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Hull
Identification Numbers |
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HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS (HIN) |
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All boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN (Hull Identification Number,
a 12 character serial number that uniquely identifies your boat).
A HIN is not the same as a State registration number, which may be required to be displayed on the bow of your
boat. The HIN is a Federal requirement; your boat’s registration number is a State requirement similar to the
license plate on your car. The HIN, however, is required to be shown on the State certificate of registration.
The boat manufacturer must display a hull identification number, no less than one-fourth of an inch high, on
each boat hull. The primary HIN must be permanently attached to or engraved into the outer right (starboard)
side of the transom within two inches of the top. On boats without transoms or on boats on which it would be
impractical to affix a number to the transom, the HIN must be affixed to the starboard outboard side of the
hull, aft within one foot of the stern and within two inches of the gunwale. Catamarans and pontoon boats may
have the HIN on the rear crossbeam within one foot of the starboard hull attachment.
Boats manufactured or imported on or after August 1, 1984, also have a duplicate secondary HIN somewhere on
an unexposed location inside the boat or beneath a fitting or item of hardware. It is illegal for anyone
(manufacturer, dealer, distributor, or owner) to alter or remove a HIN without the express written authorization
of the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard.
Format of the HIN
The first three characters: These are the Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC) assigned by the Coast Guard
to the manufacturer or the person importing the boat Characters four through eight: serial number assigned by
the manufacturer Last four characters: Model year and/or date of manufacture The last four digits are very
confusing thanks to stupid government agents who invented the system. Here is an attempt to clarify:
EARLY HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS
From November 1, 1972 through July 30, 1984, the manufacturer had the option of giving either the model year
or date of manufacture. One could not know which was intended without insider information. As with cars, a
model year can be several months different from the date of manufacture.
Straight date HIN: has alphabet characters only in the first three digits.
Example: ABC123451272
ABC= Manufacturer Identification Code
12345= Serial number given to this particular boat
1272= December, 1972
Model Year HIN: The 9th digit is an "M", which stands for model year and the 12th and final digit gives the
month of manufacture using letters of the alphabet. "A" stands for August, but because March and May share
first initials as do January, June and July, September is "B" "S" and October is "C". The sequence continues
and July is signified by the letter "L". You may wonder why the alphabet begins with August and not January.
It is probably because the new ruling was initiated in August. The 10th and 11th characters give the last two
digits of the year.
Example: ABC12345M67J
ABC= Manufacture
12345= serial number given to this particular boat
M97J= May, 1967
LATER HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS
After August 1, 1984, the arrangement of the last four digits was altered but is just as confusing. The 9th
character now designates the month of manufacture in alphabetical form, but the sequence is changed (A= January
and L= December). That may be more understandable, but the 10th character is the confusing one now. It designates
the year of manufacture by giving only the last digit. This must be interpreted by the final two characters,
which designate the model year. If the last four digits are J900, the boat is a 2000 model built in October, 1999.
Example: ABC12345J900
ABC= Manufacture
12345= serial number given to this particular boat
K900= 2000 model boat built in November, 1999
The Coast Guard maintains a searchable database of MICs if you want to check yours out -
click here.
Individuals building boats for their own use and not for the purposes of sale are what are referred to as
"backyard boat builders." They must obtain a 12 character HIN from their State boating agency. The Manufacturer
Identification Code at the beginning of the HIN for a "home built" boat is an abbreviation for the State followed
by a "Z" which indicates that it is a State identification.
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