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Mobile Home Model Identification InformationMobile home registration and tracking are handled by state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV) like cars, trucks or trailers. Additionally they are registered and regulated by state or federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agencies. If they are permanently sited on a private parcel of land, they are taxed and regulated by local governments (usually counties), but are still registered with HUD agencies. Manufactured homes are also regulated by HUD. Unlike stick-built homes, these homes and manufactured housing units are identified by model and serial numbers. Permanently sited units are also identified by county or local land parcel numbers for survey and property tax purposes. After receiving queries from numerous viewers asking for information on locating a model or serial number, we decided to publish a page about the subject. This page should answer any questions you have on how to determine your home’s identification data for insurance or property matters. The quickest and most obvious place to find model or serial number information for your mobile home is on ownership documents. If the mobile home is not permanently sited, it should be registered as a motor vehicle or trailer, and have a vehicle-like title document. If the home is permanently sited, you will have some sort of deed, trust deed or other ownership document. A model name (or equivalent) and number (or equivalent) found on these documents should satisfy any insurance company, banking institute or local government property identification requirement. In the unlikely absence of this documentation, inspect the home itself for physical identification information. If it hasn't been removed, the home will have an identification tag securely attached to it. This may be in the form of a metal tag (similar to a vehicle identification tag) riveted or attached with screws to the exterior. The first place to look for the tag is on the rear of the home (opposite end from towing tongue) near where a license plate might be attached. Also check on or near the towing tongue if still attached (the tongue may be tucked underneath and covered by skirting). Another place to check is near the main entry door on the exterior. Most manufactured and mobile homes have a spec sheet containing model information and other specification data usually laminated to an interior surface. Our 2004 Fuqua manufactured home has this sheet laminated inside the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink. There are also a few other places to look for identification data. Use this short list to locate the data and numbers on your mobile home:
If you still can’t determine the identification information, search the Internet for your home’s manufacturer web site. (Note: if the home is extremely old, the manufacturer may have merged with another company, so some deep research might be required.) Either look for the ID location on the web site you find or obtain a customer-service number. Gather whatever paperwork and data you have on the home, and call the customer-service number (usually toll-free) for help. Another resource would be a local dealer for the same company that manufactured your home. Go to our Manufactured & Modular Home Information page to find more details about manufactured and mobile homes. When researching model identification information, remember to think of your mobile home as a vehicle rather than a house. Mobile homes are registered and regulated by motor vehicle departments and/or Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agencies. If your mobile home is permanently sited and is taxed by local government, it is probably still registered with a HUD agency. Remember to locate model and serial number(s) to properly identify a manufactured or mobile home, instead of just a land parcel number. Hopefully, armed with information from this page you’ll quickly be able to identify your mobile home.
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