Polaris VIN decoder
Enter a Polaris VIN to see the model, year, engine, factory and open safety recalls. Free, with official NHTSA data.
About Polaris VINs
Polaris builds ATVs (Sportsman), side-by-sides (RZR, Ranger, General) and snowmobiles. Machines sold for road or trail registration in the US carry a 17-character VIN in the standard format, so the model year and plant can be read like a car's.
Polaris is part of Polaris Inc..
Good to know
- On Sportsman ATVs the VIN is usually stamped on the left front frame tube; on RZR and Ranger models, on the frame near the front left wheel.
- The engine has its own serial number, which Polaris dealers use for parts.
- Some older or off-road-only machines have shorter serial numbers that do not decode.
Polaris manufacturer codes (WMI)
The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA lists 8 codes for Polaris. The first character shows the region where the vehicle was built (1, 4, 5 USA; 2 Canada; 3 Mexico; J Japan; K Korea; W Germany; Z Italy).
| Code | Manufacturer | Country | Vehicle type | Also used by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3NE | Polaris Industries Inc. | Mexico | Motorcycle | – |
| 3NS | Polaris Industries Inc. | Mexico | Motorcycle | – |
| 4XA | Polaris Industries Inc. | – | Motorcycle | – |
| 52C | Polaris Industries Inc. | – | Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) | – |
| 5VP | Polaris Industries Inc. | – | Motorcycle | Victory, Indian Motorcycle |
| S21 | Polaris Industries Inc. | United States (USA) | Off-Road Vehicle | – |
| SN1 | Polaris Industries Inc. | United States (USA) | Off-Road Vehicle | – |
| TAP | Polaris Industries Inc. | Poland | Motorcycle | – |
Some codes are shared by several brands of the same group. The full decode shows the brand.
How to read a Polaris VIN
| Position | Meaning | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Manufacturer code (WMI) | Maker, brand and country, as in the table above. |
| 4-8 | Vehicle descriptor | Model, body, engine and safety equipment. Each maker sets its own layout here. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that catches typing errors and fake VINs. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the year (see the table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant | The factory code, set by the maker. |
| 12-17 | Serial number | The production number of that vehicle. |
Model year codes
The 10th character of a Polaris VIN is the model year. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the number 0 are never used. The codes repeat every 30 years.
Polaris models in the NHTSA database
NHTSA lists 153 model names under Polaris. Decode a VIN to see which one yours is, with its exact trim and engine.
- 120
- 120 Assault
- 120 Dragon
- 120 Indy
- 120 Pro-R
- 340
- 340 Indy
- 500 Classic
- 500 Indy
- 500 XC
- 550
- 550 Indy
- 550 IQ
- 550 Shift
- 550 Widetrak
- 600
- 600 Classic
- 600 Dragon
- 600 H.O.
- 600 Indy
- 600 IQ
- 600 Pro
- 600 RMK
- 600 Rush
- 600 Shift
- 600 SwitchBack
- 600 Widetrak
- 700 Classic
- 700 Dragon
- 700 Fusion
- 700 Indy
- 700 IQ
- 700 Pro
- 700 RMK
- 700 SwitchBack
- 800
- 800 Dragon
- 800 Indy
- 800 IQ
- 800 Pro
- 800 RMK
- 800 Rush
- 800 SwitchBack
- 900 Fusion
- 900 RMK
- 900 SwitchBack
- ACE
- All Terrain Pickup
- Asphalt
- Assault
- Axys
- Boost
- Breeze
- Breeze SL
- Brutus
- Classic
- EDGE
- EV-LSV
- Frontier
- FS
Show all 153 models
- FST
- Fusion
- GEM
- GEN
- General
- General 4 1000
- General 1000
- General XP 4 1000
- General XP 1000
- Hawkeye
- Indy
- IQ
- IQ Turbo
- IQ Turbo Dragon
- IRS
- LX
- Matryx
- Mini Indy
- Outlaw
- Outlaw 525
- Phoenix
- Polaris
- Predator
- Pro-R
- Pro/Ride Conventional
- Pro X
- Pro XD
- Racer
- Ranger
- Ranger 1000
- Ranger Crew 570-4
- Ranger Crew 1000
- Ranger Crew XD 1500
- Ranger Crew XP 1000
- Ranger XD 1500
- Ranger XP 1000
- RMK
- Rush
- RZR
- RZR 570
- RZR 900
- RZR Pro R
- RZR Pro R 4
- RZR ProXP
- RZR ProXP 4
- RZR RS1
- RZR S 4 1000
- RZR S 900
- RZR Trail
- RZR Trail S
- RZR Turbo R
- RZR Turbo R 4
- RZR XP 4 1000
- RZR XP 4 Turbo
- RZR XP 4 Turbo S
- RZR XP 4 Turbo S Velocity
- RZR XP 1000
- RZR XP Turbo
- RZR XP Turbo S
- RZR XP Turbo S Velocity
- Sawtooth
- Scrambler
- Shift
- SKS
- Sport
- Sportsman
- Sportsman 6x6 570
- Sportsman 450
- Sportsman 570
- Sportsman 850
- Sportsman Touring 570
- Sportsman Touring XP 1000
- Sportsman X2 570
- Sportsman XP 1000
- Sportsman XP 1000 S
- Sport Touring
- SuperSport
- SwitchBack
- Touring
- Trail Blazer
- Trail Boss
- Trail RMK
- Trail Touring
- Traxx
- Turbo
- WideTrak
- XC
- XCF
- XC SP
- Xpedition
- Xpedition ADV 5
- Xplorer 400
- Youth Aeon
Vehicle types NHTSA lists for Polaris
Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), Motorcycle, Off-Road Vehicle
Where to find the VIN on a Polaris
Frame
Stamped on the frame, usually at the front or under the seat. Clean off mud first.
Label
Some models have a VIN label on the frame or under the seat.
Papers
On the title, registration or certificate of origin.
Polaris recalls by VIN
Every decoded Polaris VIN on VinGear shows the safety recalls NHTSA lists for that model and year. To know whether the repair was already done on your vehicle, ask a Polaris dealer or use Polaris's own recall lookup with the VIN.
Polaris VIN decoder questions
How do I decode a Polaris VIN?
Type the 17-character VIN in the box at the top of this page and press Decode VIN. You get the model, year, engine, factory and safety recalls from NHTSA, free.
Is this Polaris VIN decoder free?
Yes. Decoding and recall checks are free with no sign-up. The data comes from NHTSA, the US vehicle safety agency.
What do the first three characters of a Polaris VIN mean?
They are the manufacturer code (WMI): maker, brand and country of manufacture. NHTSA lists 8 codes for Polaris; the table on this page shows them.
Does a Polaris VIN show options or the owner?
No. The VIN codes the model, body, engine and factory, not options or colour. It never shows the owner, and VinGear does not look up owners.