The Type Allocation Code (TAC) is the initial eight-digit portion of the 15-digit IMEI and 16-digit IMEISV codes used to uniquely identify wireless devices.
The Type Allocation Code identifies a particular model (and often revision) of wireless telephone for use on a GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G NR, iDEN, Iridium or other IMEI-employing wireless network.
The first two digits of the TAC are the Reporting Body Identifier. This indicates the GSMA-approved group that allocated the TAC.
Prior to January 1, 2003, the global standard for the IMEI started with a six-digit Type Approval Code followed by a two-digit Final Assembly Code (FAC). The Type Approval Code (also known as TAC) indicated that the particular device was approved by a national GSM approval body and the FAC identified the company that had built and assembled the device (which is not always the same as the brand name stamped on the device).
Effective on that date, many GSM member nations and entities (mainly Europe) moved away from requiring that devices be approved by national bodies, and towards a system where device manufacturers self-regulate the device market. As a result, a manufacturer now simply requests an eight-digit Type Allocation Code for a new phone model from the international GSM standards body, instead of submitting a device for approval to a national review body.
Both the old and new TAC uniquely identify a model of phone, although some models may have more than one code, depending on revision, manufacturing location, and other factors.
Public TAC databases
editThe authoritative database maintained by GSMA is named GSMA Device Database and is only made available to partners. However, there are many public alternatives, though they will not be fully up to date.
The Osmocom project maintains a crowdsourced TAC database, which is CC-BY-SA v3.0 licensed and fully downloadable.
Some OEMs publish TAC data for their products:
TAC examples
edit| TAC | Manufacturer | Model | Internal Model Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01124500 | Apple | ||
| 01130000 | |||
| 01136400 | Apple | ||
| 01154600 | Apple | iPhone | MB384LL |
| 01161200 | Apple | iPhone 3G | |
| 01174400 | Apple | iPhone 3G | MB496RS |
| 01180800 | Apple | iPhone 3G | MB704LL |
| 01181200 | Apple | iPhone 3G | MB496B |
| 01193400 | Apple | iPhone 3G | |
| 01194800 | Apple | iPhone 3GS | |
| 01215800 | Apple | iPhone 3GS | |
| 01215900 | Apple | iPhone 3GS | MC131B |
| 01216100 | Apple | iPhone 3GS | |
| 01226800 | Apple | iPhone 3GS | |
| 01233600 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MC608LL |
| 01233700 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MC603B |
| 01233800 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MC610LL |
| 01241700 | Apple | iPhone 4 | |
| 01242000 | Apple | iPhone 4 | |
| 01243000 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MC603KS |
| 01253600 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MC610LL/A |
| 01254200 | Apple | iPhone 4 | |
| 01300600 | Apple | iPhone 4S | MD260C |
| 01326300 | Apple | iPhone 4 | MD198HN/A |
| 01332700 | Apple | iPhone 5 | MD642C |
| 01388300 | Apple | iPhone 5S | ME297C/A |
| 35875105 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35875205 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35875305 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35875405 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35875505 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35875605 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35875705 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35875805 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35875905 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35876005 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35880005 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1507 |
| 35880105 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1507 |
| 35880205 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1507 |
| 35880305 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1507 |
| 35880405 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1507 |
| 35880505 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35880605 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35880705 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35951406 | Samsung | Galaxy Tab E | SM-T5613474 |
| 35880805 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35880905 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1453 |
| 35881005 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35881105 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35881205 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35881305 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35881405 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1533 |
| 35881505 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1456 |
| 35881605 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1456 |
| 35881705 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1456 |
| 35881805 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1456 |
| 35881905 | Apple | iPhone 5C | A1456 |
| 35201906 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1457 |
| 35925406 | Apple | iPhone 6 | A1549 |
| 35438506 | Apple | iPhone 6+ | A1522 |
| 35325807 | Apple | iPhone A86s | A1633 |
| 35299209 | Apple | iPhone 8 | A1905 |
| 3530340 | Apple | iPad 6th gen | A1954 |
| 35103627 | Apple | iPad 9th gen | A2603 |
| 35676211 | Apple | iPad Air 4th gen | A2324 |
| 3576677 | Apple | iPad Air 5th gen | A2589 |
| 350151.. | Nokia | 3330 | |
| 35705623 | Nokia | FastMile 5G Gateway 3.2 | 5G15-12W |
| 35089080 | Nokia | 3410 | NHM-2NX |
| 35099480 | Nokia | 3410 | NHM-2NX |
| 35148420 | Nokia | 3410 | NHM-2NX |
| 35148820 | Nokia | 6310i | NPL-1 |
| 35151304 | Nokia | E72-1 | RM-530 |
| 35154900 | Nokia | 6310i | NPL-1 |
| 35171005 | Sony Ericsson | Xperia S | |
| 35174605 | Galaxy Nexus | Samsung GT-I9250, Samsung GT-I9250TSGGEN | |
| 35191405 | Motorola | Defy Mini | |
| 35226005 | Samsung | Galaxy SIII | |
| 35044670 | Siemens | A50 | |
| 35238402 | Sony Ericsson | K770i | |
| 35274901 | Nokia | 6233 | |
| 35291402 | Nokia | 6210 Navigator | |
| 35316004 | ZTE | Blade | |
| 35316605 | Samsung | Galaxy S III | GT-I9300 |
| 35332705 | Samsung | Galaxy S II | GT-I9100 |
| 35328504 | Samsung | Galaxy S | GT-I9000 |
| 32930400 | Samsung | Galaxy S7 | |
| 35351200 | Motorola | V300 | |
| 35357800 | Samsung | SGH-A800 | |
| 35376800 | Nokia | 6230 | |
| 35391805 | Nexus 4 | LG E960 | |
| 35405600 | Wavecom | M1306B | |
| 35421803 | Nokia | 5310 | RM-303 |
| 35433004 | Nokia | C5-00 | RM-645 |
| 35450502 | GlobeTrotter | HSDPA Modem | |
| 35511405 | Sony Ericsson | Xperia U | |
| 35524803 | Nokia | 2330C-2 | RM-512 |
| 35566600 | Nokia | 6230 | |
| 35569500 | Nokia | 1100 | |
| 35679404 | Samsung | Galaxy Mini | GT-S5570 |
| 35685702 | Nokia | 6300 | |
| 35693803 | Nokia | N900 | |
| 35694603 | Nokia | 2700 | |
| 35699601 | Nokia | N95 | |
| 35700804 | Nokia | C1 | |
| 35714904 | Huawei | E398U-15 LTE Stick | |
| 35733104 | Samsung | Galaxy Gio | |
| 35739804 | Nokia | N8 | |
| 35744105 | Samsung | Galaxy S4 | GT-I9505 |
| 35765206 | Sony | Xperia Z3 Compact | D5803 |
| 35788104 | Nokia | N950 | |
| 35803106 | HTC | HTC One M8s | |
| 35824005 | Nexus 5 | LG D820/D821 | |
| 35828103 | Nokia | 6303C | |
| 35836800 | Nokia | 6230i | |
| 35837501 | XDA | Orbit 2 | |
| 35837800 | Nokia | N6030 | RM-74 |
| 35838706 | LG | G Stylo | LG-H631 |
| 35850000 | Nokia | Lumia 720 | |
| 35851004 | Sony Ericsson | Xperia Active | |
| 35853704 | Samsung | Galaxy SII | |
| 35869205 | Apple | iPhone 5S | MF353TA/A |
| 35876105 | Apple | iPhone 5S | A1457 |
| 35896704 | HTC | Desire S | |
| 35902803 | HTC | Wildfire | |
| 35903908 | Samsung | Galaxy S8 | SM-G950F |
| 35909205 | Samsung | Galaxy Note 3 | SM-N9000, SM-N9005, SM-N900 |
| 35918804 | HTC | One X | |
| 35920605 | Nokia | Lumia 625 | |
| 35447909 | Nokia | Nokia 1 | TA-1079 |
| 35604008 | Nokia | Nokia 2 | TA-1023 |
| 35602508 | Nokia | Nokia 5 | TA-1027 |
| 35929005 | Motorola | Moto G | XT1039 |
| 35933005 | OROD | 6468 | |
| 35935003 | Nokia | 2720A-2 | RM-519 |
| 35972100 | Lobster | 544 | |
| 35974101 | GlobeTrotter | HSDPA Modem | |
| 35979504 | Samsung | Galaxy Note | |
| 449337.. | Nokia | 6210 | |
| 86107402 | Quectel | Queclink GV200 | |
| 86217001 | Quectel | Queclink GV200 | |
| 86723902 | ZTE Corporation | Rook from EE, Orange Dive 30, Blade A410 | |
| 86813001 | Jiayu | G3S | JY-G3 |
| 00000000 | N/A | typical fake TAC codes, usually in software damaged phones | |
| 01234567 | N/A | typical fake TAC codes, usually in software damaged phones | |
| 12345678 | N/A | typical fake TAC codes, usually in software damaged phones | |
| 13579024 | N/A | typical fake TAC codes, usually in software damaged phones | |
| 88888888 | N/A | typical fake TAC codes, usually in software damaged phones | |
| 01333200 | Apple | iPhone 5 | |
| 99000481 | Samsung | Galaxy note 4 GM-N910V | |
| 35808005 | Sony | Sony C6833 - XPERIA Z ULTRA | |
| 35815207 | Samsung | Samsung S7 | |
| 35415808 | Samsung | Samsung J7 Prime | |
| 35664906 | Samsung | Xcover 271 | GT-B2710 |
| 35330509 | Samsung | Galaxy S9 | SM-G960U |
| 35326907 | Apple | iPhone 6s | A1688 |
| 35197310 | irisguard | EyePay Phone | |
| 35664906 | Samsung | Xcover 271 | GT-B2710 |
| 35314409 | Go Mobile | GO Onyx LTE | GO1004 |
| 86092103 | Huawei | P9 Lite 2016 | |
| 35293708 | Samsung | Galaxy A5 2016 | SM-A510F |
| 35684610 | Samsung | Galaxy Fold 5G | |
| 01459300 | WondaLink | T-Mobile LineLink | ML700 |
| 86881303 | Xiaomi | Redmi Note 5 | |
| 35620409 | Samsung | Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| 35253108 | Google Pixel | ||
| 35803408 | Google Pixel 2 XL (Verizon) | G011C | |
| 35803508 | Google Pixel 2 XL (Unlocked) | G011C | |
| 35964309 | Google Pixel 3a XL | ||
| 35751110 | Google Pixel 4a | ||
| 35751310 | Google Pixel 4a | ||
| 86551004 | OnePlus | OnePlus 7 Pro (T-Mobile) | GM1915 |
| 86492106 | OnePlus | OnePlus 11 | CPH2451 |
New Zealand RBI broadband service TAC lock
editIn New Zealand with the rollout of the government subsidized rural broadband initiative a way was required to prevent users inserting the rural broadband SIM cards in an unauthorized devices to get subsidized data rates.
The use of a TAC lock by the use of a customized SIM card with embedded TAC codes was devised. Several Type allocation codes can be stored in the SIM cards of the device to allow a group of provider-supplied Huawei branded 4G modems and block the use of unauthorized and third-party devices on the network.
A company wishing to resell Vodafone RBI is required to supply a device for the approval process and certification, and to supply One NZ with the TAC details of this device to embed into the SIM cards at the point of manufacture. A minimum order of 500 SIM cards is required.