Every car on the road today has to be legally registered for you to be able to legally drive it. This is because, just like those types of vehicles, boats can be dangerous and the state wants to know what boats are on its waters. Many people are shocked to learn that the same rules apply to boats – before they can be used, they have to be registered with the DMV, just like any other vehicle. In fact, so many people are unaware of this that it’s not uncommon for people to get fined because they are piloting a boat that is not registered!
There are certain types of boats that absolutely must be registered by law. Powered boats are boats that have any kind of power source at all – whether it’s a legitimate power system or even just a small auxiliary power system. Any powered boat that is to be used in “water of the state” must be registered; water of the state is defined as any rivers, lakes or streams, regardless of size, and all of the salt water off the coast until you get 3 miles off. In other words, if you plan to use your boat anywhere, it has to be registered with the DMV of that state or your home state by law.
And in fact, boat registration is not very difficult or expensive, especially when you consider what goes into registering some other types of vehicles like motorcycle or large trucks. For all powered boats, regardless of size, the fee for boat registration is only $24.00. For non-powered boats, the fee is only $10; however, non-powered boats have not been legally required to be registered since June of 2004, so the choice is up to the boat’s owner. It’s good to remember, however, that if you decide to remove your boat’s power source you cannot obtain a refund for the boat registration fee; and if you add a power source at any time, you must register this change with the DMV and pay the new $24.00 registration fee even if you have already paid the $10.00 fee for non-powered boats.
The boat registration process itself is very simple. First, you have to complete the DMV’s boat registration application paperwork, which is available either directly from the office or from their website; all you have to do is print it out. Then you must locate your bill of sale, out-of-state title, invoice, etc and have the application fee ready. Then, you simply go to the DMV office, turn in the paperwork and fee and the boat is legally registered.
