Coast Guard Issues Final Rule on Hull Identification Numbers Effective August 16, 2004, U.S. manufacturers of recreational boats will be allowed to display a two-character, country of origin code before the 12-character Hull Identification Number (HIN) without separating the two-character code by means of borders or on a separate label as is currently required by HIN regulations. The new revision removes the previous prohibition adversely affecting U.S. manufacturers who sought to export some of their recreational boats. The removal of the restriction allows U.S. manufacturers to comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) HIN standard without changing the information collected by states on undocumented vessels they register. Coast Guard Issues Final Rule on Hull Identification Numbers Effective August 16, 2004, U.S. manufacturers of recreational boats will be allowed to display a two-character, country of origin code before the 12-character Hull Identification Number (HIN) without separating the two-character code by means of borders or on a separate label as is currently required by HIN regulations. The new revision removes the previous prohibition adversely affecting U.S. manufacturers who sought to export some of their recreational boats. The removal of the restriction allows U.S. manufacturers to comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) HIN standard without changing the information collected by states on undocumented vessels they register.
