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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-hin-manufacturer-code

In a Hull Identification Number, what do the first three characters identify?

The manufacturer (Manufacturer Identification Code).

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  1. The manufacturer ✔
  2. The state of registration
  3. The boat's length

Why: A HIN like ABC 123XY H1 21 starts with the builder's code, then the serial number, certification or manufacture date, and model year. You need the HIN to title or register a boat.

Huh, didn't know that: On a boat with a transom, the primary HIN is placed on its starboard outboard side.

The dad joke
Why did the boat know who built it? It read its own HIN-structions.
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References

Answer: The manufacturer. A HIN like ABC 123XY H1 21 starts with the builder's code, then the serial number, certification or manufacture date, and model year. You need the HIN to title or register a boat.

  1. NASBLA ESP TR 103-2022, Basic Boating Knowledge Core Plus Power technical report higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASBLA/76594a34-f3a1-4916-95ac-1e9c872170cc/UploadedImages/education/national-education-standards/ESP_TR_ESP_103_Core_Plus_Power_2022_06_01FINAL.pdf
    "ABC" is the Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC); "123XY" is the production or serial number
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. NASBLA ESP TR 103-2022, Basic Boating Knowledge Core Plus Power technical report higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASBLA/76594a34-f3a1-4916-95ac-1e9c872170cc/UploadedImages/education/national-education-standards/ESP_TR_ESP_103_Core_Plus_Power_2022_06_01FINAL.pdf
    A boat owner is required to provide the boat's hull identification number (HIN) when titling or registering a vessel.
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  3. 33 CFR 181.29, Hull identification number display www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/chapter-I/subchapter-S/part-181/subpart-C/section-181.29
    On boats with transoms, to the starboard outboard side of the transom
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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Boating & WaterHow many characters are in a boat's Hull Identification Number (HIN)?Boating & WaterWhere must your boat's registration numbers be displayed?Boating & WaterYou sell your registered boat or move. How soon must you notify the agency that issued its number?

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