BMW option codes (SA codes) explained

SA is short for Sonderausstattung, German for optional equipment. In BMW’s German price lists, every option has a column headed “SA-Nr.”: 337 M Sport package, 3AC trailer hitch, 5AU Driving Assistant Professional. Paint colors get codes too, such as 300 Alpine White and 475 Black Sapphire.

Older codes are three digits; newer ones mix digits and letters. Many survive for years: 337 appears in BMW’s 6 Series Gran Coupé list from 2012 and in its 2026 X3 and 5 Series lists. Codes vary by model, model year and market, so a code here may not be offered on your car.

The 17-character VIN does not encode options. The option list sits in BMW’s records for the VIN, and there are three ways to see it:

• A BMW dealer can print the vehicle order and option list from the VIN.
• Free decoders run by enthusiasts list the factory SA codes for a VIN.
• Paid build-data reports are the fallback when the free decoders do not cover a car.

Our BMW build sheet page links to each route, with where the VIN is and the official recall lookup. Some decoders print extra characters around a code, such as an S in front; the three characters BMW uses in its price lists are the part to look up below.

Each code below is printed next to the same item in at least one BMW price list for Germany published on the BMW Group PressClub (3 Series 2025, X3 2026, 5 Series 2023 and 2026, 6 Series Gran Coupé 2012). The BMW wording column is the German name from the list. Codes vary by model, model year and market.

Option codes show how the car left the factory, not what happened to it since. Before you buy, decode the VIN, run the free recall check, and consider a history report.

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Other brands: Mercedes-Benz option codes and GM RPO codes.