U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN Decoder — MIC USZ
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with USZ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC of FALLING WATERS, WV. 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
USZ
Location
FALLING WATERS, WV
In business
since 1996
Status
Listed active in USCG records
Parent company
U. S. COAST GUARD
U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC hulls (1996–present) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
How a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN breaks down
A current-format (1984–present) Hull Identification Number is 12 characters. Using the example USZ45678D424 (illustrative):
| Characters | Segment | In example | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Manufacturer (MIC) | USZ | Identifies U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC, assigned by the US Coast Guard. |
| 4–8 | Hull serial number | 45678 | U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC's own production number for the specific hull (the letters I, O, Q are never used). |
| 9 | Certification month | D | Month built — A=January … L=December (D = April). |
| 10 | Certification year | 4 | Last digit of the certification year. |
| 11–12 | Model year | 24 | The boat’s model year. |
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
Buying this U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC? Check it before you pay.
Decoding the HIN confirms the year and serial, but not the safety record. The $9.99 Boat Report adds the full CPSC marine-recall check, a HIN consistency check, a verify-before-you-buy checklist, and the USCG builder record for this hull — one downloadable report, one-time, no subscription. See what's included
U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN FAQ
What does a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "USZ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC hulls (1996–present) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC still in business?
USCG records list U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC of FALLING WATERS, WV in the MIC database (registered 1996), associated with U. S. COAST GUARD.
How do I decode the year on a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC hulls (1996–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.
Where is the HIN on a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC boat?
On the outside upper-starboard (right) corner of the transom, within two inches of the top — required by 33 CFR 181.29. Since August 1984 an identical duplicate HIN is also molded into an unexposed interior location as an anti-theft measure. Both should match the title, registration, and insurance card exactly.
Is the "USZ" MIC the same as a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC serial number?
No. "USZ" is the Manufacturer Identification Code — characters 1–3 of the HIN — that identifies U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC. The hull serial number is characters 4–8: U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC's own production number for that specific boat (the letters I, O, and Q are never used). The full 12-character HIN combines the MIC, the serial, and the date code.
Can a U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN tell me the exact model?
Not on its own. A HIN encodes the builder, hull serial, certification month/year, and model year — not the model name or length. Match the decoded year and serial against U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC records, the title, or a marine survey to confirm the exact model and configuration.
Other builders in WV
Sources: verified against the USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C. Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere. Cite this page: CarWhere, "U. S. COAST GUARD NVDC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/usz, last verified 2026-06-15.