LIGHTNING POWERBOATS HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with JWQ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to LIGHTNING POWERBOATS of EL CAJON, CA. The company is recorded as out of business since 2004 — common for older hulls, and useful to know when hunting parts or records. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
JWQ
Location
EL CAJON, CA
In business
since 1999
Status
Out of business (2004)
LIGHTNING POWERBOATS hulls (1999–2004) 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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LIGHTNING POWERBOATS HIN FAQ
What does a LIGHTNING POWERBOATS HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "JWQ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to LIGHTNING POWERBOATS — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. LIGHTNING POWERBOATS hulls (1999–2004) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is LIGHTNING POWERBOATS still in business?
USCG records list LIGHTNING POWERBOATS as out of business since 2004. That's common for older hulls — the HIN still decodes normally, and the out-of-business date helps date the boat and guides parts-hunting toward salvage and owner groups rather than a dealer network.
How do I decode the year on a LIGHTNING POWERBOATS HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. LIGHTNING POWERBOATS hulls (1999–2004) 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 CA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "LIGHTNING POWERBOATS HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/jwq, last verified 2026-06-12.