How to Identify Your Outboard's Year: Mercury & Yamaha Serial Number Guide

An outboard's serial number identifies its exact model year, which matters for ordering the correct genuine parts and confirming warranty status.

Where to find it — Mercury

On most Mercury outboards, the serial number plate is on the transom clamp bracket or engine mount, visible when the engine is tilted up clear of the water.

Where to find it — Yamaha

Yamaha serial numbers are stamped on a plate on the engine's mounting bracket, in the same general transom-bracket area as Mercury.

Decoding the year

Each manufacturer uses its own serial number format to encode production year — the exact decoding scheme varies by model range and era, so the most reliable approach is contacting us or the manufacturer directly with your full serial number for an accurate year confirmation, rather than relying on generic online decoders that don't cover every range.

Why it matters

Confirming model year ensures you order parts that fit your exact production run (manufacturers do make in-year running changes), and helps establish remaining warranty coverage on a used engine.

Need help identifying your engine? Contact our rigging team with your serial number and we'll confirm the details.