FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with PPL were assigned by the US Coast Guard to FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP of CLEARWATER, FL. The company is recorded as out of business since 1990 — common for older hulls, and useful to know when hunting parts or records. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
PPL
Location
CLEARWATER, FL
In business
since 1972
Status
Out of business (1990)
Parent company
OOB PER MSO TAMPA 901228
FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–1990): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP HIN FAQ
What does a FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "PPL" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–1990): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Is FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP still in business?
USCG records list FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP as out of business since 1990 (associated with OOB PER MSO TAMPA 901228). That's common for older hulls — the HIN still decodes normally, and the out-of-business date helps date the boat and guides parts-hunting toward salvage and owner groups rather than a dealer network.
How do I decode the year on a FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP built hulls across both HIN eras (1972–1990): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in FL
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "FLORIDA FBGLS SHOP HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/ppl, last verified 2026-06-12.