CHOPPER BOATS INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with VQL were assigned by the US Coast Guard to CHOPPER BOATS INC of MADERA, CA. The company is recorded as out of business since 2009 — 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
VQL
Location
MADERA, CA
In business
since 2006
Status
Out of business (2009)
CHOPPER BOATS INC hulls (2006–2009) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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CHOPPER BOATS INC HIN FAQ
What does a CHOPPER BOATS INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "VQL" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to CHOPPER BOATS INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. CHOPPER BOATS INC hulls (2006–2009) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is CHOPPER BOATS INC still in business?
USCG records list CHOPPER BOATS INC as out of business since 2009. 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 CHOPPER BOATS INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. CHOPPER BOATS INC hulls (2006–2009) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in CA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "CHOPPER BOATS INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/vql, last verified 2026-06-12.