Manufactured Homes VIN Numbers and Data Plates

If you live in a manufactured home and you require insurance on your home, you should get familiar with your homes vehicle identification number (VIN). Your manufactured home VIN number is more than simply a registration number-- it holds essential info about your mobile home.

Be sure to locate your VIN number when you're all set get a quote on your manufactured/mobile home for insurance. It will help you get an accurate rate and determine eligibility.

What Is a Mobile/Manufactured Home VIN Number?

Think about your VIN as a code which contains details about your manufactured home. It's a simple way to identify:

• The manufacturer- The very first 3 digits found in your mobile home's VIN represents the factory where the home was built.
• The state where it was constructed- The next 2 letters identify the state where the home was constructed.
• Identification number- This set of 6 numbers that represent the home’s serial number.
• Section code- This letter informs you if the mobile home has more than one section. Single-wide houses with just one section do not have a section code. Sections are specified as A or B to represent double-wide and triple-wide homes.

If you have more than one section (single-wide vs. double-wide), you must have a VIN and title for each section of your home.

JAC FL 123456 B 

This sample mobile home VIN tells us the home was manufactured by Jacobsen Homes in Florida, its serial number is 123456, and that it’s for section # 2 of the home.

Where to Find Your Manufactured Home's VIN

Your manufactured or mobile home VIN number is typically found:

• On the data plate inside your home
• Marked on your mobile home's steel frame (stamped into the steel cross member where the hitch is attached to for each section of the home)

Mobile homes with more than one section generally have a somewhat different VIN for each section.

What's on a Data Plate? 

In addition to your mobile home VIN, that data plate has other useful info:

• Manufacturer, or builders, name, and address
• Serial number
• Date home was built
• Statement required by HUD: "This manufactured home is constructed to comply with Federal manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards in force at the time of manufacture."
• List of certification labels attached to each transportable section of the home.
• List of all factory-installed devices
• Map and reference with wind zone, snow load, and roofing load of the manufactured home.

Where Is the Data Plate Located? 

All manufactured homes must have a data plate attached inside the home. It can be put in several different places:

• Inside of a cabinet door in the kitchen
• The back wall of the small bedroom closet or master bedroom closet
• Inside your water heater closet
• On the inside of a bathroom cabinet door

If you replace your cabinets or plan to remove the wall that has the Data Plate you should remove the data plate carefully and attach the paper to a different area of the home (in another cabinet or closet, for example).

You should always protect your Data Plate. Losing it can keep you from financing, selling, improving, or repairing your home. Perhaps think of adding a thick clear piece of laminate over it so that it cannot fall off or be destroyed.

What To Do If Your Data Plate Is Missing 

If the Data Plate is lost or missing, you'll need to replace it.  You can get a new data plate by obtaining one with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS).  https://www.ibts.org/what-we-do/verification-letter-certificate/ A standard certification costs $50, however you can get it expedited for $100.

And now that you know where to find all this information about your home, you are all set to get a quote! Find a local agent today who can assist you to properly insure your manufactured home.