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HUD Label and Data Plate: Where to Find Them, Replacements, and Pre-1976 Homes

Last verified Oct 28, 2026 · sources below

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Before a move, find two things that prove what your home is: the HUD certification label on the outside and the data plate inside. Movers, permit offices, lenders and insurers may ask for them, and they tell you the conditions the home was built for.

The HUD label (outside)

Every manufactured home built to the federal HUD code carries a metal certification label, about 2 by 4 inches, on each transportable section, stating that the manufacturer certifies it was built to the federal standards^{24 CFR 3280.11}. Federal rules put it at the taillight end of each section, about one foot up from the floor and one foot in from the road side^{24 CFR 3280.11}. Write down each label number; a double-wide has two.

The data plate (inside)

The data plate is a paper sheet fixed inside the home, required near the main electrical panel or another visible spot^{24 CFR 3280.5}; HUD says to check near the panel, in a kitchen cabinet or in a bedroom closet^HUD. It lists the manufacturing plant, serial number and model, date of manufacture, the label number for each section, the major factory-installed appliances, and maps of the roof load and wind zones the home was designed for^{24 CFR 3280.5}. Take a photo of it before teardown.

Moving toward the coast or a snowier area? The wind zone map on the data plate must warn that the home wasn't designed for ocean or coastal exposure and shouldn't be placed within 1,500 feet of the coastline in Wind Zones II and III unless it and its anchoring were designed for it^{24 CFR 3280.5}. Show the data plate to the permit office where the home is going and ask whether its zones are accepted there.

Missing label or data plate?

• HUD does not replace labels. The Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) can issue a Letter of Label Verification from HUD's records, listing the label numbers, serial number, date of manufacture, manufacturer and plant^HUDIBTS.
• IBTS also provides a copy of the data plate information (a "Data Plate/Performance Certificate")^IBTS. HUD lists IBTS at (866) 482-8868 for questions^HUD. IBTS charges for these; check its site for current fees.
• Lenders such as Fannie Mae accept the IBTS letter in place of a missing label or data plate^{Fannie Mae}.

Homes built before June 15, 1976

The federal HUD code covers homes that entered production on or after June 15, 1976^{24 CFR 3282HUD}. Older homes (often called mobile homes rather than manufactured homes) have no HUD label, and IBTS can't verify one for them^IBTS. What that means for a move:

• The HUD code governs how homes were built; whether an older home may be placed at a new site is decided by state and local rules where it's going. Ask the zoning and permit office there before you hire a mover. Some cost guides say pre-1976 homes can't be moved at all; we found no federal rule that says so.
• Expect fewer movers to take the job. Movers may require repairs to framing, axles or tires before moving an older home^Braustin, and some require work before moves over about 50 miles^{This Old House}.
• Financing is harder: Fannie Mae's manufactured home loans require a HUD-code home^{Fannie Mae}.

One more thing for anyone with a loan

Fannie Mae's rules for manufactured home loans require that the home was not previously installed at another site^{Fannie Mae}. If you plan to refinance or sell with that kind of loan after the move, ask a lender first. Other loan programs have their own rules. Title and liens before a move.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. 24 CFR 3280.11, Certification label (size, wording, location on each transportable section). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-3280/subpart-A/section-3280.11
2. 24 CFR 3280.5, Data plate (location and required contents). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-3280/subpart-A/section-3280.5
3. HUD, Manufactured Housing HUD Labels (Tags): label verification and data plate locations. https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/manufactured-home-labels
4. Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), HUD Label Verification and Data Plate/Performance Certificate orders. https://lvr2.ibts.org/#/LandingPage
5. Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-3-02, Factory-Built Housing (HUD data plate or label; not previously installed at another site). https://selling-guide.fanniemae.com/sel/b2-3-02/special-property-eligibility-and-underwriting-considerations-factory-built-housing
6. 24 CFR 3282.1 and 3282.8, scope and applicability (standards apply to homes entering production on or after June 15, 1976). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-3282
7. HUD, Manufactured Housing Homeowner Resources (homes built after June 15, 1976 must be certified). https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/manufactured-home-resources
8. Braustin Homes (a Texas retailer), How Much Does It Cost to Move a Mobile Home? (updated August 14, 2026). https://braustin.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-move-a-mobile-home/
9. This Old House, How Much Does It Cost to Move a Mobile Home? (updated March 12, 2026). https://www.thisoldhouse.com/moving/how-much-does-it-cost-to-move-a-mobile-home

Sources checked October 28, 2026. Rules change; confirm with the office named before you move.