This question often comes up when a mobile home is being sold and the VIN number or HUD tag has gone missing. Unfortunately, there is no free database that you can access online to get information about your manufactured home.

    But the data does exist, and it is maintained by the Institute for Business Technology and Safety, a HUD contractor that keeps records back to 1976 of HUD-code manufactured homes. If you go to their website and provide them with a HUD tag number, they can give you the VIN number, or vice-versa, along with most of the information that was on the paper data plate inside the home if it has disappeared too—but for a fee. Also, it takes several days to two weeks for processing. Visit our blog posts What is a HUD data plate/performance certificate for a mobile/manufactured home? and What is a HUD label verification letter for a mobile/manufactured home? to learn more.

    For help searching for the HUD tag or VIN on the home, go to What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? and Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

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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?

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

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

 • How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• 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? 

• 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?

       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.