Format: 12 characters (US, since 1972) or 14 characters (CE/EU, since 1998). Hyphens, dots and spaces are ignored.
Tip: you can paste a CSV file directly. Up to 500 HINs at once.
Recent decodes
Stored locally in your browser (nothing is sent to a server).
What is a HIN?
The Hull Identification Number (HIN) is the globally unique serial number of a boat hull — comparable to a car's VIN. It is permanently stamped into the hull and identifies the manufacturer, serial number and year of build.
Where do I find the HIN on the boat?
The primary HIN is plainly visible on the starboard side (right when facing forward) of the transom. A hidden secondary HIN has been required since 1984 — placed at a location known only to the manufacturer.
US format (12 characters, since 1972)
| Position | Length | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 3 | MIC (Manufacturer Identifier Code, USCG) |
| 4–8 | 5 | Serial number (no I, O, Q — easily confused with 1/0) |
| 9 | 1 | Production month (letter A–M, no I) |
| 10 | 1 | Production year (last digit) |
| 11–12 | 2 | Model year |
CE/EU format (14 characters, since 1998 — ISO 10087)
| Position | Length | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 2 | Country code (e.g. DE, FR, IT, GB) |
| 3–5 | 3 | MIC |
| 6–10 | 5 | Serial number |
| 11 | 1 | Production month |
| 12 | 1 | Production year (last digit) |
| 13–14 | 2 | Model year |
Month codes
A = August · B = September · C = October · D = November · E = December · F = January · G = February · H = March · J = April · K = May · L = June · M = July
The model year begins on August 1 of the previous year — a boat built in “A” (August) carries the following calendar year as its model year.
Manufacturer database
This app uses two data sources:
- USCG MIC database (~16,000 entries): all U.S. manufacturers and U.S. importers. Data from October 2019, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Curated EU list: well-known European boat builders (Bavaria, Bénéteau, Jeanneau, Azimut …). CE MICs are issued per country — no central public database exists.
API / Embedding
URL API: link directly to a decoded HIN:
https://boat-hin.com/decoder/?hin=DEBAV12345D414
Embed on your own page:
<iframe src="https://boat-hin.com/decoder/" width="100%" height="800" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Use programmatically: load decoder.js + mic-data.js
and call decodeHin("DEBAV12345D414"). The return
value is a complete JSON object.