FSDRadar$APF2 (and $APF3 on newer trims) means FSD (Supervised) is on Tesla's record for the car. On its own it does not prove FSD was bought: recent records carry it on subscribed cars too. $APFB means FSD was not bought, despite what some code lists say. $APF4 is Luxe Package FSD that ends at sale. $APH4 is HW3, not HW4. $SC05 free Supercharging ends at sale.
What option codes are, and where you see them
Tesla describes each car's configuration with short codes that start with a dollar sign: $PPSW for Pearl White paint, $APF2 for FSD, $SC05 for one kind of free Supercharging. Buyers meet them in paid VIN reports, in Tesla's own inventory listings, in some window stickers and order documents, and in the data that third-party apps show owners.
Codes describe a car as recorded by Tesla. Tesla's developer documentation describes its VIN specification endpoint as returning "vehicle specifications as recorded at the time of sale". A record can be out of date: an owner may have moved FSD to another Tesla, Tesla may have removed it, or it may have been bought later in the app. So a code is one piece of evidence, never the whole answer. The checks in how to tell if a Tesla has FSD still apply.
How we worked out the meanings
We did not copy a community list. For each code we went to Tesla's own data first:
- Tesla's configurator data: the option dictionaries embedded in archived tesla.com design pages from late 2025 to mid 2026, which give Tesla's own name and price for every current code.
- Tesla's used-inventory data: 126 archived captures of Tesla's inventory results from 2020 to 2025, covering 3,982 vehicle records, each with Tesla's name for every code on a real car.
- Public VIN reports from third-party tools, to see how codes appear on individual cars, including whether an FSD line was paid or a subscription.
Where Tesla's data and a community list disagree, we follow Tesla's data and say so below. Our confidence differs by code, and we mark it.
Autopilot and FSD codes
| Code | Tesla's name | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
$APF2 | "Full Self-Driving Capability"; in 2026 data "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)", priced $8,000 or $99 a month | FSD (Supervised) is on the record. Owned only if there is also a purchase marker (a dollar price on the FSD line, or a purchased tier of FSD). On 2016 to 2020 Model S and X, $APF2 together with $APPF is the purchased pattern. |
$APF3 | "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" on the newer trims (2025 and 2026 data) | Same meaning as $APF2 for newer Model 3 and Model Y trims. Could be bought until February 14, 2026; after that it is a subscription or trial. Medium confidence. |
$APF4 | "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)", no price, "Included" | FSD that came with a Luxe Package (2026 Model S, Model X, Cyberbeast) in Tesla's data from February 15, 2026. Ends at sale under Tesla's Luxe terms. Medium to high confidence; seen in Tesla's configurator data, not yet on a car's own record. |
$APFB | "Base Autopilot Firmware" | No FSD purchase. Legacy 2016 to 2019 Model S and X. Some online lists call it "FSD purchased"; Tesla's data says otherwise (see traps). High confidence. |
$APPF | "Full Self-Driving Capability" (Autopilot package group) | Legacy Model S and X FSD package; with $APF2, purchased. |
$APPB | "Enhanced Autopilot" | EAP bought; stays with the car. FSD (Supervised) on top reported at $49 a month. |
$APF1 | "Enhanced Autopilot" (legacy Model S and X) | EAP bought on older S and X. |
$APBS | "Basic Autopilot" | Standard Autopilot. Alone, it means no EAP or FSD was bought. |
$APFA | "Traffic-Aware Cruise Control" | The newer base package without Autosteer, on 2026 Model 3 and Model Y. No FSD bought. |
Luxe Package trims show their cut-off in the codes: Tesla's configurator gave them $APBS + $APF2 + $SC05 before February 15, 2026, and $APFA + $APF4 + $SC05 from that date. Tesla's terms say Luxe Package FSD "will terminate once the ownership... is transferred" for packages under the new terms (Tesla Luxe Package terms).
Hardware codes
| Code | What it is | Note |
|---|---|---|
$APH1 | HW1 (first-generation Autopilot) | Cannot run FSD at all |
$APH2 | HW2.0 | Needs a computer upgrade for FSD (Supervised) |
$APH3 | HW2.5 | Needs a computer upgrade for FSD (Supervised) |
$APH4 | HW3 | Not HW4. Tesla's data puts it on 2016 to 2019 Model S and X that were upgraded, which cannot be AI4 |
The numbering is off by one, which is where the confusion comes from. In Tesla's archived data we found a 2017 Model S listed with $APH2 in July 2020 and $APH4 in February 2025, which is what a later HW3 upgrade looks like. AI4 (HW4) cars did not carry a hardware code in any Tesla inventory record we saw, so for those the build date or the car's screen is the better guide. See HW3 vs HW4.
Supercharging codes
| Code | Tesla's name | After a sale |
|---|---|---|
$SC01 | Not in any Tesla data we could read | Community lists: free unlimited Supercharging tied to the car (early Model S and X), passes to a private buyer. None of the pre-2017 Model S and X that Tesla resold kept it |
$SC04 | "Pay Per Use Supercharging" | Pay per session, like most Teslas |
$SC05 | "Free Unlimited Supercharging" | Ends at sale. Used for owner-tied offers: referrals, promotions, the Luxe Package |
$SC06 | "Time-bound Supercharging" | A time-limited offer; ends at sale or when the period runs out |
In the Tesla app, free Supercharging looks the same whether it belongs to the car or to the owner, which is why the code matters.
Acceleration Boost
$FM3U is "Acceleration Boost", a $2,000 upgrade for Model 3 and Model Y Long Range in Tesla's data. Tesla kept it on the cars it resold in its own inventory, and we know of no case of it being removed after a private sale, but Tesla has not published a resale rule for it. Performance trims have the extra speed built in and do not need it.
Four traps to avoid
1. Reading $APF2 alone as "owned"
This is the most expensive mistake. In a small sample of 60 public VIN reports we reviewed, 11 of the 12 Model 3, Model Y and 2021-or-later Model S and X records carrying $APF2 were marked as subscriptions, and so were all 6 carrying $APF3. The code says FSD is on the record, not who paid. Look for the purchase marker, or confirm with the seller's app.
2. Reading $APFB as "FSD purchased"
Some code lists say $APFB means FSD was purchased and transfers. In Tesla's own inventory data, Tesla names it "Base Autopilot Firmware" at no cost, pairs it with basic Autopilot, and never marks those cars as FSD cars; every car Tesla did mark as FSD carried $APF2, and none carried $APFB. We are about 95% confident it means FSD was not bought.
3. Reading offer lists as equipment
Tesla's inventory data includes lists of add-ons the buyer could purchase, with FSD at a price, on cars that do not have it. Those are offers. Only the car's own option list counts.
4. Trusting an old record
Owners could move FSD to a new Tesla until March 31, 2026. A record pulled before April 2026 may show FSD that is no longer on the car. Use a recent record, and confirm with a current screen photo.
Codes are evidence, not a verdict. Tesla has never published an official dictionary of these codes. The meanings above are our reading of Tesla's own data as of September 2026, and we update them when new evidence appears.
FSD Radar is independent and not affiliated with Tesla, Inc. Facts in this guide are dated where they change often; we re-check Tesla's support pages regularly. Spotted something out of date? Email info@fsdradar.com.