How is 'Validate it' Different from 'Check it'?

The free 'Validate it' service examines the structure and content of your Hull Identification Number (HIN) and provides a report which details the manufacturer of the boat, its serial number, and any date information encoded in the HIN. If a correctly entered HIN fails validation, there is a chance that the HIN has been tampered with. The free validation service does not compare your HIN to our register of stolen boats.

The 'Check it' service also validates the HIN, but it performs further checks in addition to this. The HIN is compared with our extensive database of boats in an attempt to match it with a registered vessel. You will be presented with a percentage score indicating how closely the details match any stolen boats that are registered in our database. There are also various other optional checks that can be added to a basic 'Check it' search.