[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR181.25]

[Page 826]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 181--MANUFACTURER REQUIREMENTS--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart C--Identification of Boats
 
Sec. 181.25  Hull identification number format.

    Each of the hull identification numbers required by Sec. 181.23 must 
consist of twelve characters, uninterrupted by slashes, hyphens, or 
spaces, as follows:
    (a) The first three characters must be a manufacturer identification 
code assigned under Sec. 181.31(a) or the importer designation assigned 
under Sec. 181.31(b).
    (b) Characters four through eight must be a serial number assigned 
by the manufacturer in letters of the English alphabet, or Arabic 
numerals, or both, except the letters I, O, and Q.
    (c) Characters nine and ten must indicate the month and year of 
certification when a date of certification is required. In all other 
cases characters nine and ten must indicate the date of manufacture. The 
date indicated can be no earlier than the date construction or assembly 
began and no later than the date the boat leaves the place of 
manufacture or assembly or is imported into the United States for the 
purposes of sale. Character nine must be indicated using letters of the 
English alphabet. The first month of the year, January, must be 
designated by the letter ``A'', the second month, February, by the 
letter ``B'', and so on until the last month of the year, December. 
Character ten must be the last digit of the year of manufacture or 
certification and must be an Arabic numeral.
    (d) Characters eleven and twelve must indicate the model year using 
Arabic numerals for the last two numbers of the model year such as 
``82'' for 1982 and ``83'' for 1983.