The HSN/TSN lookup and identification feature in CATAMA is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to quickly and easily find out which Manufacturer Code (HSN) or Type Code (TSN) corresponds to their vehicle and use that information to quickly retrieve the vehicle’s master data. Using the HSN/TSN lookup, you can quickly determine the vehicle’s basic information, such as its model name and manufacturer.
Thanks to the built-in HSN/TSN search function in CATAMA Vehicle Management, you can quickly and easily find the information you need. The data is sourced from the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
Where can you find the HSN and TSN?
You can find the HSN and TSN numbers on the Certificate of Registration, Part 1 (vehicle registration certificate) in fields 2.1 and 2.2. For older vehicles—registered before 2005—the HSN is listed in field 2 and the TSN in field 3.
What is the vehicle identification number?
The vehicle identification number consists of the manufacturer's number (HSN) and the type number (TSN). These two numbers are collectively referred to as the vehicle identification number or KBA and can be found in the vehicle registration certificate of vehicles registered in Germany.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) code is used to precisely identify the vehicle type. The code consists of the manufacturer code (HSN) and the type code (TSN).
HSN – Manufacturer code number: 4 digits
TSN – Type code number: 3 digits or letters
What are the benefits of the HSN TSN query?
The purpose of the HSN/TSN lookup is to quickly and easily find the correct HSN or TSN for a vehicle. This is especially important if you want to buy, register, or sell a vehicle.
However, for some vehicles, only the digit “0” is listed in field 2.2. Unfortunately, the VIN alone is not sufficient to identify the vehicle in this case. This is because your vehicle is a “re-import.” A re-import is a vehicle that was manufactured for the foreign market and subsequently imported into Germany. In this case, the key numbers you have cannot be used to search for replacement parts.
The vehicle manufacturer can be identified using the HSN. There are no restrictions on how many different HSN numbers a manufacturer may use. BMW, for example, uses the numbers 0005, 0575, and 7909.
In addition to the option of retrieving vehicle data via the HSN TSN query, you can also use the DAT FIN query. This allows you to retrieve all vehicle data, as well as estimated historical purchase and sales prices and equipment features, directly via the CATAMA-DAT interface.
