Rivian Paint Code: Where to Find It and How to Read It
The exact label to look for on a Rivian, how the code is printed, what people mistake it for, and 12 verified Rivian colour codes.
NHTSA vPIC has no colour field, so no VIN decoder returns one. The label on the vehicle is the reliable route.
On a Rivian the paint code sits on the Certification Label in the driver-side door jamb, low on the B-pillar. Rivian's own R1T Upfitting Guide names that label and that exact position. Codes run EXP001 to EXP014 — three letters plus three digits — and refinish catalogues pair each with a second code such as A1AL or S7D. Rivian itself publishes colour names, not codes.
Where is the paint code on a Rivian?
- Driver-side B-pillar, lower door jamb. Open the driver's door and look low on the B-pillar, the post the door latches against, just above the sill. Rivian's own R1T Upfitting Guide (September 2025) uses the exact phrase "the Certification Label on the B-pillar lower door jamb" and applies it to both R1T and R1S — but it cites that label only for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and never mentions paint. The paint-code part rests on owner reports: a Rivian Forums member (July 2023) had a paint shop mix touch-up from "the paint code off the door jamb", and PaintScratch directs Rivian owners to "the color plate located on the drivers door jamb". Confirmed in practice for first-generation R1T/R1S (2022–2024) and consistent with Rivian's own wording for 2025–2026 R1. Not confirmed for R2.
- Window sticker or your Rivian account. Gives the colour name, not the code. The Monroney window sticker and the order details in your Rivian account list the exterior colour as Rivian markets it — LA Silver, El Cap Granite, Storm Blue — and Rivian's own Gear Shop sells touch-up pens by colour name across 16 colours. Use this to confirm which colour you have, then map it to a code with a refinish catalogue. In the vehicle, Settings > Vehicle > About shows the VIN, not the paint. Applies to all model years.
- Rivian Service ticket, or the VIN selector on Rivian's Gear Shop. The route for codes that are not on the jamb label. The gloss-black roof rails, A-pillar trim, mirror caps and liftgate applique are painted a different colour from the body and are not on the Certification Label; an owner on Rivian Forums obtained High Gloss Black EXP001 this way from the Las Vegas Service Centre in September 2023. Rivian's Gear Shop touch-up paint pen page also lets you pick your vehicle by VIN, which is Rivian matching your colour from its build records. Use either route if your label is damaged, unreadable or absent.
How to read the Rivian paint code
Six characters: the fixed letters EXP plus three digits. EXP001 through EXP014 are the values that actually appear in refinish catalogues. Suppliers almost always print the code paired with a second reference — "A1AL / EXP004" for the 2021–2024 colours, or a three-character code such as S7D, C5D or A7E for newer ones — and both strings identify the same mix. Which of the two Rivian prints on the jamb label is not publicly documented, so photograph the whole label rather than hunting one field. Ignore the 17-character VIN, the GVWR and GAWR weight figures, the tyre size and pressure block, and the manufacture date, all of which share the label. The "PNT" field heading described on this page previously is generic all-makes advice from paint retailers, not something evidenced on a Rivian label.
- Open the driver's door and find the Certification Label low on the B-pillar, above the sill — it is the same label that carries the GVWR and GAWR figures.
- Photograph the whole label in good light rather than looking for one heading; the paint code is short and sits among the VIN, weight ratings and tyre data.
- Read off the six-character EXP code (EXP001–EXP014) or the paired short code (A1AL, A1AJ, S7D, C5D). Ignore the 17-character VIN, the weight ratings, the tyre pressures and the build date.
- If the label is missing or unreadable, or the colour you need is trim rather than body — gloss-black roof rails, mirror caps, liftgate applique — raise a ticket in the Rivian app, or use the VIN selector on Rivian's Gear Shop touch-up paint pen page.
- Verify before ordering: look the code up in a refinish catalogue and check the colour name comes back as expected — EXP004 should return LA Silver / Silver Glacier Metallic, EXP008 Red Canyon.
Common Rivian paint codes
| Code | Rivian colour name | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| EXP004 | LA Silver | Standard, no-cost colour on R1T and R1S, still standard today per Rivian's support page. Catalogued as A1AL and sold under supplier names Silver Glacier Metallic and La Silver Metallic. |
| EXP003 | Glacier White | R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025 and still offered. Catalogued as A1AK, often sold as Arctic White. |
| EXP002 | Midnight | R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025 and still offered. Catalogued as A1AJ, sold as Cosmic Black Metallic or Midnight Pearl. |
| EXP005 | El Cap Granite | First-generation R1T and R1S; catalogued 2021–2025 and no longer in Rivian's current configurator. Catalogued as A1AM, sold as Anthracite Gray Metallic or El Cap Granite Pearl. |
| EXP006 | Forest Green | R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025 and still offered. Catalogued as A1AN, often sold as Adirondack Green Metallic. |
| EXP007 | Rivian Blue | R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025 and still offered. Catalogued as A1BK, often sold as Trestles Blue Metallic. Distinct from Storm Blue. |
| EXP008 | Red Canyon | R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025. Catalogued as A1AP. PaintScratch sells the same code as Bright Red and AutomotiveTouchup as Red Rocks Metallic, so match on the code, not the name. |
| EXP009 | Limestone | First-generation R1T and R1S, catalogued 2021–2025. Catalogued as A1BL and listed by AutomotiveTouchup as Limestone Metallic — suppliers class it as a metallic, not a pearl. |
| EXP010 | Compass Yellow | 2021–2023 only, per ChipFixx. Catalogued as A1BP and listed without a metallic or pearl suffix. |
| EXP011 | Launch Green | Launch Edition R1T and R1S, 2021–2023. Catalogued as A1BH and sold as Launch Green Pearl. Rivian has reoffered Launch Green on R2 Launch Package configurations, though whether that is the same mix is unconfirmed; note that ScratchesHappen's R2 listing pairs EXP011 with Esker Silver instead, so verify the colour name. |
| S7D / EXP014 | Storm Blue | 2025 onward. Rivian's support page confirms it is available only when configuring a Tri or Quad R1T or R1S. AutomotiveTouchup and ERA Paints both cross-list S7D as EXP014. |
| EXP001 | High Gloss Black | Not a body colour. This is the gloss black on the roof rails, A-pillar trim, mirror caps and liftgate applique, and it is not carried on the Certification Label — an owner obtained it from Rivian Service. Catalogued as A1AR by PaintScratch, which names it High Gloss Black; ScratchesHappen lists the same A1AR/EXP001 as Rivian Black. |
This list is not every colour Rivian has sold. Always confirm against the label on your own vehicle before ordering paint.
What to know before you order paint
- Rivian's R1T Upfitting Guide (September 2025, hosted on Rivian's own CDN) is the only first-party document we could find using the phrase "the Certification Label on the B-pillar lower door jamb", and it cites that label for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating only — the 130-page guide never mentions paint. There is no Rivian owner's guide we could verify that ties a paint code to that label, so the location is best supported by owner reports and refinish suppliers rather than by Rivian.
- A VIN does not yield a paint code by decoding. NHTSA's vPIC decoder returns make, model and model year for a Rivian VIN and leaves every colour field empty. Rivian can still retrieve your colour from build records — its Gear Shop touch-up pen page accepts a VIN, and Service will answer a ticket — but that is a database lookup, not something the 17 characters encode.
- The label is not always present. A February 2023 Rivian Forums thread has multiple R1T and R1S owners reporting no VIN or certification plate in the door jamb at all, citing 49 CFR 567.4 to Rivian. Treat a missing label as a known early-build issue, not proof you are looking in the wrong place.
- Catalogues disagree on the newer colours. AutomotiveTouchup and ChipFixx both give A1BH/EXP011 for Launch Green, while ScratchesHappen's R2 page pairs EXP011 with Esker Silver (A7E). Match on the colour name as well as the code before ordering.
- The "PNT" field heading is generic industry advice. ERA Paints, DipYourCar and PaintScratch all use it in all-makes guides; no Rivian document or owner photograph we found shows a PNT field on a Rivian label, so do not tell readers to look for one.
Rivian and refinish sources
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- R1T Upfitting Guide (September 2025) — "see the Certification Label on the B-pillar lower door jamb"Rivian
- What exterior color options do you have?Rivian Support
- 2023 Rivian R1T touch-up paint colours (A1AL/EXP004, A1AP/EXP008 and the rest)AutomotiveTouchup
- Rivian Touch Up Paint — "the color plate located on the drivers door jamb"PaintScratch
- Touch up paint code for glossy black trim, roof, lift gate = HIGH GLOSS BLACK EXP001Rivian Forums
Rivian paint code questions
Where is the paint code on a Rivian R1T or R1S?
On the Certification Label in the driver-side door jamb, low on the B-pillar. Rivian's R1T Upfitting Guide names that label and that position for both R1T and R1S, and owners report reading a usable paint code off the jamb — one had a local paint supplier mix a match from it in 2023. PaintScratch sends Rivian customers to the same door-jamb colour plate.
Does Rivian actually document the paint code on that label?
No. The only Rivian document we found that names the Certification Label — the R1T Upfitting Guide, September 2025 — cites it for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and never mentions paint anywhere in 130 pages. The door-jamb location rests on owner reports and refinish-supplier guidance, not on a Rivian statement about paint. Photograph the whole label rather than hunting for one field.
Can I get my Rivian paint code from the VIN?
Not by decoding it. Run a Rivian VIN through NHTSA's vPIC decoder and every colour field comes back empty; you get make, model and year only. Rivian can look your colour up from its build record — the Gear Shop touch-up pen page accepts a VIN, and Service answers tickets — but any site claiming to decode paint from the 17 characters is guessing.
Why do catalogues list two different codes for the same Rivian colour?
Refinish databases carry a parallel reference alongside the EXP number. First-generation colours get a four-character code — A1AL for LA Silver, A1AJ for Midnight — and newer ones a three-character code such as S7D, C5D or A7E. AutomotiveTouchup prints them together as "A1AL / EXP004". Both identify the same mix, so order on whichever code your supplier asks for.
What is the code for the gloss black roof rails and trim?
High Gloss Black, EXP001, catalogued by PaintScratch as A1AR. It is a different paint from the body colour and is not carried on the Certification Label. A Rivian Forums owner obtained it in September 2023 by raising a ticket with the Las Vegas Service Centre. Note that some suppliers list the same A1AR/EXP001 under the name Rivian Black.
What if my door jamb label is missing or unreadable?
It happens on early cars. A February 2023 Rivian Forums thread has several R1T and R1S owners finding no VIN or certification plate in the door jamb at all. If yours is missing, damaged or painted over, raise a service ticket in the Rivian app, or use the VIN selector on Rivian's Gear Shop touch-up paint pen page to get the right colour.
What are the codes for Storm Blue and California Dune?
Storm Blue is catalogued as S7D and cross-listed by AutomotiveTouchup and ERA Paints as EXP014. Rivian's support page confirms it is offered only when you configure a Tri or Quad R1T or R1S. California Dune, another recent colour Rivian sells a touch-up pen for, appears in catalogues as C5D with no widely published EXP equivalent.