford's Deep Impact Blue rather than just blue. It is printed on a label on the car, often in the driver's door frame, and paint suppliers mix touch-up paint by it. It is also called the paint code.

Can I find my car's colour code by registration?

Yes. Enter the reg above: we fill in the make, model and year from the DVLA record, you pick your exact colour and get its colour code for £3.99, on screen and by email.

Why does the DVLA say grey when my car is graphite?

The DVLA records one of a short list of basic colours, not the maker's shade. Graphite, gunmetal or magnetic paint is usually recorded as grey, and a pearl or metallic white as white, so the colour code is what tells them apart.

Do I have to tell the DVLA if I change my car's colour?

Yes. If you respray or wrap the car in a different colour, update the colour on the V5C log book and send it to the DVLA, as GOV.UK explains.

Does the colour on the DVLA record matter when buying a used car?

Yes: if the car in front of you isn't the colour on its DVLA record or V5C, ask why. A respray can hide accident repairs, and a car that doesn't match its record can be cloned.