How do I verify SC01 on a Tesla before buying?

Start with the build timing and VIN-based screening checks. When the seller can log in, inspect the option-code information available through the signed-in Tesla account and record the source and date of that check.

Can I verify SC01 without seller access?

You can screen the build timing and review VIN-based sources without seller access. Separating SC01 from SC05 requires stronger vehicle-specific evidence, such as the option-code information available through the seller's signed-in Tesla account.

Why doesn't EV-CPO show my Tesla?

EV-CPO depends on the Tesla inventory records it has captured. A missing result does not establish that the car was never listed and does not mean the car lacks SC01. Treat the source as incomplete and potentially outdated.

How can I tell SC01 from SC05 in the Tesla app?

The visible Tesla app wording alone does not separate SC01 from SC05. Use the option-code information available through the seller's signed-in Tesla account and record the source and date of the check.

What is the strongest way to document an SC01 observation?

Use option-code information exposed through the seller's signed-in Tesla account, then record the source and date. This is stronger vehicle-specific evidence, but it does not prove current charging or transfer treatment.

Back to the Buyer's Guide

How to Research an SC01 Record

SC01 and SC05 can both appear as “Free Supercharging” and “Lifetime Award” in the Tesla app. The app wording alone does not separate them. Start with the access you have, then record the source and date of every vehicle-specific check.

I only have a VIN
Pre-purchase checks
Build date and online lookup provide screening evidence.
I am at the car
On-the-spot checks
MCU screen and Tesla app. Strong indicators.
The seller can log in
Owner-access checks
Use the signed-in account to inspect the available option-code evidence.

I only have a VIN

Pre-purchase checks

Quick signals you can run before contacting the seller. These narrow the field, but don't prove SC01 on their own.

Confirm the build window

This guide uses January 15, 2017 as the order-date cutoff and April 2017 as the delivery boundary for SC01 candidates.

1.Sign in and run a VIN report on the car from your account.
2.Treat an after-April 2017 build date as a reason to investigate the exact car more closely, not a reason to stop. SC01 has been observed outside the commonly cited production window, and we do not know of a Tesla rule that makes April 2017 a hard cutoff.

Screening evidence

EV-CPO.com Lookup

Quick online check using VIN. Only works for vehicles that have been listed on Tesla's inventory.

1.Go to ev-cpo.com/lookup
2.Enter the vehicle's VIN number
3.Review any Supercharging record language in the results
4.Record whether 'SC01' appears in the option codes or the literal label 'Free Unlimited Supercharging' appears in the features. Treat either as a dated observation, not proof of current charging or transfer treatment.

No result does not mean no SC01. EV-CPO coverage depends on the Tesla inventory records it has captured, and a private-sale car may not appear.
Listings can be out of date even for cars EV-CPO does track.

NextReview SC01 evidence with the seller's account

I'm at the car

On-the-spot checks

What you can record while looking at the vehicle with the seller. These observations can support research, but the Tesla app can't tell SC01 from SC05 on its own.

SC01 vs SC05 look identical in the app

Both SC01 and SC05 show “Free Supercharging” and “Lifetime Award” in the Tesla app. The app alone is not enough. Pair it with an owner-access check below.

Supporting evidence

Premium Connectivity Context

A community-reported clue, not proof of the vehicle's SC code

1.Look at the vehicle's center touchscreen (MCU)
2.Check for Premium Connectivity subscription status in the vehicle's settings
3.Some owners treat a Premium Connectivity charge or subscription as a clue that SC01 may have been stripped
4.Tesla sets Premium Connectivity eligibility separately. Do not use this screen to identify SC01 or prove that charging or transfer treatment changed.

A Premium Connectivity charge does not identify the SC code. Treat it as a reason to check the vehicle record, not as proof that SC01 changed.

Strong owner-access evidence

Tesla App Verification

Check the seller's Tesla mobile app directly

1.Ask the seller to open the Tesla app on their phone
2.Navigate to the vehicle's details/specs page
3.Scroll to the bottom and record whether the literal label 'Free Unlimited Supercharging' appears in the specs list
4.Also record whether the Charging section shows the literal labels 'Free Supercharging' and 'Lifetime Award'.

SC01 and SC05 can use the same visible labels. App wording does not identify the underlying code or prove current charging or transfer treatment.

What to look for in the Tesla app

Specs page

Scroll to the bottom of the Specs tab. Look for “Free Unlimited Supercharging” as the last item.

90D
Black Headliner
22" Onyx Black Wheels
Free Unlimited Supercharging

Charging page

In the Charging section, look for “Free Supercharging” with “Lifetime Award” and the vehicle model/VIN.

Free Supercharging

Lifetime Award

2016 Model X Vin 1120

Record the wording and date shown. These literal app labels are an observation only. They do not identify SC01 or prove current charging or transfer treatment.

NextReview SC01 and SC05 evidence with the seller's account

The seller can log in

Direct option-code evidence

These checks use information exposed through the seller's signed-in Tesla account. Record the source and date alongside what the account returns.

Direct option-code evidence

Tesla Account Option-Code Check

An owner-access technique that may expose the vehicle's option codes

1.Ask the seller to log into their Tesla account on a computer (not the app)
2.Have them navigate to: tesla.com/teslaaccount/oxp-bff-api/user-orders
3.If Tesla still exposes this account response, it may display raw vehicle data and option codes
4.Search for '$SC01' in the results
5.If you see $SC01, record that the account response displayed SC01 at the time of the check. The observation does not prove current charging or transfer treatment.
6.If you see $SC05, record the source and date. The observation does not prove current charging or transfer treatment.

The seller must be logged into the account the car is registered to
This is a private account path, not a published Tesla verification service. It can change or stop working.
A seller may decline to expose private account data. Ask for another vehicle-specific source instead.

Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search the JSON for SC01. Or paste the response into the SC Code Finder below.

SC Code Finder

Paste the JSON response from the Tesla API below. This runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent anywhere.

100% client-side. Nothing leaves your browser.

Direct option-code evidence

Compositor Image URL Method

A second owner-access technique that may expose option codes

1.Ask the seller to log into their Tesla account on a computer
2.Go to the vehicle management / 'Manage' page where the car image is shown
3.Right-click on the car image and select 'Copy image address' or 'Open image in new tab'
4.The URL may contain an option string when Tesla's current page format exposes it
5.Look for '$SC01' in the URL parameters

Tesla can change the page and image URL format. Record the source and date, and use another vehicle-specific check when the option string is absent.

Example compositor URL

https://static-assets.tesla.com/v1/compositor/

?model=mx&view=STUD_3QTR&size=1440

&options=$RFPX,$USSB,$X013,$S06B,$ME02,$QLEB,$SR04,$SP00,$X021,$SC01

Option codes are comma-separated. Look for $SC01. If you see $SC05 instead, record that observation too. Neither code observation alone proves current charging or transfer treatment. Verify the exact car with Tesla before purchase.