Thursday June 9, 2016 5:00 - 7:00 pm Lazybrook Baptist Church, Houston, TX

VIN ETCHING

What is VIN etching?  VIN etching is inscribing your car’s Vehicle Identification Number onto its windshield and windows. The VIN is a 17-character serial number is unique to every vehicle and can be found in several different places on the car. When a vehicle is stolen to be resold, the first things thieves generally do is remove the VIN so the car can’t be identified.

Very few parts on your vehicle have the VIN’s stamped into them, which makes the vehicle and or its parts very desirable to a thief.  Many auto parts buyers will not purchase parts that carry identification numbers. Should a thief try to sell the parts from a vehicle for profit, those marked parts carry a higher risk for both the thief and the auto parts seller. Since automotive glass generally have no identification numbers, and are often interchangeable between many different years and models of vehicle, there is usually a much greater profit for the thief compared to other components on the vehicle. If a car's windows are stamped with the VIN, thieves would need to discard the glass before parting out the stolen vehicle, thus reducing or eliminating their profit.

VIN etching can also increase the odds of recovery of a stolen car by police.

Vehicles with VIN-etched windows may be eligible for insurance rate reductions of as much as 15%.  Check with your insurance provider.

This process is fairly simple, does not have any adverse effects on the windows, it is almost invisible, it’s permanent, takes only a few minutes, and is provided free of charge by The Houston Auto Crimes Task Force and ABTPA Grant.

Call or email to set up your VIN etching event.

Sergeant Tracy A. Hicks

Houston Police Department

Auto Theft Division / Grant Unit