Extract HSN and TSN from a German vehicle registration
One photo is enough to extract the key numbers: Fahrzeugschein24 reads the manufacturer key (HSN) from box 2.1 and the type key (TSN) together with the version key from box 2.2 – on the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and on the older Fahrzeugschein alike. All three come back as separate values, usually within one to two seconds, each with an indication of how confident the reading was and where on the page it was found.
Take the key numbers over instead of typing them
On German registration papers, the manufacturer key and the type key are the pair everything downstream runs on: dealerships, workshops, tyre retailers and insurance rating look a vehicle up by that combination, because only together do the two pin a car down to a model and a version. One wrong character gives you no match at all – and someone goes hunting for a data problem instead of a typo.
Box D.1 names the manufacturer in plain text, and the codes sit right below it: box 2.1 holds the four-digit HSN, box 2.2 the three-character TSN followed immediately by the version key. Fahrzeugschein24 splits box 2.2 into the two values behind it instead of passing the cell on as one block of text – on the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I as on the older Fahrzeugschein.
You send one picture, get the key numbers back as separate values and hand them on unchanged to your vehicle lookup, your quote or your order – in the web app or wired into your own software. From the Business plan on, a check for irregularities in the image runs alongside: a pointer for your own review, not an official confirmation of authenticity.
What comes back from boxes 2.1 and 2.2
| Value | Box on the document | What it says | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer (plain text) | D.1 | The manufacturer's name as printed | VOLKSWAGEN |
| Manufacturer key (HSN) | 2.1 | Four digits, identifies the manufacturer | 0603 |
| Type key (TSN) | 2.2 | Three characters, identifies the vehicle type | BFT |
| Version key (VSN) | 2.2 | The version of that type, as printed after the type key | 06052 |
Where the value gets lost downstream
Zero or the letter O
The manufacturer key is digits only, so an O there can only be a zero. The type key allows both, and there the image section shown next to the value settles it in a glance.
A leading zero that disappears
A manufacturer key such as 0603 loses its first position the moment something treats it as a number. We return it as text – set the format explicitly in your spreadsheet or database column and it survives.
The whole of box 2.2 passed on
Box 2.2 contains two keys, and most lookups expect only the three-character type key. That is precisely why both come back separately: you pass on the key your lookup asks for, not the entire cell.
Box D.2 is a different thing
Box D.2 gives the type as the manufacturer's own designation, which is not the type key. Both come back as separate values, so each one lands where it belongs.
One document in, the key numbers out
In: photo of a Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I
Out (extract):
Manufacturer (box D.1) VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer key (box 2.1) 0603
Type key (box 2.2) BFT
Version key (box 2.2) 06052
Model (box D.3) GOLFQuestions about HSN and TSN
Is a phone photo enough, or does the document have to be scanned?
A photo is enough. JPEG, PNG, HEIC, PDF, TIFF, BMP and WebP are accepted up to 20 MB, one file per job, and for PDFs the first page is used. Crooked, rotated or dark shots are prepared automatically before they are read.
The type key and the version key share one box – why do they come back separately?
Because most vehicle lookups want only the three-character type key. You get both as separate values, plus the printed content of box 2.2 as a whole.
Which documents are covered?
The German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and the older Fahrzeugschein, with their box numbering and the way entries are printed on them. An overview of every field shows what else the document holds.
Does my uploaded picture stay on your servers?
No. Documents are not stored, only the extracted data and the account records. Processing takes place in Germany and the EU, and the Art. 28 GDPR data processing agreement is available without asking – more on that under security and data protection.
How can I try this on my own documents first?
The free plan gives you 15 extractions a month without a credit card, which is enough to run your own registrations through it. What comes after that is on the plans and pricing page: Starter 19 euros, Business 149 euros, Scale 599 euros and Enterprise 1,999 euros net per month.
See what boxes 2.1 and 2.2 return
Create an account, upload one of your own registrations and look at the HSN, TSN and VSN that come back – 15 extractions a month, free, no credit card.
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