The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is hosting a free VIN etching event this Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Parx Casino in Bensalem, in conjunction with the Bensalem Police Activities League “Cops and Rodders” Car Show.

The VIN Etching event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the casino parking lot, 2999 Street Road, Bensalem, 19020. Participants should use the Richlieu Road entrance.

The event is free to all members of the public and registration is not required.

District Attorney Matt Weintraub has described VIN Etching as a valuable, free crime-prevention service that is a proven deterrent to car thieves.

VIN etching is the permanent engraving of a vehicle’s unique, 17-character, federally registered Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) onto its windshield and all other window glass, including sun and moon roofs through a chemical process that neither harms the glass nor detracts from the vehicle’s appearance.

Because no two vehicles have the same identification number, VINs provide useful information about a car, such as its make, model and year – and also help law enforcement officials identify a stolen vehicle. VIN etching not only makes it difficult for thieves to profit from selling windows and windshields, but it also makes it harder for thieves to sell a stolen vehicle without first replacing the etched window glass.

VIN plates are typically affixed to the lower left side of most dashboards, but thieves are able to grind them down or replace them with different VIN plates.

A number of insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage discounts to customers with VIN-etched vehicles, reasoning that such vehicles are less attractive to auto thieves. Please contact your insurer to find out whether your vehicle is eligible.

 Contact: Assistant District Attorney Edward Furman Jr., 215.348.6780, efurman@buckscounty.org