Unambiguous assignment of restriction enzyme patterns to six individual serotypes of human rhinovirus was accomplished after amplification of a 380 bp DNA fragment derived from the 5' non-coding region. This was possible even though serotypes 1A and 1B and serotypes 2 and 49 differed only at 10 and 15 positions respectively. The method utilizes the conserved and variable components of this part of the genome and provides the basis for a simple and rapid method for typing of human rhinoviruses.