PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with PUB were assigned by the US Coast Guard to PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE of VALPARAISO, IN. The company is recorded as out of business since 1991 — 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
PUB
Location
VALPARAISO, IN
In business
since 1989
Status
Out of business (1991)
PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE hulls (1989–1991) 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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PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HIN FAQ
What does a PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "PUB" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE hulls (1989–1991) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE still in business?
USCG records list PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE as out of business since 1991. 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 PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE hulls (1989–1991) 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 IN
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/pub, last verified 2026-06-12.