NASBLA Public Library

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you have a question for VIRT?

Do you have a question about how to process certain types of applications? State assigned HIN’s?  How to handle commercial boats? Paddlecraft? Send them to Rick Barrera. A member of the VIRT Committee will respond to you directly, and will share the question anonymously here so that other states can benefit as well!

Our first question relates to State Assigned Hull Identification Numbers (HIN's):

For state assigned HIN's – is there a set format we should be using or are we permitted to create it as we choose to do so?

In 2019, VIRT worked with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and BLAs to come up with a standardized state assigned HIN format.

The format for state assigned HIN’s is as follows:

• The first three characters that form the Manufacturer's Identification Code (MIC) are the 2 letter state designation, followed by the letter Z.  Ex: Florida- FLZ

• The middle 5 characters can be any combination of letters and numbers, to be determined by the state issuing authority, with the exception of the use of the letters I, O, and Q.

• The last 4 characters must denote the month and year the state assigned HIN was issued using the following format:

• The 9th character should be the letter denotation A-L that corresponds to the month the state assigned HIN was issued.  Ex: If the state assigned HIN is issued in January, the 9th character would be A, December would be L.

• The 10th-12th characters should be the year the state HIN is issued.  Ex: For a state assigned HIN issued in 2021, the last 3 characters would be 121.

• Example: A Florida state assigned HIN issued in May 2021 would be FLZXXXXXE121, where X is populated with the format adopted by Florida to determine the serial number.

Where to place a State Assigned HIN: 

When a non-compliant manufacturer issued HIN exists, in order to comply with 33 CFR Part 174, Subpart B, state issuing authorities may be required to issue a state assigned HIN to a vessel that may have a pre-existing HIN issued by a manufacturer that is not in compliance with 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C. To help maintain the record of the original HIN issued by a manufacturer, a state assigned HIN should not cover or obstruct any previous HIN and should be placed above, below, or directly next to the original HIN. In cases where the original or manufacturer supplied HIN cannot be located, please refer to 33 CFR 181.29 for placement of the State Assigned HIN. Benefits of not covering the original HIN include: 

• The ability for states to be able to abide by their state specific policies governing removal, defacement or alteration of a HIN, as well as compliance with 33 CFR Part §181.35 that states “No person may remove or alter a number required by this subpart unless authorized by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard”.

• Assistance with theft investigation.

• Retention of valuable information as specified by the manufacturer, which will also tie to the manufacturer's records and the original MSO, including original parts.

• To help ensure that the vessel is included in recalls issued under the original HIN.

• To aid with record retention if the vessels moves from state to state.

What model year to use on the Certificate of Number if model year is unknown: 

In many cases where a state assigned HIN is required, the original model year of the vessel is unknown. However, compliance with 33 CFR Part 174, Subpart B requires this information be collected on the application for certificate of number, as well as recorded on the Certificate of Number itself. Therefore, in cases where original model year is unknown, the state issuing authority is to use the number 1111 for model year. This information will only be shown on the Certificate of Number and is not to be incorporated into the HIN or added to the vessel directly. The use of 1111 has been agreed to by both insurance companies and state representatives.

For more information on state assigned HIN's and other HIN related questions, reach out to VIRT at rick@nasbla.org or see our HIN PowerPoint found on the NASBLA website at https://community.nasbla.org/viewdocument/hin-validation-verification-guide.