Radio code by registration

Your number plate tells us the car, and which radio it probably has. The serial gives the exact code.

Why we still need the serial

Codes belong to the radio, not the car. Radios get swapped, and one model can have several. A registration narrows it down; the serial settles it.

That is also why no website can honestly give you a code from a number plate alone. The records behind a registration describe the car — make, model, year — not the radio in its dash today. Anyone offering a code from the plate is either working from the serial anyway, or guessing.

What your registration does tell us

  • Which radios the car could have. A Focus from 2004 and one from 1999 have different radios, with different serials.
  • Where the serial is. On many radios it shows on screen when you hold two buttons; on others it is on a label, and the radio has to come out.
  • Whether we can do it. Before you go hunting for a serial, you know whether it is worth it.

How it works

  1. Enter your registration. We check it against official vehicle records (nothing is stored).
  2. We show the radios fitted to your car and where each serial is.
  3. Enter the serial for a free check, then get your code.

Can’t get at the serial? How to find your radio serial number covers every make, and how to take the radio out covers the ones with a label.

Choose your brand

Ford Instant Renault Instant Vauxhall Instant Volkswagen Instant Fiat Instant Peugeot Instant Citroën Instant Nissan Instant Dacia Instant Mercedes-Benz Instant Škoda Instant Audi Instant

Every brand we cover →

Questions

Can I get my radio code from my registration alone?

No — not from us or anyone else. The code belongs to the radio, and the records behind a registration describe the car, not the radio in it today. The registration shows which radio to look for; its serial gives the code.

Can a dealer get the code from my VIN?

Often, for the radio the car was built with: a dealer can look it up from the VIN and the radio serial, usually with your V5C and ID. If the radio has been changed since, only its own serial will do.

Why does my car show more than one radio?

One model often had several radios over its years, or different ones by trim. The serial tells them apart, which is why we ask for it before you pay.

Is my registration stored?

We don’t save it. It is checked against official vehicle records to name the car, and that is all.