For example, there have been at least eight vessels named USS Enterprise, but CV-6 uniquely identifies the World War II aircraft carrier from all others.

A particular combination of hull classification and hull number is never reused and therefore provides a means to uniquely identify a particular ship. The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employ hull numbers in conjunction with a hull classification symbol to uniquely identify vessels and to aid identification. The hull number visible on both sides of the bow of USS Arleigh Burke, DDG-51 Also, the HIN may be stated on the title, registration, and insurance documents. The HIN may be found on the stern of the vessel in the uppermost right corner. Characters 9 and 10 determine the certification year and characters 11 and 12 determine the model year.

The following five characters are the unique serial number assigned by the manufacturer, and can be a series of letters and/or numbers with the exception of the letters O, I, and Q (they can be easily mistaken for other characters). This HIN format is as follows: the first three characters consist of the manufacturer's index code (MIC) and should only be letters. In 1972, the United States Coast Guard was asked to create a standardized format for HINs to allow for better tracking of accidents and history of boats. A hull identification number (HIN) is a unique set of 12 characters, similar to the vehicle identification number which is found on automobiles.

United States usage Civilian use įor civilian craft manufactured in the United States, the hull number is given to the vessel when it is built and forms part of the hull identification number, which uniquely identifies the vessel and must be permanently affixed to the hull in at least two places.

How to check boat serial number