HOWARD BOATS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with HBS were assigned by the US Coast Guard to HOWARD BOATS of BARNSTABLE, MA. The builder is listed in the USCG MIC database. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
HBS
Location
BARNSTABLE, MA
In business
since 1990
Status
Listed active in USCG records
HOWARD BOATS hulls (1990–present) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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HOWARD BOATS HIN FAQ
What does a HOWARD BOATS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "HBS" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to HOWARD BOATS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. HOWARD BOATS hulls (1990–present) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is HOWARD BOATS still in business?
USCG records list HOWARD BOATS of BARNSTABLE, MA in the MIC database (registered 1990).
How do I decode the year on a HOWARD BOATS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. HOWARD BOATS hulls (1990–present) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in MA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "HOWARD BOATS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/hbs, last verified 2026-06-12.