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How to Match the Engine Serial Number to a Boat HIN

Boat theft is not uncommon, and if you are planning on purchasing a pre-owned boat, you would be wise to do some research to determine whether that boat was previously stolen and modified or not. All boats are required to have a federally licensed Hull Identification Number (HIN) which are issued by the U.S. Coast Guard after manufacture. Boat engines also have a serial number, so comparing these two numbers can give you an idea as to the legal status of your boat.

Instructions

- 1
  Find the Hull Identification number, located on the outside of the hull of your boat. This will consist of a series of three letters, followed by a series of numbers, followed by another series of letters or combination of numbers and letters. Write the full HIN code down.
- 2
  Look up the first three letters of the code on the U.S. Coast Guard Database. These numbers are called the Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC). The database will tell you the name and contact details of the manufacturer of your boat.
- 3
  Look closely at the HIN. The five numbers after the MIC are the Hull Serial Number. Examine the final four numbers or letters on the HIN. If the HIN ends in four numbers, this is your boat's date of certification in MM/YY format. If the HIN ends in an "M" followed by two numbers and a letter, the numbers refer to the year of certification. For the final letter, an "A" stands for August, a "B" stands for September, a "C" for October, a "D" for November, an "E" for December, an "F" for January, a "G" for February, an "H" for March, an "I" for April, a "J" for May, a "K" for June and an "L" for July. If your HIN ends in a letter followed by three numbers, the final two numbers are the model year of your boat. The first number is the day of manufacture, the letter refers to the month. An "A" stands for January, a "B" for February, a "C" for March, a "D" for April, an "E" for May, an "F" for June, a "G" for July, an "H" for August, an "I" for September, a "J" for October, a "K" for November, an "L" for December. You should now know your boat's manufacturer and date of certification.
- 4
  Find the serial number located on the engine. This will be in a slightly different place and come in a different format depending on the boat engine. It will generally be a noncorrosive strip attached to the engine in plain view. Write this number down.
- 5
  Look up the engine number with an online marine parts search, such as the one at marineengine.com or perfpotech.com. This search will reveal the model and manufacture date of your engine. If the boat is supposed to include original engine, but the dates of the engine and HIN certification do not match, one of the numbers may be altered and the boat may be stolen.

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