The purchaser of a vessel can also confirm whether a vessel is either financially encumbered or stolen. For existing vessels, a HIN must be attached to the hull prior to transfer. Waterways has established a network of Boatcode agencies throughout NSW to validate and affix the HIN on individual vessels. When a manufacturer or agent affixes a Boatcode plate to a boat they are also required to supply the number to the Waterways database. If there is a loan on the boat, financiers will also log the Boatcode and other vessel details with the REVS database.
Waterways can then run a cross check to validate the registered numbers.