NHTSA vPIC API
Official US Government API for every car in the world by VIN — free, no key.
About this API
NHTSA maintains vPIC — a database of every car ever built worldwide, by VIN. Free, no key, no declared rate limit. For a vehicle-check product in Israel, this is your global layer and pairs well with data.gov.il (Israel-specific).
Who it's for
Vehicle-check apps
Appraisers and tow companies
Digital insurance
Vehicle-value calculators
How to use it
- 1Call /vehicles/DecodeVin/<VIN>?format=json.
- 2Returns a list of fields — manufacturer, model, year, engine etc.
- 3Without a VIN, use /vehicles/GetModelsForMake.
Installation & setup
None.
Code examples
curl "https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVin/1HGCM82633A123456?format=json"Sample response
{
"Count": 136,
"Results": [
{
"Variable": "Make",
"Value": "HONDA"
},
{
"Variable": "Model",
"Value": "Accord"
},
{
"Variable": "ModelYear",
"Value": "2003"
},
{
"Variable": "FuelTypePrimary",
"Value": "Gasoline"
}
]
}FAQ
Yes — any vehicle with a standard VIN.
Tips & pitfalls
Use Object.fromEntries to flatten Results into a dict.
For Israeli cars, combine with data.gov.il to get local registration details.