Provides Proof Of HUD Tag Number If Missing

If you are unable to find your HUD tag (which is also called a HUD label or red tag) for verification of the mobile home for financing or sale, you can get a certification letter with the tag number from IBTS (Institute for Building Technology and Safety). You must provide them the serial number of the home, which is noted on the data plate and also etched into the front face of the front cross-beam of the steel undercarriage. Double or triple-wides will have two or three serial numbers.

    Their fee, as of December, 2017, is $50 for email delivery of the verification letter, and they need two weeks for processing. There are extra fees for rush service (2 to 3 days) and delivery of a paper copy of the form. You can apply online at https://lvr-requests.ibts.org/#/LandingPage. Because they occasionally change the format of their site, this link may not still be valid when you try it, so we suggest going to the home page at https://www.ibts.org/ and navigating from there if you have a problem.

   The verification letter provides the following information about the home:

•  HUD tag number 
•  Serial/VIN number
•  Date of manufacture
•  Name of manufacturer and plant location
•  Location of first destination (dealer/retail center)

    It does not provide performance information, such as wind zone, roof load zone, and thermal zone. You have to order their separate “HUD Data Plate/Performance Certificate” for an additional fee to receive that information. See our blog post What is a "HUD data plate/performance certificate" for a mobile/manufactured home? for more info on performance certificates. 

   A couple of final notes: data is only available for mobile/manufactured homes produced after June 15, 1976, which is when HUD took over responsibility of construction standards. Also, IBTS does not keep records for modular homes.

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Want to learn more about inspecting
manufactured/mobile homes? 
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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• Does the building code apply to mobile homes?  

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Can I put a mobile home in my backyard in Florida?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

• When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured?

• How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

• What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

• Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

• What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

• Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

• What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

• What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

• How fireproof is a mobile home?  

• Can I install a mobile home myself?

• What is a Park Model mobile home?  

• Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

• What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

• What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

• How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

• How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.