Bowling Ball Serial Number Date Lookup

To the best of my knowledge, this tool is accurate for equipment made in 2010 and later (including some balls in the 1990s and 2000s). Please reach out through my contact form if you find anything unexpected/incorrect or can provide any useful information for updating this tool.

Some caveats:

  • EBI (Ebonite, Columbia 300, Hammer, Track) balls made before the 2019 Brunswick acquisition include the same "year" digit for the 2000s as the 2010s (ie. A ball with "9" for the year digit could be 2009 or 2019).
  • I'm still working on tracking down the numbering system on EBI balls from the mid-2000s and earlier.
  • I included expected future serial numbers. As an example, a Brunswick ball starting with "AV" would be manufactured in January 2028.
  • My calculations for Brunswick equipment in the mid-2010s may not be accurate. I see "H" for 2015 and "J" for 2016. I also included the letter "I" for 2016, but Brunswick may have skipped that letter altogether.
  • The Brunswick "year" second character started over at "A" in 2008. Some equipment from before then is included here, but will likely get replaced with future years when we get there. now: (S = 2004, T = 2005, Y = 2006, Z = 2007), later: (S = 2025, T = 2026 ...). For some recycled year characters, I've included some information about both potential years. The older year should be 20 years prior (although I may be off on that calculation). The USBC approved ball list might help narrow it down for older balls.
  • Some the months for SWAG balls may be incorrect. I've seen a range of values from A to Z.
  • I'm not familiar with the numbering process for California Bowling brands other than recently manufactured SWAG balls. If you're able to provide any info, I will happily add those brands.
  • Some low-end balls (ie. Storm Mix) are manufactured in different facilities and do not follow the typical brand numbering conventions. If there is enough demand for these, I can attempt to add them.
  • There may just be bugs.
  • There's a small chance that all of the calculations that I'm performing are incorrect. Please contact me if you come across any issues.

In creating this tool, I referenced the guide published by the Professional Bowlers Association in January 2023.