Boats for Sale in Maryland

Title, registration and the excise tax

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources titles and registers boats. A vessel needs Maryland registration if it has any primary or auxiliary mechanical propulsion and is used in Maryland more than anywhere else in the calendar year. Current fees, in effect since October 1, 2025:

• Title: $20
• Registration: $70, for a two-year decal that expires December 31 of the year after it's issued
• Lien filing: $15

The big number is the 5% vessel excise tax on the purchase price or fair market value. It has a $5 minimum and, from July 1, 2026, a $16,100 maximum. It must be paid within 30 days, or DNR adds a 10% penalty and interest of 1.5% a month.

For boats bought within the past three years, the bill of sale sets the value. Beyond that, DNR uses the BUC Book. Transfers between immediate family members can be exempt. Trade-in credit applies only to dealer sales. Boat trailers are registered separately with the MVA.

The title rule DNR keeps repeating

Maryland law makes it illegal to sell a titled vessel without handing over the certificate of title. DNR says it is seeing more no-title boats on social media marketplaces, and it won't transfer ownership without the title. Maryland has no salvage title, and a missing title can't be fixed through the abandoned-boat process.

If you buy from Delaware, which doesn't title boats, you need a copy of the registration card, a certified bill of sale and any lien release. Always check the HIN on the transom against the paperwork.

Boating safety education

Anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 must carry a Certificate of Boating Safety Education to operate a numbered or documented motorized vessel on Maryland waters. The certificate is good for life. You get it through an approved course or the equivalency exam.

Where to boat

Annapolis hosts the Naval Academy and the fall boat shows. Across the bay, St. Michaels, Oxford and Rock Hall are favorite cruising stops. Solomons sits at the mouth of the Patuxent. Ocean City gives access to the Atlantic through its inlet. Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County is the largest inland lake.

Season

The bay is busiest from spring through October, though rockfish anglers push later into the fall. Summer afternoon thunderstorms build fast over the bay, so check the forecast before crossing open water.

Popular boats

Sailboats and cruisers around Annapolis, center consoles and deadrise workboat-style hulls for rockfish and crabbing, and pontoons on Deep Creek.

Buying tips for Maryland boats

Insist on the title. Budget the 5% excise tax on top of the price. Brackish bay water corrodes trailers, outdrives and wiring. A boat kept in a wet slip needs a bottom inspection. As a seller, you must notify DNR within 15 days of a sale, and you can claim a refund of the second year's registration fee if you return the decals in the first year.