KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with KAW were assigned by the US Coast Guard to KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG of SANTA ANA, CA. 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
KAW
Location
SANTA ANA, CA
In business
since 1972
Status
Listed active in USCG records
Parent company
KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP USA
KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG HIN FAQ
What does a KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "KAW" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Is KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG still in business?
USCG records list KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG of SANTA ANA, CA in the MIC database (registered 1972), associated with KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP USA.
How do I decode the year on a KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–present): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three. 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, "KAWASAKI MOTORS MFG HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/kaw, last verified 2026-06-12.