MMSI Lookup and IMO Number Check
Type a 9-digit MMSI to see which country issued it and what kind of station it is, or a 7-digit IMO number to check that it is valid. Free and instant.
Enter an MMSI or IMO number
Valid MMSI
- MMSI
- 247123456
- Station type
- Ship station
- MID
- 247
- Flag
- Italy
- ITU region
- Europe
How to Look Up an MMSI
Three steps from a number to what it means
Enter the number
Type or paste the MMSI (9 digits) or the IMO number (7 digits, with or without "IMO" in front).
Read the answer
An MMSI shows its station type, its MID and the flag country. An IMO number shows whether its check digit is right.
Find the ship
Open the number in Primo Nautic to see where the ship is now, where it is going and when it arrives.
What an MMSI Tells You
Read straight from the number under ITU-R M.585
Flag country
The Maritime Identification Digits (MID) in an MMSI name the country that issued it, which is the ship's flag state.
Station type
The format tells a ship apart from a coast station, a buoy or light, a SAR aircraft, a handheld radio or a distress beacon.
IMO check digit
The last digit of an IMO number is a checksum of the first six, so a mistyped number shows up at once.
Private and instant
The lookup runs in your browser. The number is never sent anywhere, and there is no account or limit.
Who Uses an MMSI Lookup
Ship spotters and AIS users
Find out where an unknown AIS target is registered, and whether it is a ship, a buoy or a shore station.
Shipping and chartering
Check an IMO number from a fixture, a bill of lading or a vetting form before it goes into a system.
Boat owners and radio operators
Confirm the country and format of an MMSI for a VHF radio, an AIS transponder or an EPIRB.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the MMSI Lookup.
What is an MMSI number?
A Maritime Mobile Service Identity is a 9-digit number that identifies a ship's radio station in AIS, DSC radio and distress beacons. It is issued by the flag state's telecom authority and changes when a ship changes flag.
How do I find the country from an MMSI?
For a ship, the first three digits are the Maritime Identification Digits (MID), assigned to each country by the ITU. 247 is Italy, 366 to 369 are the United States and 351 to 357 and 370 to 374 are Panama. Coast stations, buoys and beacons carry the MID further along, which this tool reads for you.
What is the difference between an MMSI and an IMO number?
The IMO number is a 7-digit number given to a ship's hull, and it stays the same for the ship's whole life, whatever its name or flag. The MMSI belongs to the radio station and changes with the flag. Use the IMO number to identify a ship over time and the MMSI to find it in AIS.
How is an IMO number checked?
Multiply the first six digits by 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, add the results, and the last digit of that sum must equal the seventh digit. For IMO 9074729: 9x7 + 0x6 + 7x5 + 4x4 + 7x3 + 2x2 = 139, which ends in 9.
Does this tool show the ship's name and position?
No. It reads what the number itself says, with no database search. To see a ship's name, live position and arrival time, open it in the Primo Nautic app.
What do MMSI numbers starting with 0, 8, 97, 98 or 99 mean?
00 is a coast station and a single 0 a group of ships. 8 is a handheld VHF radio. 970, 972 and 974 are an AIS-SART, a man overboard device and an EPIRB. 98 is a craft working with a parent ship, such as a lifeboat, and 99 is an aid to navigation such as a buoy or a lighthouse.
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