Sea-Doo HIN (VIN) decoder
Reviewed 5 primary sourcesSee sources
Sea-Doo watercraft carry a 12-character hull identification number like any boat; people often call it the VIN. BRP’s operator guides show where it is on each hull and that it follows the federal layout, starting with BRP’s code YDV.
Covers: Sea-Doo personal watercraft; locations from BRP’s 2025 GTI, GTR, WAKE and Spark operator guides.
The HIN layouts
Current layout (required from August 1, 1984)
| Characters | What they are |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Manufacturer identification code (MIC). Assigned by the Coast Guard to the builder or importer.[3] |
| 4–8 | Hull serial. Chosen by the manufacturer; letters and digits, but never I, O or Q.[3] |
| 9 | Month. A letter for the month of certification or manufacture: A is January through L for December.[3] |
| 10 | Year digit. The last digit of the year of certification or manufacture.[3] |
| 11–12 | Model year. The last two digits of the model year.[3] |
Rules worth knowing
- BRP’s guide breaks its example HIN into the manufacturer code, a serial that may use letters, the month of production, the year of production and the model year.[1]
- The engine has its own engine identification number (EIN), on the front end of the engine on GTI, GTR and WAKE models. It is separate from the HIN.[1]
- A HIN is exactly 12 characters with no spaces or dashes; the same HIN is never given to two boats.[3]
- The Coast Guard lists YDV as the code held by Bombardier Recreational Products of Valcourt, Quebec.[5]
Where to find the HIN
- GTI, GTR and WAKE: on the footboard at the rear of the watercraft.[1]
- Spark: engraved on the right-hand side of the hull at the rear, above the front of the sponson.[2]
Worked examples
YDV12345L809: BRP’s illustrative HIN: built December 2008, model year 2009.[1]
What a HIN can’t tell you
- The HIN gives only the last digit of the build year; the decoder reads the decade from the model year, which is our inference.[3]
- A HIN doesn’t tell you the model, the engine or whether the watercraft is stolen or titled to the seller.[4]
- Locations are from BRP’s 2025 guides; older hulls may place the HIN differently, so check your year’s operator guide.[2]
Official lookups
- Coast Guard Manufacturer Identification Code search: Enter the first three characters of the HIN to see which builder or importer holds that code, and whether it is still in business.[5]
Sources
Facts on this page are restated in our own words from the regulations, Coast Guard guidance and manufacturer documents below. Check the document for your exact model and year.
- 2025 Operator’s Guide: Sea-Doo GTI, GTR and WAKE SeriesBRP · 219002420 Rev1 · Messages in multifunction gauge; Identification Numbers; Monitoring System and Beeper Code Information · retrieved
- 2025 Operator’s Guide: Sea-Doo Spark SeriesBRP · 219002427 · Hull Identification Number; Monitoring System and Beeper Code Information · retrieved
- 33 CFR Part 181, Subpart C: Identification of BoatsOffice of the Federal Register / GPO (eCFR) · 33 CFR 181.21-181.35 · §§ 181.23–181.35 (read through the eCFR API, current as of October 1, 2026) · retrieved
- HIN Validation & Verification Guideline (2020)U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division (CG-BSX-2) with NASBLA · Enclosure (1) to CG-BSX-2 Policy #2020-1 · Slides 7–13 (HIN layouts), 25–28 (assigned HINs), 33 (good and bad examples) · retrieved
- Manufacturers Identification - Search Manufacturers ListU.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division · Search form and result pages · retrieved
Primary publishers: BRP, Office of the Federal Register / GPO (eCFR), U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division (CG-BSX-2) with NASBLA, U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division. Spotted an error? Email the address in the footer with the model and the document you are using.