The Kentucky Department of Vehicle Regulation is alerting boaters of a recent change in federal law regarding the registration and renewal process for vessels. Beginning January 2018, boat owners will need to verify all Hull Identification Numbers when renewing or applying for new registrations. All HIN registrations must be valid and formatted correctly in order to be compliant with the new law. If a HIN is missing or not formatted properly, a boater must apply for a new HIN.