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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-hin-twelve-characters

How many characters are in a boat's Hull Identification Number (HIN)?

12 characters, with no dashes or spaces.

  1. 12 ✔
  2. 10
  3. 17

Why: 33 CFR 181.25 says a HIN has twelve characters with no slashes, hyphens or spaces. The first three are the maker's code and the last two show the model year.

Huh, didn't know that: Boats carry two identical HINs: one on the starboard side of the transom and a hidden duplicate inside.

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Sources

  1. 33 CFR 181.25 Hull identification number format (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-181.25
  2. 33 CFR 181.29 Hull identification number display (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-181.29

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