Privacy & Cookie Policy

1. Direct-to-Government Architecture

When you enter a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or Hull Identification Number (HIN) into any utility on this site, your web browser initiates a direct encrypted HTTPS request to the public servers of the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov and api.nhtsa.gov). This transaction occurs strictly between your client device and the federal endpoint. AutoVinWise operates as a static client-side web application without an intermediary database or API proxy harvesting your queries.

2. Browser Local Storage (localStorage)

To deliver responsive offline functionality and protect user convenience, our application utilizes standard HTML5 localStorage on your local device for:

• Lookup History: Locally caches up to 50 recently viewed vehicles so you can revisit them on the "My Lookups" page. This data never leaves your device and can be erased instantly at any time via the "Clear All History" button.
• Theme Preference: Stores your chosen display theme (dark mode, light mode, or system default).
• Offline Build Data Cache: Caches specification responses to prevent redundant network requests to government servers.

3. Third-Party Advertising & Cookies (Google AdSense)

To keep all automotive utilities, bulk decoders, and safety recall checks 100% free without paywalls or subscriptions, we display advertisements provided by third-party advertising partners, including Google AdSense.

• Third-Party Vendor Cookies: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites on the Internet.
• Advertising Cookies: Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to AutoVinWise and other sites on the Internet.
• Personalized Advertising Opt-Out: You may opt out of personalized advertising at any time by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• Industry Opt-Out Platforms: Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info or the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI).

4. European Economic Area (EEA) & UK User Rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are a resident of the EEA or the United Kingdom, you have guaranteed data protection rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In compliance with Google's EU User Consent Policy:

• We utilize an IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF v2.2) certified Consent Management Platform (CMP) to present a consent dialog upon your initial visit.
• You may give, decline, or customize consent for advertising cookies and measurement at any time.
• Because we do not store personal profiles, names, or email addresses on our servers, we hold no personal data subjects on file to export or sell.

5. California Consumer Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents are entitled to specific disclosures:

• We Do Not Sell Personal Information: We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or search queries to automotive dealerships, insurance marketing entities, or data brokers.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You will receive full, unrestricted access to all VIN decoding tools regardless of whether you opt out of personalized advertising.

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

AutoVinWise is intended for adult vehicle purchasers, automotive enthusiasts, and commercial fleet operators. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under the age of 13.

7. Updates to This Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological changes, legislative updates, or modifications to our advertising implementations. Any amendments will be reflected on this page with an updated revision date.