How to Transfer a Boat Title and Registration

Title, registration and documentation are different things

A title is proof of ownership. Registration is the permission to use the boat on public water, which is where the numbers on the bow and the decal come from. Which boats need a title depends on length and power, and the cutoffs vary by state.

Larger boats may be documented with the Coast Guard instead. That replaces the state title but not always state registration.

Before you hand over any money

These checks are easier at the dock than at the tax office.

• Ask to see the original title, not a photocopy. Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wisconsin DNR both warn buyers not to pay for a titled boat without it.
• Match the hull identification number on the boat to the title and registration.
• Look for a lienholder on the title. If one is listed, you need a signed lien release, or the lender's signature on the title where the state provides a line for it.
• Check that every owner who has to sign actually signs. In Wisconsin, names joined by "and" all have to sign; names joined by "or" mean any one of them can.
• Get a dated bill of sale with the price, the HIN, the engine serial numbers and both parties' names. Price the trailer separately.

Do not accept a title with the buyer section filled in to someone else or with crossed-out entries. Wisconsin says the seller has to get a replacement title in that case.

Florida

All motorized vessels on Florida's public waters have to be titled and registered, and federally documented boats are exempt from titling. The buyer gets 30 days to do both at a county tax collector or license plate agent office. Until then, keep proof of the purchase date on board. FLHSMV says running an unregistered vessel after the 30 days is a second-degree misdemeanor.

A Florida title transfer costs $5.25 for an electronic title, $7.75 for paper or $11 expedited, plus $1 for each lien recorded and another $4 if the boat was last registered in another state. Miss the 30 days and FLHSMV adds a $10 charge. Registration is priced by length: a boat from 16 to under 26 feet is $28.75, before a $2.25 service fee, a $0.50 FRVIS fee and, in some counties, an optional county fee.

Sellers have their own 30-day clock. The Sarasota County Tax Collector, which handles Florida vessel transactions, says to file the Notice of Sale on the back of the title or on form HSMV 82050. A seller with an electronic title can ask FLHSMV to print and mail it. In a private sale, an outboard and accessories may be exempt from Florida sales tax if the bill of sale itemizes them separately. Start with our Florida boats for sale.

Texas

Texas casts a wide net. Every motorized boat needs a title regardless of length, as does any non-motorized vessel 14 feet or longer. Gas and diesel outboards get their own titles too, unless they are at least 40 years old and 25 hp or less. A used bass boat can come with two titles, and you want both signed over.

The title application is due within 45 days of the purchase. TPWD wants the original title signed and dated by the recorded owner, with the buyer's name and address filled in, plus a signed bill of sale. Without them you are pushed into the slower, pricier bonded title process. Current fees are $27 per title transfer, $11 to transfer the registration card, and $53 to register a boat from 16 to under 26 feet for two years. The 6.25% boat and motor tax is due within 45 working days of the sale.

The seller should file a notice with TPWD within 20 days of the sale, which can be done online. Trailers go through the county tax office, so the bill of sale has to show the trailer price separately from the boat and motor. Browse Texas listings here.

California

California runs boats through the DMV. The seller signs the Certificate of Ownership on line 1, and any lienholder signs on line 2. The buyer adds their name and address on the back and submits it with the transfer fee, use tax and any renewal fees due. The DMV says changes of ownership must be reported within 10 days. Its vessel checklist lists a $15 transfer fee, and the agent handbook adds a 10% use tax penalty if registration and use tax are not paid within 30 days of the transfer.

The seller has five days to file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) with the CF number, the HIN, the buyer's name and address, and the sale date. The trailer needs its own REG 138 and its own paperwork. The DMV can refuse a transfer if the county reports unpaid personal property tax on the boat, and boats used in fresh water need a Mussel Fee sticker. Boats bought from an out-of-state seller have to be registered within 120 days of entering California. See California boats for sale.

Michigan and Wisconsin

In Michigan, only watercraft 20 feet or longer, or with a permanently affixed engine, need a title. That leaves many outboard boats under 20 feet with registration only. The seller signs the title, and at a Secretary of State office you pay a $5 title fee plus 6% sales tax unless you show it was paid. Registrations run three years and expire March 31. Transferring one costs less than a new one; a 16 to 21 foot motorboat is $28 for the transfer plus two years. Check Michigan listings.

Wisconsin law gives the new owner 10 days from the purchase to apply for registration, and the boat should not be run before you apply. Motorboats 16 feet and over are titled. The seller fills in the back of the original title with your name, address and the sale price, and the Wisconsin DNR notes that the Department of Revenue looks into suspiciously low prices. You can start online through GoWILD, but the original title still has to be mailed in. Fees on form 9400-193 are $3.75 to transfer a current registration, $5 for the title and $5 to record a lien, with 5% state sales tax plus any county tax. The DNR does not title trailers; that is the Department of Transportation. Browse Wisconsin boats for sale.

Coast Guard documented boats

A documented boat changes hands through the National Vessel Documentation Center, not the state. Under 46 CFR 67.167, a Certificate of Documentation becomes invalid as soon as ownership changes, so the buyer has to apply for an exchange on form CG-1258, which the NVDC takes through its online eStorefront. The bill of sale, usually form CG-1340, must be dated and carry a notary acknowledgment to be filed and recorded.

The federal fee table lists $84 for a recreational exchange with a one-year certificate, $24 more if a mortgage holder has to consent, and $8 per page to record the bill of sale. Documentation does not get you out of state paperwork everywhere. Texas and Michigan both still require state registration for documented boats. For the tax side of any purchase, see our guide to boat sales tax by state.