Free tool
Decode your boat's Hull ID.
Every boat built since 1972 carries a 12-character Hull Identification Number on the upper-right of the transom. It encodes who built her and when. Paste it below to read it.
Decoded in your browser — nothing is stored. The HIN itself encodes the builder & build date (USCG format).
What is a HIN?
A Hull Identification Number (HIN) is the boat equivalent of a car's VIN — a unique 12-character code required by the U.S. Coast Guard (33 CFR Part 181). The first three letters are the Manufacturer Identifier Code (MIC); the next five are the hull serial number; the last four encode the build month and the model year. Because the date is baked into the number itself, no database lookup is needed to read when a boat was built.
Where do I find it?
Look on the upper starboard (right) corner of the transom — the flat rear of the boat. There's usually a second, identical HIN recorded inside the boat or under a fitting. They should match.