verify-used

How to check a used boat before buying

Decode the HIN, check the USCG documentation record (free, keyless), and get the seller-claim-vs-record contradiction — plus the gated half (owner/title/lien) the public USCG record no longer shows.

No HIN? Search by vessel name: try “LIBERTY” · Where is the HIN? Stamped on the transom (back of the boat), upper starboard (right) corner, and often a duplicate hidden inside the hull.

Pre-purchase checklist — what to check before buying a used boat

  1. HIN match — the 12-character HIN on the transom must match the title, registration, and the documentation. A mismatch, a re-stamped/altered HIN, or I/O/Q in the HIN is a red flag.
  2. USCG documentation status — if the seller says it's "documented," confirm the official number and that the status is current (not expired/deleted) against the USCG record above.
  3. Hull & transom — press for soft spots / sponginess (rot/delamination) on the transom, deck, and stringers; look for crazing, blisters, and prior repairs along the keel.
  4. Engine — for an outboard/inboard, check compression across all cylinders (within ~10%), look at the oil and lower-unit gear oil (milky = water intrusion), and ask for service records and engine hours.
  5. Title / registration / liens — the seller's name must match the title; check for a lienholder. The public USCG record does NOT show owner/lien data (removed 2018) — get a boat-history report.
  6. Recalls — check CPSC (above) and the USCG boating-recall list for the manufacturer.
  7. On-water sea trial + a marine survey — never skip these on a boat you can't fully inspect on the trailer.

Red flags: a HIN that won't decode or is missing/altered; a "documented" claim with no official number; a transom that flexes; milky oil; a seller who won't allow a survey or sea trial; a name on the title that isn't the seller's.

Informational only — not a safety, ownership, title, or legal determination, and not a substitute for a marine survey. The documentation status, vessel name, year built, and official number come from the keyless USCG PSIX public vessel database and reflect its state right now; PSIX only covers USCG-DOCUMENTED vessels, so many state-registered recreational boats will have a thin or empty record (not a problem in itself). The HIN decode is structural only — it reads the manufacturer code, hull serial, and build/model year from the 12-character HIN and validates its format; it does not prove ownership. USCG REMOVED owner name/address from public vessel records in 2018, so owner-of-record, title, lien, and accident/loss history are NOT available in any keyless public source — get a paid boat-history report and a marine survey, and verify the exact HIN on the transom and the official number against the official USCG record before buying. The absence of a record is not proof a boat is clean.