How to Check if a Boat Is Stolen

Buying a used boat, jet ski or outboard? Check the HIN, the trailer VIN and the motor serial before you pay. Here's where each number is, how to read a HIN, and what a tampered transom looks like.

1 free check · No credit card · Updated October 22, 2026

Secure
Results in seconds
Sources listed
Free web app
Before you buy
Every source listed
Results in seconds
Owner details never shown
1 free check, no card

Quick answer

How do I check if a boat is stolen?

Read the 12-character Hull Identification Number (HIN) on the right side of the transom, near the top, and match it to the title and registration in the seller's name. Check it on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-boat-stolen), which searches its theft reports and public web results. Then check the trailer VIN and outboard serial too, and look for a HIN that's been sanded, painted over or re-riveted. Your state's boat titling agency and marine patrol can check official records.

Where to find the HIN, and the other numbers to check

Boats built for sale in the U.S. since November 1972 carry a 12-character HIN. A boat sale is often three sales in one: hull, motor and trailer each have their own number, and any one of them can be stolen.

ItemWhere the number isWhat it should match
Hull (HIN)Starboard (right) side of the transom, within a couple of inches of the top, molded or on a fixed plateState title and registration, and the hidden HIN
Hidden HINA second, unexposed spot chosen by the builder, on boats built since August 1984. Builders don't publish where.The transom HIN exactly
Outboard motorA serial plate on the mounting bracket that clamps to the transomThe motor's bill of sale or the title, where your state titles motors
TrailerA VIN plate or stamping on the tongue or front frame railThe trailer's title or registration and its plate
Personal watercraft (jet ski)HIN at the rear of the hull, usually near the sternTitle and registration

How to read a HIN

The first three characters are the builder's manufacturer code. The next five are the hull serial. The last four give the month and year it was built and the model year. If the HIN says the boat was built in a different year from the one on the title, or the format is wrong (too many characters, letters where numbers belong), ask why before you go further.

Signs a boat may be stolen

  • The transom HIN is sanded, painted over, glued on, or on a plate held with new rivets or screws
  • The registration numbers on the bow are fresh vinyl over ghost marks of old ones, or don't match the paperwork
  • The seller's name isn't on the title, or the title is "being sent" by the state
  • The trailer has no VIN plate, no title or a plate from another state
  • The outboard serial plate is missing or the bracket has been ground
  • Only one key, a punched ignition, or cut wires behind the helm
  • The seller wants to meet at a launch ramp or lot instead of where the boat is stored

What a Boat check looks for

A boat stolen check looks up the Hull Identification Number in records of reported thefts. The HIN works like a car's VIN: it is unique to the hull, it goes on the title, and police use it to identify recovered boats. For a single-item check on a boat you're about to see, our boat check page has the search box and the short version.

What a check searches
SafeOrStolen theft reports
Public web results
Police gun theft reports
Stolen-bicycle registry
Vehicle records
Phone blacklist

Step by step

1

Ask the seller for the HIN, trailer VIN and motor serial before you go, and check each one here.

2

At the boat, read the transom HIN and compare it with the title character for character.

3

Check the seller's photo ID against the name on the boat title and the trailer title.

4

Look at the transom, the motor bracket and the trailer tongue for grinding, fresh paint or new rivets.

5

Call your state's boat titling agency, or ask local marine patrol, if anything doesn't add up.

6

If a number comes back reported stolen, don't buy. Leave and give the details to the police.

Enter the HIN in the box. SafeOrStolen searches its own theft reports, which owners file on the site, and public web results that mention the HIN, such as old listings or stolen-boat posts. You see reported stolen, possible match, or no report found in the records searched, with each source listed. For title and registration, also ask your state boat agency, and call local marine patrol if anything doesn't add up.

Why check before you buy

Boats are often stored out of sight on trailers, which makes them easy to hook up and tow away, and they are commonly sold for cash. If a boat turns out to be stolen, police return it to the owner and the buyer usually loses the money. Checking three numbers before you pay takes less time than the sea trial.

Checks any HIN, trailer VIN or outboard serial against SafeOrStolen theft reports
Shows public web results that mention the number
Lists every source searched with the result
Each check saved to your account with the date
1 free check with no credit card

Common questions

At SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-boat-stolen). Enter the boat's 12-character HIN from the right side of the transom, or the outboard motor's serial number, and SafeOrStolen checks SafeOrStolen's own theft reports and public web results. The first check is free, right in your browser.

Enter the 12-character HIN on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/how-to-check-if-boat-stolen). the first check is free, with no account or credit card needed. It searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results. For state title and lien information, contact the agency that titles boats in your state; depending on the state that may be the DMV or the wildlife department.

On the starboard side of the transom, the flat back of the boat, within a couple of inches of the top. It is molded into the hull or on a permanently fixed plate. Boats built since August 1984 also have a second hidden HIN somewhere inside the hull, which should match the one on the transom.

Usually not as a member of the public. State boat registration records include owner details, and states limit who can see them. Larger boats documented with the U.S. Coast Guard are listed in its vessel documentation records. For a purchase, the useful step is matching the title in the seller's name to their photo ID.

Yes. The trailer has its own VIN and title or registration, and the outboard has its own serial number. Thieves sometimes put a stolen motor on an honest boat, or sell a legitimate boat on a stolen trailer. Check all three numbers and make sure each one matches its paperwork.

Don't buy the boat. A missing, sanded or replaced HIN is the most common sign of a stolen hull. Removing or altering a HIN is illegal under federal boating rules. If you want to report it, give the seller's details and the boat's location to your local police or marine patrol.

Some states title boats and some only register them, and rules differ for small boats and for older boats. Ask your state's boat agency what a legal sale needs before you pay. A bill of sale alone doesn't prove the seller owned the boat, so treat a missing title as a reason to slow down.

Other checks

IMEI Checker

Verify phones before buying

VIN Checker

Check a car or truck by VIN

Serial Number Checker

Check electronics & appliances

Firearm Check

Verify firearm serial numbers

License Plate Lookup

Check vehicles by plate

Plate Owner Lookup

What you can legally find from a plate

Free Web App

Install from your browser and scan barcodes

HTTPS
Sources listed
US-Based
1 Free Check
Any US item

Ready to Verify Your Boat?

Results in a few seconds, with every source listed. 1 free check, no credit card.