vininfo

library1.11.0pypypi✓ verified 89d ago

VINinfo is a Python library (current version 1.9.2) designed to extract useful information from Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). It can operate as a standalone command-line application or be integrated as a Python package. The library provides both basic and detailed VIN information (where available) and offers functionality for VIN checksum verification. It is actively maintained with a recent release in September 2025 and focuses on decoding VINs using its internal databases, specifically enhancing data for brands like AvtoVAZ, Nissan, Opel, and Renault.

data

pip install vininfo

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · VININFO

vininfo

datapythonv1.11.0

Install

1.6s avg

Import

21ms

Disk

17MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v1.11.0 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.940 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.023s · 18.8MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.940 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 1.6s · import 0.019s · 19MB

17MB installed

● package 17MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

Vin

✓ from vininfo import Vin

Initializes a Vin object with a VIN string and demonstrates accessing various attributes like country, manufacturer, region, and performing checksum verification. It also shows how to retrieve detailed information and an annotated VIN string.

from vininfo import Vin vin_number = 'VF1LM1B0H36666155' # Example Renault VIN # For testing invalid VINs or edge cases, consider a generic placeholder # vin_number = 'INVALIDVINTEST1234' vin = Vin(vin_number) print(f"VIN: {vin_number}") print(f"Country: {vin.country}") print(f"Manufacturer: {vin.manufacturer}") print(f"Region: {vin.region}") print(f"WMI: {vin.wmi}") print(f"VDS: {vin.vds}") print(f"VIS: {vin.vis}") print(f"Checksum valid: {vin.verify_checksum()}") # Accessing detailed information if available details = vin.details if details: print("\nDetails:") for key, value in details.items(): print(f" {key.replace('_', ' ').title()}: {value}") else: print("\nNo detailed information available for this VIN.") # Example with annotation annotated_vin = vin.annotate() print(f"\nAnnotated VIN: {annotated_vin}")

vininfo --version

Debug

Known issues

breakingThe library has dropped support for older Python versions. `v1.0.0` removed Python 2 and Python 3.4 support. `v1.4.0` removed Python 3.5 support. The current version requires Python 3.10+.

fix

Ensure your project uses Python 3.10 or a newer compatible version.

affects: <=1.4.0

breakingIn `v1.7.0`, the regions and countries list was updated according to ISO 3780. This change *may affect* information accuracy for vehicles manufactured before 2009. Additionally, the model year check within `Vin.verify_checksum()` became optional but defaults to 'on'.

fix

If relying on pre-2009 VIN data, verify results carefully. For checksum verification, be aware of the default model year check and explicitly set `model_year_check=False` if needed for older VINs or specific use cases.

affects: >=1.7.0

gotchaVINinfo decodes information based on its internal databases. Unlike some other VIN libraries (e.g., `pyvin`), it does not rely on external APIs (like NHTSA) for its primary data. Therefore, the depth and breadth of information might vary, especially for manufacturers not specifically supported with 'details extractors'.

fix

Understand that data availability depends on the library's internal dictionaries and detail extractors. Contributions for missing WMI or detail extractors are encouraged.

affects: All versions

gotchaDetailed information (e.g., body, engine, model, plant) is currently only available for specific brands such as AvtoVAZ, Nissan, Opel, and Renault. For other manufacturers, only basic VIN segment information might be retrievable.

fix

When working with VINs from manufacturers not listed, anticipate that `.details` might be empty or less comprehensive. You can check `vin.details` for availability.

affects: All versions

gotchaA regression was fixed in `v1.9.2` related to `Vin.years` for unsupported year codes. While fixed, this highlights that parsing complex or unusual VINs, especially regarding year codes, can be an edge case that might require careful handling or validation.

fix

Ensure you are on version `1.9.2` or later to benefit from the fix for `Vin.years` regression.

affects: 1.9.1

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'vininfo'

The vininfo library has not been installed in the current Python environment or is not accessible.

fix

pip install vininfo

ValueError: VIN must be 17 characters long

The string provided to the vininfo.Vin() constructor is not exactly 17 characters in length, which is a fundamental requirement for a Vehicle Identification Number.

fix

Ensure the input VIN string is precisely 17 characters long before passing it to vininfo.Vin(), for example: vininfo.Vin('1GNCU0V3557000000')

AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'lower'

This error occurs when a VIN field (like 'make', 'model', 'year') is None because the vininfo library could not decode that specific piece of information, and then a method is called on that None value without prior checking.

fix

Always check if the attribute is not None before attempting to call methods on it, for example: `vin = vininfo.Vin('YOURVINHERE').decode(); if vin and vin.make: print(vin.make.lower())`

TypeError: Vin() takes exactly 1 argument (0 given)

The vininfo.Vin class constructor requires a single string argument representing the VIN.

fix

Pass the VIN string as an argument when instantiating the Vin object, for example: `vininfo.Vin('YOURVINHERE')`

Upgrade

Version history

1.11.0latest on PyPI · released May 2, 2026

Audit

Dependencies

PythonrequiredRequires Python 3.10 or newer.

clickoptionalRequired for using the command-line interface (CLI) features.

Agent activity

20 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/idlesign/vininfo ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/vininfo/ ↗