Vin etching is a method of marking the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a vehicle. The VIN can be etched on the glass of your car, but it’s also possible to have it etched into other materials such as plastic or metal. This technique makes it very difficult for someone to remove the mark from a window and sell your car as their own.
The most important thing about vin etching for theft scenarios is that it allows police officers to identify stolen vehicles more easily. If you think about it, when an officer pulls over a person driving around with no license plates or any other identifying marks, he/she has no way of knowing whether or not this car was stolen until they run checks on its VIN number in their system. By simply scratching an additional piece of information onto each car’s glass surface (i.e., “stolen”), officers will know not only that the driver doesn’t have permission to drive but also if they’re driving in an illegal manner (i.e., without plates).
Vin etching is a small investment that will pay off in the event of a stolen vehicle. The average cost for this process is about $100; however, it could save you thousands if your car ever gets stolen. In addition to being an easy fix that anyone can do, vin etching helps deter theft from the beginning.
You should make sure that vin etching is done on all windows and not just on the windshield. If you only have the windshield done, it may be possible to remove the vin etching.
You should make sure to store your documentation in an easy-to-access location so that if your vehicle is ever stolen, you can refer to your information right away. It’s also important to make sure that any information on your registration and insurance documents are up to date. In addition, it’s a good idea to keep this documentation in a safe place, such as a fireproof box or safe deposit box at the bank.
If you have to have vin etching done on your vehicle’s windows, it will be a good idea to wait until after they are tinted or coated with anything else that would prevent the procedure from being done effectively. This is because the process works by applying a special etching solution directly onto the glass and then heating it up so that any metal in the vin number will oxidize and turn colors based on what numbers are present in each location. In general, this means that if you want vin etching to be done on your vehicle’s windows, you should make sure to do so before they are tinted or coated with anything else (such as window tinting) that would prevent the procedure from being done effectively.
Just as there are many different ways to accomplish the same task, there are a variety of ways to do vin etching. Professional technicians who have been trained in vin etching understand how to properly and safely apply it to your vehicle. When looking for a technician, ask if they are certified in this process. If they claim that they are but cannot provide proof of certification, find another technician who can show you their credentials.
Ask them for before and after photos of their work on past cars or even see some examples of their work in person so that you can see how good it looks when finished.
The benefits of vin etching are clear—if you’re concerned about thieves swiping your ride, this low-cost method is worth considering!