Chevrolet Paint Code: Where to Find It and How to Read It
The exact label to look for on a Chevrolet, how the code is printed, what people mistake it for, and 12 verified Chevrolet colour codes.
NHTSA vPIC has no colour field, so no VIN decoder returns one. The label on the vehicle is the reliable route.
On most Chevrolets the paint code is on the Service Parts Identification (SPID) label inside the glove box, on the line marked BC/CC. From the 2018 model year the code moved to the driver-side B-pillar Certification label, printed at the lower left of the QR code. It reads as WA plus four characters, such as WA8624, or a three-character RPO like GAZ. A 17-character VIN does not contain it.
Where is the paint code on a Chevrolet?
- Glove box (primary, roughly mid-1980s through 2017). The Service Parts Identification label, printed on the inside of the glove box door or its back wall. Chevrolet's own owner manuals name this label and its contents: the 2017 Silverado Owner Manual (Technical Data, p. 467) states it is "on the inside of the glove box" and lists "Paint information" alongside the VIN, model designation and production options, with the instruction "Do not remove this label from the vehicle." This is the first place to look on any Chevrolet car, truck or SUV built from the mid-1980s to 2017.
- Driver-side B-pillar (2018 and newer). The Certification label, where the paint code is printed at the lower left of a QR code. GM TechLink (Mid-May 2017, Vol. 19 No. 10) documents the change: beginning with the 2018 model year, SPID content moved into a QR code on the Certification label across Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC, phased in over several months. That label sits on the driver-side B-pillar on all GM models except the Corvette, where it is on the driver's door. Scanning the QR returns the paint code as the final field after the RPO list. Because the change was phased in, some early 2018 vehicles still carry a printed glove-box SPID as well — check both.
- Trunk lid, spare-tire well or rear cargo trim. GM TechLink describes the SPID label as "often located in the trunk or glovebox," and sources disagree on which comes first by body style. On sedans and coupes it is frequently under the trunk lid, under the trunk carpet, or on the bottom of the spare-tire cover; AutomotiveTouchup lists the Impala as glove box, under trunk lid, or driver's door. Phastek Performance places the Camaro SPID in the trunk under the driver-side carpet liner for 2010-2015 and on the bottom of the trunk carpet liner for 2016-2017, before the 2018 move to the door jamb. On some SUVs and vans the label is on a plastic storage cover in the cargo area.
- Center console lid, or the cowl tag on pre-1981 vehicles. On some trucks and SUVs with bucket seats the SPID sits on the underside of the center console lid; AutomotiveTouchup lists the Camaro as driver-side door jamb, glove box or center console, and the Corvette as glove box, top of the driveshaft tunnel, or under the rear storage. On Chevrolets built before about 1981 there is no SPID label at all: the color code is on the Fisher Body cowl or trim tag, on the firewall near the brake booster for 1967-1969 cars and on the cowl below the windshield facing up for roughly 1970-1981. Position varied by model — early Novas carried it on the passenger side of the firewall, and Impala tags moved several times between 1960 and 1965.
How to read the Chevrolet paint code
The code follows the printed field label BC/CC, which stands for basecoat/clearcoat. It appears in two interchangeable forms that mean the same color: a four-character GM stock number written with or without its WA prefix (WA8624, or just 8624), and a three-character RPO code mixing letters and digits (GAZ, GBA, G7C, G9K). Older labels also carry a two-digit body color number — 50 for Summit White, 41 for Black, 74 for Victory Red. A leading U or L is not part of the code: U means upper body, L means lower. So BC/CC U 8555 is upper-body stock number 8555, the same paint as WA8555 and RPO GBA. What people copy by mistake: the surrounding RPO block (Z71, LTZ, AG5), which lists every factory option, and the separate interior trim code, which describes the seats and not the exterior.
- Open the glove box and look on the inside of the door or the back wall for a printed Service Parts Identification label — Chevrolet's owner manual names this as the label carrying the paint information.
- If it is not there, check the underside of the trunk lid, under the trunk carpet or spare-tire cover, the underside of the center console lid, and the plastic cargo-area trim panels on SUVs and vans.
- On a 2018 or newer Chevrolet, open the driver's door and read the Certification label on the B-pillar (the driver's door itself on a Corvette): the paint code is printed at the lower left of the QR code, and scanning that QR returns it as the last field.
- Read the line labeled BC/CC and copy the characters after it. Drop a leading U or L — those mean upper and lower body, not part of the code — and write down both the WA number and the three-character RPO if the label prints both.
- Confirm the code matches a real Chevrolet color name for your model year against a refinish supplier's cross-reference, or read it to a Chevrolet dealer parts desk, who can check it against the factory build record filed under your VIN.
Common Chevrolet paint codes
| Code | Chevrolet colour name | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| GAZ / WA8624 / 50 | Summit White | Chevrolet's most widely used color, on nearly every model line since the mid-1980s. Older supplier listings for the same stock number call it Olympic White. |
| GBA / WA8555 / 41 | Black | In continuous use across cars and trucks; listed as Gloss Black on 2010-2024 Camaros. |
| GAN / WA636R | Silver Ice Metallic | Camaro 2010-2018, and still current on Express vans. GM TechLink's worked QR-scan example for a 2017 Traverse ends in 636R, this color. |
| GCN / WA9260 / 74 | Victory Red | Silverado and other trucks from the mid-2000s; Camaro 2010-2013. |
| G7C / WA130X | Red Hot | Replaced Victory Red as the standard bright red; Camaro 2014-2024 and widely used on Silverado, Equinox and Trax. |
| GB8 / WA384A | Mosaic Black Metallic | Camaro 2016-2019 and other models of the same period; a metallic black, distinct from solid Black GBA. |
| G9K / WA464C | Satin Steel Gray Metallic | Camaro 2019-2024, Silverado, Equinox and Traverse. Some listings pair it with WA501B / GF6 for the same shade. |
| GJI / WA626D | Shadow Gray Metallic | Camaro 2019-2024, Silverado and Colorado; darker than Satin Steel. |
| GXG / WA121V | Tungsten Metallic | 2014-2018 Silverado and related trucks. GMC sells the identical paint under the name Iridium Metallic, same RPO and stock number. |
| G1W / WA140X | Iridescent Pearl Tricoat | Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Equinox and Blazer, roughly 2015 onward. A three-stage color: basecoat, translucent pearl midcoat, then clear. |
| 59 / WA926L | Silver Birch Metallic | Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche and Express from about 2004 onward; also listed as Fine Silver Birch Metallic. |
| GNT / WA170H | Radiant Red Tintcoat | Camaro 2023-2024 and other recent models. Tintcoat means a tinted midcoat over the base, so it is sprayed in three stages from one code. |
This list is not every colour Chevrolet has sold. Always confirm against the label on your own vehicle before ordering paint.
What to know before you order paint
- A 17-character VIN does not encode the paint code. Decoding a 2019 Chevrolet VIN through NHTSA's free vPIC API returns 154 fields and not one of them is exterior color — vPIC holds build attributes filed for safety compliance, not the factory finish. Any site advertising "Chevrolet paint code by VIN" is either querying a manufacturer build record it has licensed access to, or inferring from the model. Free VIN Lookup does not return paint codes; the label on the vehicle is the reliable route.
- Chevrolet states the location in its own owner manuals. The 2017 Silverado Owner Manual (chevrolet.com, Technical Data, p. 467) says the Service Parts Identification label is "on the inside of the glove box" and lists "Paint information" among the four things it carries.
- GM TechLink (Mid-May 2017, Vol. 19 No. 10, "SPID Label Content Now Included with Certification Label") documents the 2018 change and confirms the paint code is the final field in the scanned QR string, and that the same code appears printed at the lower left of the QR block.
- PaintScratch's Chevrolet guide warns that Chevrolet never standardized the color plate and used many different locations over the years, so position varies by model and year more than for most makes. Its stated code pattern, 51/WA316N preceded by BC/CC, matches AutomotiveTouchup's independent description of the same label.
- GM reuses one code across divisions under different marketing names. GXG / WA121V is Tungsten Metallic on a Chevrolet and Iridium Metallic on a GMC — identical paint, two names — per ScratchesHappen and TheCoatingStore refinish listings.
Chevrolet and refinish sources
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- 2017 Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual — Vehicle Identification / Service Parts Identification Label (p. 467)Chevrolet (General Motors)
- GM TechLink, Mid-May 2017 (Vol. 19 No. 10) — "SPID Label Content Now Included with Certification Label"General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales
- Chevrolet Paint Code Location and How to Read ItPaintScratch
- How to Find Chevrolet Paint Codes for Precision-Matched Touch-Up PaintAutomotiveTouchup
- Camaro Paint Codes (color, RPO code, WA number and model years, with SPID label locations by year)Phastek Performance
Chevrolet paint code questions
Can I find my Chevrolet paint code from the VIN?
No — a 17-character VIN does not encode the paint code. The VIN identifies the plant, model line, engine family and serial number; color was never given a position in it. NHTSA's free vPIC decoder returns about 150 fields for a Chevrolet VIN and not one is exterior color. Sites advertising paint code by VIN either query a licensed GM build record or guess from the model.
Where is the paint code on a Chevrolet Silverado?
Inside the glove box, on the Service Parts Identification label. The 2017 Silverado owner manual states the label is on the inside of the glove box and carries paint information along with the VIN, model designation and production options. Look for the line marked BC/CC. On 2018 and newer Silverados the code also appears on the driver-side B-pillar Certification label, at the lower left of the QR code.
What does BC/CC mean on a Chevrolet paint label?
BC/CC stands for basecoat/clearcoat, the two-stage paint system, and it is the field label printed directly before the code. A U or L in front of the code marks upper or lower body color and is not part of the code itself. BC/CC U 8555 therefore means an upper-body color with stock number 8555 — the same paint written WA8555, or RPO GBA, Chevrolet's Black.
My 2020 Chevrolet has no sticker in the glove box. Where is the paint code?
On the Certification label on the driver-side B-pillar. GM TechLink reported that beginning with the 2018 model year, Service Parts Identification content moved into a QR code on that label across Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. The paint code is printed in the lower left corner beside the QR code, and scanning the QR returns it as the final field after the RPO list. On a Corvette that label is on the driver's door.
Does Chevrolet print more than one code for two-tone, tri-coat or pearl paint?
Two-tone vehicles get two codes; tri-coats get one. On a two-tone the label shows the code twice, with U for the upper body and L for the lower body or cladding — for example BC/CC U316N and BC/CC L316N. Tri-coat and tintcoat colors such as Iridescent Pearl Tricoat (G1W) carry a single code, but the refinisher sprays three stages: basecoat, translucent midcoat, then clear.
What is the difference between GAZ and WA8624?
They are two ways of writing the same Chevrolet color, Summit White. GAZ is the three-character RPO code GM assigns to the option; WA8624 is the paint stock number a refinish supplier mixes from. Older labels also show a two-digit body number — 50 for Summit White, 41 for Black, 74 for Victory Red. Give a paint counter whichever form your label prints; they cross-reference all three.
Where is the paint code on a classic Chevrolet built before 1981?
On the Fisher Body cowl or trim tag, because the Service Parts Identification label did not exist yet. On 1967-1969 cars the tag is on the firewall near the brake booster; from about 1970 to 1981 it sits on the cowl below the windshield, facing up. Position varied by model — early Novas carried it on the passenger side. The paint field is short and sits next to the TRIM code, which is the interior.
Can a Chevrolet dealer look up my paint code from the VIN?
Yes, a dealer parts department can pull the factory build record filed under your VIN, and that record does contain the color. Note the distinction: the color lives in a manufacturer database keyed by VIN, not inside the VIN itself. This is the practical fallback when the label has been painted over, faded, or lost during a repair. Bring the VIN and ask for the paint RPO or WA number.