A Honda radio asks for its security code after the head unit loses its permanent live feed — a flat battery, a battery change, a jump start or the radio being unplugged. The code is held against the serial number of that head unit, not against the registration or VIN. The serial normally looks like U1234A. Turn the ignition to accessory so the radio powers up and shows CODE or Err. Once you have the serial, enter it in the radio code finder on this page.
Radio codes belong to the head unit serial number, not the vehicle registration or VIN.
A flat battery, battery replacement or radio removal is what triggers the code prompt.
Honda serial formats: Serial on screen (e.g. U1234A); Casing label (e.g. PZ1234567); Code card (e.g. Card shows a 4 or 5 digit code).
Display messages: CODE = The unit needs its security code. · Err = Wrong code entered. · E = Lockout state on some units — leave the ignition on for around an hour.
Bob's never displays a guessed or generated code — if a working code can't be retrieved you get a full refund.
Where to find the serial number, what the display messages mean and how to key the code back in on a Honda.
A Honda radio security code is a four or five digit number tied to the head unit serial. It exists to make a stolen unit useless, so it stays with the radio rather than the car.
When you'll be asked for the code:
After a flat battery or a battery replacement
After the earth lead has been off for bodywork or welding
When a used unit has been fitted from another Honda
Occasionally after a heavy voltage drop while jump starting
Serial number formats:
Serial on screen — for example U1234A. Civic, Jazz and CR-V units that display the serial with a button hold.
Casing label — for example PZ1234567. Older Accord, HR-V and Stream units.
Code card — for example Card shows a 4 or 5 digit code. Supplied with the car — check the handbook wallet.
How to find the serial number:
Turn the ignition to accessory so the radio powers up and shows CODE or Err.
Press and hold preset 1 and preset 6 together, then turn the ignition on — many Honda units then show the serial across two screens.
On some Jazz and Civic units the sequence is holding the power button with presets 1 and 6.
If nothing appears, the label on the top of the casing carries the serial — the unit needs removing to read it.
Write down both halves of the serial if it displays in two parts.
What the display messages mean:
CODE — The unit needs its security code.
Err — Wrong code entered.
E — Lockout state on some units — leave the ignition on for around an hour.
How to key the code in:
Use the preset buttons 1 to 6 — each preset enters its own number.
Enter the digits in order; the display fills as you go.
Some units confirm automatically on the last digit, others need the SEEK or ENTER button.
If the code is a five-digit one, all five must go in before it will accept.
How do I show the serial on a Honda radio? With the ignition off, hold presets 1 and 6, then switch the ignition on while still holding. On most Civic, Jazz and CR-V units the serial appears on the display, sometimes split across two screens.
Is a Honda radio code four digits or five? Both exist. Older units use four digits entered on presets 1 to 4; several later units use a five-digit code entered on presets 1 to 6.
Can I get a Honda radio code from the registration? No. The code is held against the head unit serial, not the car.
My Honda shows E and won't take a code That is a lockout after failed attempts. Leave the ignition in accessory with the radio powered for around an hour, then try once with a verified serial.