Boat history reports compared
Every row below is either verified against the provider's own current information or marked as not verified. We do not estimate coverage, and we have not fabricated hands-on testing.
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How to read this table
There are two honest ways to compare boat history providers: confirm each field against what the provider currently publishes, or say plainly that you have not confirmed it. We do both, in the same table, and we mark which is which.
We have not run controlled tests across providers, and we do not claim to have. What follows is a coverage-and-price comparison, not a bench test.
| Service | Best for | Price | HIN lookup | Registration data | Theft data | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat-Alert | Consolidated multi-source HIN search | $29.99 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Our current affiliate partner. Coverage depends on the records available for the hull. |
| State agency lookup | Free confirmation of current records | Free where offered | Varies by state | Yes | No | Availability and public access differ by state; owner data is often restricted by law. |
| Provider B | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Row reserved. Publishes once coverage and pricing are confirmed with the provider. |
| Provider C | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Row reserved. We do not estimate fields we have not checked. |
“Not verified” means we have not confirmed it with the provider — not that the feature is absent. Prices change; check before buying.
Our current pick to run first
It is the provider we have a commercial relationship with, and we would rather say so at the top of the section than bury it. What it does not change: a report is a records search, it cannot see the hull, and a clean result is not a verdict. That is true of every product in the table, including the one we earn from.
Before you pay for anything
- Read the HIN off the transom yourself and photograph it.
- Try your state agency’s free registration lookup if it offers one — see the registration lookup hub.
- Ask the seller for the title and match the names against it.
- Budget for a survey on anything you are seriously considering.
What would change this page
We will add a provider to the table when we can confirm what it searches and what it costs from the provider’s own current information. We will not fill a row from a press release or an affiliate feed, and we will not rank on commission.
If a provider’s pricing or coverage has changed and this page is behind, tell us and we will check it.
Sources
- Boat-Alert — provider's own published product and pricing information
- U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety — HIN format and requirements
Keep reading
About this article
BoatSharp Editorial
BoatSharp is an independent used-boat research publication. We check claims against official sources where they exist, label anything we have not verified, and publish the limits of the products we earn from. Nothing here is a substitute for a marine survey.
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